Hearsay Update

I haven't had a chance to get out looking for flowers in the last couple of weeks, but I have heard from a few folks that have. The fly-poison, a white spike of flowers, is now in bloom. Also, water-shield, the smaller and more common of the water lilies in the lake, is in bloom. Those tiny red flowers are very attractive to honeybees. Now that most of the local schools are out, I may have a chance to get out and look for some more orchids that bloom this time of year.

In Between Seasons

It is getting to that in-between time when most of the spring wildflowers are gone and the summer wildflowers are just starting. Many summer flowers grow mostly in open areas around the lake, along the roads and trails, and in the food plots. This is also the busiest time of year for school trips to the park, which doesn't leave much time for flower hunting.

5/14/2012 Bullhead Lily, Mountain Laurel, Yellow Flag Iris, Balsam ragwort, Galax, Summer Bluets

5/15/2012 Lily-leaved Twayblade

I looked for Loesel's Twayblade yesterday, but haven't found it yet.

Flame Azalea and Pink Lady's Slipper

I went for a little walk on my day off and came out with some pretty cool flower sightings. Flame Azalea is one of those shrubs that stands out in the woods when it is in bloom. I always enjoy seeing that bright orange color against the green of the late spring woods.

Pink Lady's Slipper is one of those iconic wildflowers that almost everyone recognizes and appreciates. They are one the more common of our native orchids in the park, but the blooms are a little hard to find sometimes. I seem to miss them because of timing or location many years. One of the old locations has dwindled to just a few plants that haven't bloomed in several years. Very often, I just don't have time to get out this time of year.

Mountain Laurel is another beautiful late-spring-blooming shrub. The flowers vary from almost white to a very bright pink. The unopened flower buds have a very interesting shape, as well.

Flame Azalea

Pink Lady's Slipper

Mountain Laurel

May 5, 2012: Pink Lady's Slipper, Mountain Laurel, Flame Azalea, Bullhead Lily, Summer Bluet, Bluet, Firepink, Hawkweed, Vaccinium sp. (Blueberry relative), Wild Geranium, Lyre-leaved Sage, Yellow Stargrass, Balsam Ragwort, Southern Ragwort, Maple-leaf Viburnum, Oxeye Daisy, Hearts-a-Bustin', Galax, Bristly Locust, Wild Comfrey, False Solomon's Seal, Fleabane, Lily-leaved Twayblade

Lily-leaved Twayblade

I haven't had the chance to get out much the past couple of weeks, but I did have an interesting find this afternoon. Lily-leaved Twayblade is a small orchid that seems to grow best in damp open areas of the park. I used to see a lot of it around the food plot on Fern Trail and near the lakeshore behind the Nature Center. Today it was blooming beside Lake Road near the Raptor Center. The flower is another of those weird, buggy-looking flowers found on some orchids.

There is a blooming multiflora rose beside the sidewalk in front of the Nature Center. It is an exotic weed, but it has the best-smelling flowers of any plant in the park. They have that typical "rose" smell, especially early in the morning.

Last week (4-24-2012), I found some Little Brown Jugs in bloom. This is a type wild ginger (Asarum sp.) that is fairly common in the park. There is another species with the common name of Heart-Leaf that we see somewhat less commonly. They are both a special treat, though, because the tiny flowers are hidden beneath mounds of green leaves. The flowers are pollinated by insects that crawl through the leaf litter on the forest floor.

I have not had the chance to check on the Pink Lady's Slippers lately. I have seen some plants coming up, but no flower buds on the ones I saw. They should be in bloom soon, if not now. It is just a matter of finding them. Last year, there was a nice clump of them beside Bays Ridge Road, most of the way to the top of the ridge above Ledbetter Gap. I may try to check on them Sunday or Monday.

Lily-leaved Twayblade

Multiflora Rose

Little Brown Jug (Plant)

Little Brown Jug (Flowers)