Monthly Archives: May 2013

Another walk in the woods

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another falls - Upper ButtermilkThe weather has been perfect for walking in the woods. I am so fortunate to live in an area where there are so many glorious trails and waterfalls to walk by. Monday through Friday, I drop Mathew off at school and then take a morning walk in the woods with Dylan. I am never disappointed as there is always something new to see. Yesterday was no exception.

Fringed PolygalaAren’t Fringed Polygala or Gaywings (Polygala paucifolia) the sweetest little things?! It always puts a smile on my face when I come across them.  It is a small plant that likes to grow in mossy areas. The contrast between the green moss and pink flowers makes it a magical find.

columbineWild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) love growing in cracks in the rock along the gorge but they also do fine in gardens as well. The flower reminds me of Chinese lanterns. They are five-sectioned, yellow and red, horned flowers that hides its nectar in its long projections; this makes it inaccessible to all but the longest-tongued creatures. It appears that these beautiful flowers were designed with hummingbirds in mind.

Solomon SealI rarely ever come across Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum spp.) This one is a very interesting find as the flowers dangling below the stem is in singles, typical Solomon’s Seal flowers dangle in pairs.

Showy Solomon's SealThis one looks very similar to Solomon’s seal but it has an erect flower at the end of its stem. Some call it False Solomon’s Seal but I prefer Showy Solomon’s Seal (Smilacina racemosa). When viewed from above, a slight zigzag of the stem between each leaf is noticeable.

What have you seen on your walks? Please share and I will continue to share.

Walking with old friends

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A couple of our old friends came to visit and of course, I had to take them for a hike in the woods. Here are a few of things we saw along the way.

SONY DSC

by Fabia Wargin

sharp-lobed hepaticaWe came across 2 different varieties of Sharp-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba). Hepatica gets its name from its leaves, which, like the human liver has three lobes. It was once a very popular liver tonic. As a result, over 450,000 pounds of dried leaves were brewed into tea during 1883 alone.  That is a lot of leaves!

by Fabia Wargin

by Fabia Wargin

Isn’t Large-flowered Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) a beauty! It hides its flower as if it is shy.

rue annemoneRue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) is such a lovely delicate plant. Because the flowers move around easily in the wind, it is sometimes called “Windflower.”

dutchman's breechesI am sorry this photo is not clearer but it’s a single Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) blossom. This is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ants, a process called myrmecochory. The seeds have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants take the seeds to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes, and put the seeds in their nest debris, where they are protected until they germinate. They also get the added bonus of growing in a medium made richer by the ant nest debris. I guess you can think of the ants as farmers.

chickweedStar Chickweed (Stellaria pubera) is delicious in salads and is very soothing to irritated skin. A couple of years ago, I had a nasty rash; it blistered like a burn and looked like it was going to leave a scar. I made an infusion from fresh Chickweed. I let the infusion cool and then soaked a cloth in it and applied the cool compresses to the rash for a couple of hours, for several days. Every time the cloth cooled down, I re-soaked it. It was as if it removed the heat from my arm and healed the rash. Within a month, there was no evidence that I ever had a rash. It was quite amazing.