Your Skunk Cabbage Isn’t My Skunk Cabbage

The different flavors of The Discovery Channel or The History Channel are the TV channels most likely to be left on all day in my house. I was going about a few chores just this week when I overhead a familiar name and so I turned my attention to the big screen.

Somebody was talking about skunk cabbage as something bears like to eat and when I looked up at the TV I saw a plant that was not what I know to be skunk cabbage. The H2 channel was running some silly program — yeah I’m not convinced — about Bigfoot.

The people researching the big-hairy-man-ape legend were in Washington State about to set up some trail cameras in hope of capturing an image of Sasquatch passing though the forest. Deer, a cougar and a bear were actually photographed in the baited location. Sorry, no Bigfoot!

Anyway, the location was the Western United States and the mountain habitat was forested. Snow was on the ground and the skunk cabbage leaves were already growing so it had to be late winter or early spring.

Note the stream in the image below from a History Channel program as it’s near the habitat of skunk cabbage.

Forested Riverine Habitat of Western Skunk Cabbage
Forested Riverine Habitat of Western Skunk Cabbage

Skunk cabbage grows in lowlands for the moisture. It may be surprising to know it can grow right in the middle of creeks and in standing water.

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Wild Chives Free For The Picking

Every year when most of the scenery is trimmed down to bare trees and the colors are browns and greys, the chives come out of hiding. Green is really noticeable in the woods when you see it in January or February.

Wild Chive Patch Near a Large Fern in the Woods
Wild Chive Patch Near a Large Fern in the Woods

Wild chives grow in the forested mountains of Central Pennsylvania. The first time I realized these plants were the same chives that we eat, it stumped me. I guess I had never given any thought about, “Where do chives come from?

Well, they looked like chives, but fakes and look-a-likes abound in nature, so we need to take precautions and err on the side of safety. I know of a guy who died after eating a wild mushroom, so I take heed to all warnings!

Crushing one of the long, rolled leaves gave out a scent of chives. That’s how you know they’re ok to eat.

We’ve grown chives in the herb garden so it was easy to recognize the ‘clump of grass in the middle of the woods’ as wild chives.

The way to know you’re safe with your wild-picked chives is to note the smell. If your “chives” don’t have an onion or chive-like scent, then it’s not the right plant. Besides, in Eastern North America there isn’t another plant that looks quite like chives.

Chives, Allium schoenoprasum, grows in clumps that are taller than grass in your yard. These clumps rise above the leaf litter on the forest floor.

Wild Chive Plants Grow In The Appalachian Forest
Wild Chive Plants Grow In The Appalachian Forest

The dark green leaves are hollow cylinders that taper to a point at the tip. The longest leaves, maybe up to a foot long, bend to the sides. When crushed, they release a mild onion-like scent.

If you were to dig up the plant, you’d find small 1/2-inch white bulbs from which the leaves sprout.

Garlic, onion and chives are all members of the Lily Family, Liliaceae, and one thing they have in common are the odoriferous compounds that make them tasty. Other family members are quite poisonous, such as irises and gladiolas, but they have no onion-like smell. Also, all these related plants are much larger than chives and the leaves tend to be flat, not rolled like the chives leaves.

Flowering occurs in mid- to late-Spring as a cluster of pink/lavender flowerettes on a round flower head. We’ll be looking for chives to flower in May or June at our location.

Ice Fog Snared Weeds Like Mini Sculptures

Too bad it was so foggy that we didn’t venture out earlier. What a wonderful ice fog to behold!

Oncoming Headlights in the Ice Fog
Oncoming Headlights in the Ice Fog

Had we left the house any later we would have missed the beautiful display all along the back roads to the main highway.

Car lights beamed through the fog and the land on the mountain looked liked it was topped off by a giant cloud. You couldn’t see far at all, perhaps an 1/8 of a mile at most.

Mini-Sculptures of Ice on the Roadside Weeds
Mini-Sculptures of Ice on the Roadside Weeds

Then, at the side of the road the weeds glowed with an extra bright white. The once white and golden-flowering weeds were white with a heavy frost. But it seemed like such a thick frost we termed it an “ice fog” that gave us the beautiful icy mini-sculptures to ponder.

