Posted by wilde on May 8th, 2006 — Posted in Vegetable
The first week of May heralded the arrival of Mayapple flowers. For a couple of weeks now the showy umbrella-shaped leaves have been expanding to their full size. Some are over a foot wide. The flowers are located underneath the canopy of huge green leaves.
Mayapple flower and bud at the “Y” of two leaves.
Usually the mayapple has two leaves overhanging a solitary flower that is borne from the “Y” of the two leaf stems. Here, we found a colony of mayapple containing a few plants having only one leaf over the single flower, which is contrary to what you might read in some wildflower books.
Single mayapple leaf and blossom.
Single and double leaves overhanging the solitary mayapple flower.
Besides the mayapples there are wild geraniums in bloom along the lane and in the woods under a light canopy of deciduous trees. The ground berries or brambles are ever present now and will bloom repeatedly for a month or more. The lily-of-the-valley is still in bloom and giving off its beautiful scent. The last of the common violets has faded away this week.
Lily-of-the-valley is still blooming and giving off its sweet scent.
Bright yellow flowers in the yard are five-petaled cinquefoil.
Well, about a week before Mother’s Day seems like a good time to come out and view the Mayapples blooming in Pennsylvania. I always liked the canopy-effect the huge leaves make. It’s easy to imagine little fairies romping underneath the mayapples!
Mayapple flowers under the canopy.
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Posted by wilde on May 6th, 2006 — Posted in Vegetable
In the woods underneath an old oak tree each year I see this wild pink azalea come up in May with its straggly looking leaves. The leaves are long and slender and appear a bit crinkled when unfurling. I wonder if it will bloom more fully than the previous year, but alas all that appears are two flower heads. I have spotted more of this wild azalea in the woods but none of those plants have bloomed as of yet.
It is still really cool to see this wild pink azalea as its predecessors must have participated in bringing us such lovely shrubbery for our front yards and gardens. By the way our azaleas by the house did survive the last blasts of winter, but the leaves on each were bitten by the last frozen nights and some of the greenery will have to be pruned back. One of them does not look like it will bloom.
Wild Pink Azalea blooming under an old oak tree.
The Lily-of-the-Valley is blooming nicely now. A few of its stems of little white blossoms have been brought inside so that we can appreciate its wonderful aroma.
Lily-of-the-Valley blooms are open for all the passersby to smell.
The other wild pink that I want to mention is the Pink Lady Slipper. Its blooms are out now, but I think its colors will brighten over the next few days to a deeper shade of pink.
The Pink Lady Slipper is blooming in the woods of Pennsylvania.
Close view of the Pink Lady Slipper, also known as the Moccasin Flower.
If you are out in the woods looking for this beautiful orchid, set your sights on the two green leaves. The top of the flower might be missed if you are looking down on the lady slipper as the sepals blend in with the forest floor.
Leaves of the Pink Lady Slipper are more noticeable than the blossom at first glance.
Some seasons the orchid will not bloom, yet the plant will still send up its greenery.
The Pink Lady Slipper may not bloom each and every year as evidenced by the plant on the right here.
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