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Late Spring Blooming Solomon’s Seals in Pennsylvanian Woodlands

Posted by wilde on May 31st, 2007 — Posted in Vegetable

Solomon’s Seals grow in open woods where sunlight reaches the forest floor. They co-exist with the viburnums and other woodland herbs.

Smooth Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum biflorum, has one to four creamy-white to yellow-green, bell-shaped flowers dangling from the leaf axils along an arching stem. If you don’t look under the leaves, you’re bound to miss the flowers.

Smooth Solomon’s Seal’s dangling, tube-shaped flowers.

False Solomon’s Seal, Smilacina racemosa, is blooming now, too — it’s flowers are much more noticeable than Smooth Soloman’s Seal’s blooms. At the end of an upward-arching stem projects out a pointed cluster, or raceme, of white flowers, which lends it an alternate name of Wild Spikenard.

Blooms of False Solomon’s Seal projecting upward at the tip of the zig-zag stem.

Looking down on a group of False Solomon’s Seal with the terminal flowers still in their yellow-green buds.

A close up view of the flower cluster of False Solomon’s Seal shows the stamens projecting out in all directions, which make the individual flowers appear as starbursts.

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Viburnum Bouquets in the Forests of Pennsylvania

Posted by wilde on May 31st, 2007 — Posted in Vegetable

This past week saw an end to the blooming of the locust trees. The spikes of white blossoms can be noticed from afar and so can their putrid scent. Not really putrid, but what would you call a cross between body odor and cat pee? I think the folks living nearest the rivers are glad that their blooming is over!

The forests are still alive with Spring blossoms. The Viburnums and Solomon’s Seals are making a great show along the wooded paths.

Maple-leaved Viburnum likes the filtered sunlight found in open wooded areas. The short-stalked leaves remind one of the leaves of, you guessed it — maple trees.

Pairs of leaves on this woodland shrub, Viburnum acerifolium, are similar to maple tree leaves.

Broad clusters of several small, white flowers are at the tip of the growing branches. The flower buds are pinkish-white before opening up into five-petaled, white blossoms. Five stamens project upward and make the clusters appear fuzzy from a distance.

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