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Witch Hazel Blooms Latest in the Year

A sighting of a new coltsfoot plant reminded me that Nature does have a way of surprising us.

Like this one day in October I was thinking to myself, “Well, there’s nothing blooming now!” as I walked down the lane to the highway. Seeing all the tree leaves on the ground verified that we were well into Autumn and the hangers-on were providing most of the color in the scenery.

Blooming Witch Hazel Blends With Yellow and Orange Leaves in the Background
Blooming Witch Hazel Blends With Yellow and Orange Leaves in the Background

Photos taken 29 October 2015. (Click on any image to see a larger version.)

The few colorful exceptions were the Chrysanthemum and Alyssum planted next to the house where they receive southern sun during the day and warmth from the building at night. A stray aster or Indian Tobacco here and there showed a few blooms, but for the most part flowers are history for the year once November starts, in Central Pennsylvania at least.

Witch Hazel Trees Bloom in October/November
Witch Hazel Trees Bloom in October/November

Then I saw the witch hazel trees in an awesome flowering! Probably the most blossoms I have seen on these trees on the east side of the lane. Photos couldn’t do them justice as the blooms faded into the scenery of yellows and oranges provided by the awesome fall foliage.

Some had just uncurled their long, strap-like, yellow petals.

Yellow Strap-like Petals of Witch Hazel Flowers
Yellow Strap-like Petals of Witch Hazel Flowers

A few old nuts from last year were still attached to a stem…but were the food bits still inside?

A Pair of Witch Hazel Nuts with New Flowers
A Pair of Witch Hazel Nuts with New Flowers

An oddity, a curiosity. Why bloom so late? What pollinates the flowers, wind? They surely can take the cold!

After a month or more of chilling weather and a few storms with gusty winds the witch hazel flowers having lost their petals still cling to the branches. Perhaps their small nuts will grow here to become a future food for a squirrel or wild turkey.

Lone Coltsfoot Volunteers in the Lane

When the holiday season comes to the mountains of Pennsylvania not much greenery can be found other than that of the pines and hemlocks that grow in our forests.

By December the deciduous trees are bare, but a few plants will still show green parts as long as the weather is mild. Ferns, grasses and mosses may retain some greenery the whole year while other plants in protected areas may still support a few leaves for a while longer.

I was surprised to see new leaves on a Coltsfoot plant that volunteered in the middle of the lane. There it was this green plant among all the grey and brown.

Coltsfoot in the Lane Growing New Leaves
Coltsfoot in the Lane Growing New Leaves

Photo taken 5 Dec 2015. (Click on any photo to see a larger image.)

The small new leaves with their perfect edges and solid color surround the central stems that have a purple hue. The older, larger leaves look raggedy in contrast.

New Leaves of Coltsfoot in the Lane
New Leaves of Coltsfoot in the Lane

So, I’ve made a mental note (and this post!) to help me remember what the new coltsfoot plant looks like now so that we can check it out in Spring.

If we’re lucky enough to see flowers, photos will be posted here in March or April, depending on how late the frozen part of winter lasts.

Flower Poetry Fridays: Flower Glossary Part 3

Welcome back to Flower Poetry Fridays with Mrs. Sigourney, where each Friday during the past year a new poem was posted from her The Voice Of Flowers.

At the end of her 1845 book of flower appreciation, she offers a “Glossary of Flowers Mentioned in This Volume”, which has been reproduced here in three parts. The last two Fridays we enjoyed the first and second parts of the flower glossary.

Today’s flowers, from N to W, is the third and last part of the flower glossary.

Glossary: Flowers N through W

Narcissus, . . . Self-love.

Nightshade, . . . Dark thoughts.

Oleander, . . . Beware !

Olive, . . . Peace.

Pansy, . . . Pleasant thoughts.

Pea, Everlasting, . . . Wilt thou go with me?

