03/21/2009 The Pocket

Bent White Trillium

Bent White Trillium

Changes are occurring every day at The Pocket.  Probably the biggest news is that there are a couple of white trillium that are near opening, with one open enough to see the interior of the blossom (T. flexipes, probably.)

Listed below are the flowering plants I spotted, along with four others which aren’t yet flowering, but for which I identified the foliage for the first time this spring.

  • Bellwort: Large-flowered bellwort are blooming in several locations now. 
  • Bloodroot: I only spotted three blossoms, two of them north of the parking lot rather than down along the creek.  The seedpods are nicely formed on most plants.
  • Blue cohosh:  Blooming, pretty easy to find along the boardwalk.
  • Blue phlox: Numerous, not only along the horse trail as previously reported, but also along the boardwalk now.
  • Chickweed has been blooming for a long time, but they are really looking nice now.  The dark anthers are showing well.
  • Columbine: Several have flower buds, but I think we’re still a week or so away from a bloom.
  • Dutchman’s breeches: Continuing a nice display; will probably be blooming for a couple more weeks.
  • Foamflower: Several very nice bunches along the boardwalk.
  • Hepatica blossoms are decreasing, but still easy to find.
  • *Iris leaves are showing up along the slope from the horse trail down to the creek.
  • *Mayapple:   Foliage is prominent, but difficult to spot from the trails along the creek.   There is a patch on a flat well above the creek just upstream from the end of the boardwalk. 
  • *Miterwort (Bishop’s cap): I spotted one patch of them along the creek (see photo below.)
  • Purple phacelia: Commonly open now.
  • Rue anemone are numerous, and quite beautiful.
  • *Solomon’s seal: Several  with little buds starting on them.  Most of the plants were less than a foot high.
  • Spring Beauty:  Still many of them around, but not dominant/prominent like before.
  • Toadshade (Trillium cuneatum): There was at least one with its bloom open.
  • Toothworts: Waning, with most having lost more blossoms than remain.
  • Trailing trillium: At peak, most with open blossoms.
  • Trout lily:  Still numerous.
  • Virginia bluebell: Numerous; I think I’m about ready to call “Peak!”
  • Wild geranium: Starting to be common along the boardwalk, and numerous along the horse trail.
  • Wood (celandine) poppy: Numerous, but not at peak yet.
  • *Wood sorrel:  Single blossom spotted along the horse trail.
  • Violets:
    • Canada violets:  There were only a few 4 days ago, numerous now.
    • Common blue violet:  Common in quantity, but uncommonly beautiful.
    • Downy yellow violet:  Hundreds of them.
    • Long-spurred violets: Quite numerous along the horse trail, as noted on the 18th.

* First spotting of the plant this season.

Miterwort

Miterwort

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