Pea, Sweet, . . . Departure.

Pink, . . . Woman’s love.

Piony, . . . Anger.

Polyanthus, . . . Confidence.

Poppy, Red, . . . Evanescent pleasure.

Poppy, White, . . . Consolation.

Primrose, . . . Modest worth.

Ragged Lady, . . . Bad housekeeping.

Rhododendron, . . . Majesty.

Rose, . . . Beauty and prosperity.

Rose, Cinnamon, . . . Maternal care.

Rose, Damask, . . . Bashful love.

Rose, Thornless, . . . Ingratitude.

Rose, Multiflora, . . . Grace.

Rose, Moss, . . . Superior merit.

Rose, Wild, . . . Lightness.

Rose-bud, Moss, . . . Confession.

Rose-bud, White, . . . Too young to love.

Sage, . . . Domestic virtues.

Snowball, . . . Thoughts of Heaven.

Soldier in Green, . . . Undying hope.

Spruce, . . . Integrity.

Sunflower, . . . Lofty thoughts.

Sweet-Briar, . . . Simplicity.

Sweet-William, . . . A smile.

Thistle, . . . Misanthropy.

Tulip, . . . A declaration of love.

Venus’s Fly-Trap, . . . Artifice.

Verbena, . . . Sensibility.

Violet, . . . Modesty.

Water-Lily, . . . Purity of heart.

Wax-Berry, . . . Confiding trust.

Willow, Weeping, . . . Forsaken love.

Woodbine, . . . Fraternal love.

THE END


Flowers and their meanings.

The thing I’m curious about is, did the flower receiver, back in the day, have an understanding of some of these meanings? Did they have any idea that the flower giver was sharing emotions or feelings when handing them a basket of flowers?

Looking at the list of flowers in the glossary it goes to prove there is tremendous variety in flowers. The spice of life, I’d say.

Have to admit that I hadn’t heard of Ragged Lady. . . Bad housekeeping. Turns out that it’s Nigella damascena, also known as love-in-a-mist, a Buttercup Family member with spiky, fern-like foliage that makes the whole plant look unkept. The seed heads are large spiky spheres. The spike-like leaves still make the plant look kind of shaggy even after the flowers are gone. The flowers are pretty in shades of blue, pink and purple.

The Soldier in Green. . . Undying hope is a new flower for me, Adonis aestivalis, another Buttercup Family member. It seems to be more commonly called Pheasants Eye, a name that doesn’t make sense to me. Soldier in Green probably refers to the volume of upright foliage surrounding the flowers.

Rose, Multiflora. . . Grace. Yeah, for one week of the year. The rest of the time what a nuisance! It takes a number of hours clomping, sawing and digging these wild roses to get rid of them. Black raspberries would be so much more appreciated growing in that space!

Flower Poetry Fridays: Flower Glossary Part 2

Welcome back to Flower Poetry Fridays with Mrs. Sigourney, where each Friday during the past year a new poem was posted from her The Voice Of Flowers.

At the end of her 1845 book of flower appreciation, she offers a “Glossary of Flowers Mentioned in This Volume”, which will be reproduced here in three parts. Last Friday we enjoyed the first part of the flower glossary.

Today’s flowers, from E to M, is the second part of the flower glossary. Stay tuned for Part 3.

Glossary: Flowers E through M

Eglantine, . . . I wound to heal.

Fleur de lis, . . . Aristocracy.

Flowering Bean, . . . Industry.

Forget-me-not, . . . True love.

Fox-Glove, . . . Insincerity.

Geranium, . . . Gentility.

Geranium, Rose, . . . Preference.

Gladiolis, . . . Martial taste.

Grape, . . . Mirth.

Hackmetack, . . . Single blessedness.

Hare-Bell, . . . Grief.

Hawthorn, . . . Hope.

Heliotrope, . . . Devotion.

Holly, . . . Domestic happiness.

Hollyhock, . . . Ambition.

Honeysuckle, . . . Fidelity.

Honeysuckle, Trumpet, . . . Inconstancy.

Hyacinth, . . . Friendship in adversity

Hydrangia, . . . Heartlessness.

Ice-Plant, . . . An old beau.

Iris, . . . My compliments.

Ivy, . . . Wedded love.

Jessamine, . . . Amiability.

Jonquil, . . . I desire a return of affection.

Lady’s-Slipper, . . . Capricious beauty.

Larkspur, . . . Haughtiness.

Laurel, . . . I change but in dying.

Lilac, Persian, . . . An accomplished traveller.

Lilac, Purple, . . . Fastidiousness.

Lilac, White, . . . Youthful innocence.

Lily, White, . . . Purity and beauty.

Lily of the Valley, . . . Delicate simplicity.

Lobelia, . . . Malevolence.

London-Pride, . . . Frivolity.

Lupine, . . . Dejection.

Maple, . . . Reserve.

Marigold, . . . Jealousy.

Mignionette, . . . Your virtues surpass your charms.

Mimosa, . . . Sensitiveness.

Misletoe, . . . Superstition.

Monk’s-Hood, . . . Deceit.

Mourning Widow, . . . Bereavement.

Myrtle, . . . Love in absence.


Flowers and their meanings.

According to her glossary some flowers seem fitting for a certain station in life, like White Lilac. . . Youthful innocence, Ivy. . . Wedded love, and Mourning Widow. . . Bereavement.

Others tell of the emotions we experience through many of life’s tribulations, like Monk’s-Hood. . . Deceit or Marigold. . . Jealousy.

One facet of Mrs. Sigourney’s work that I love is her characterization of the flowers that she wrote about. In her poems you can read about characters of minions – the dandelions, peasants – the violets, nobility – the rose, and royalty – the queen dahlia.

It takes real imagination and colorful words to come up with characters like these we find in her flower poetry.

Stay tuned next week for the Flower Glossary, Part 3.

Flower Poetry Fridays: Flower Glossary Part 1

Welcome back to Flower Poetry Fridays with Mrs. Sigourney, where each Friday during the past year a new poem was posted from her The Voice Of Flowers. Last Friday we enjoyed the last installment of her poems.

At the end of her 1845 book of flower appreciation, she offers a “Glossary of Flowers Mentioned in This Volume”, which will be reproduced here in three parts.

Today’s flowers, from A to D, is the first part of the flower glossary. Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3.

Glossary: Flowers A through D

ACACIA, . . . Concealed love.

Almond, . . . Hope.

Amaranth, . . . Immortality.

Amaryllis, . . . Beautiful, but timid.

Anemone, . . . Anticipation.

Aspen, . . . Tenderness.

Aster, . . . Love of variety.

Bluebell, . . . Health.

Box, . . . Constancy.

Buttercup, . . . Riches.

Cactus Speciosissimus, . . . Perfect beauty.

Calla, . . . Magnificent beauty.

Camella, . . . Unpretending excellence.

Carnation, . . . Pride and beauty.

Cereus, . . . Long life.

Chamomile, . . . Energy in adversity.

Chrysanthemum, . . . A heart left to desolation.

Clematis, . . . Mental beauty.

Columbine, . . . Desertion.

Convolvolus, . . . Worth sustained by affection.

Cowslip, . . . Winning Grace.

Coxcomb, . . . Fashion.

Crown Imperial, . . . Pride of riches.

Cypress, . . . Despair.

Daffodil, . . . Uncertainty.

Dahlia, . . . Elegance and beauty.

Daisy, . . . Beauty and innocence.

Daisy, Mountain, . . . Meek loveliness.

Dandelion, . . . Coquetry.


Flowers and their meanings.

Each flower produces some kind of emotion or feeling with their colors, shapes and smells.

Giving a flower to another is a gesture of that emotion from one to another. Like, red roses for love and yellow roses for friendship.

The most curious meaning attached to a flower in this part, for me, was Columbine. . . Desertion. So, who are you gonna give those flowers to?

Gotta love Coxcomb. . . Fashion and Camella. . . Unpretending excellence!