Yellow Flags Flower Down by the River

A friend gave us a few plants a couple of years ago, but not a store-bought variety. His property is next to the Juniata River and one of his favorite past times is to go down to the river and see what he can find. Sometimes he’ll come back up the hill with buckets of minnows or baby catfish that would then be raised in fish tanks. River rock and driftwood are common finds and so are plastic chairs and other sundry items that get washed downstream during heavy rains. Once in a while he’ll venture far enough to dig up flowering plants that he usually transplants near his goldfish pond.

We were lucky to receive these beautiful yellow flags or yellow irises. The plants get about three feet tall, but many of the sword like leaves arch over to a foot or two tall. From year to year the iris plants get bigger and this year they flowered the most in their three years here on the mountain ridge. I think last year each plant had one flower stalk with 1 – 3 blooms. This year there are five flower stalks among two clumps of iris planted in different areas. Each flower stalk had 1-5 flowers.

Yellow iris foliage and flower buds.
Yellow iris foliage and flower buds.
Three flower buds of the yellow flag or yellow iris.
Three flower buds of the yellow flag or yellow iris.

Three flower buds are apparent in the images above. Photos taken 2 May 2010.

Beardless yellow iris flowers. Photo taken 7 May 2010.
Beardless yellow iris flowers. Photo taken 7 May 2010.

The yellow flag is typical of Iris species, where the large yellow “petals” that are veined with purple and that arch downward are really the sepals. Smaller upward pointing petals are the true petals. Inside to the petals are three styles, which look like smaller erect petals. The yellow flag has purple lines on the large bright yellow sepals and a lighter yellow color on the other flower parts.

Even though the yellow flags, that were found down by the river, seemed to be a natural plant there, the Iris pseudacorus is not native to the United States. Yellow irises are native to Europe and the specimens that we find along rivers and creeks are garden escapees. We could also say the yellow flags are naturalized to our area in South-central PA.

Somehow it feels good to have re-captured a wayside plant. We can enjoy its beautiful yellow blossoms and sword like foliage whenever we’re outside the house.

There is no indication in Peterson’s Edible Plant Guide or Peterson’s Medical Plants Guide that the yellow flag has any edible or medicinal value. Beyond its appeal as a garden member, its long linear leaves could be used to make small baskets for collecting berries and cones. The leaves also lend themselves as natural additions to cut flower arrangements.

In the autumn the iris plants can be separated into individual fans and re-planted. Use a sharp spade to slice through the roots in between the small groups or fans of leaves. Or, dig up the entire plant and use a sharp knife or shovel to separate the fans, roots and all. Transplant to new area, water and mulch. Look forward to next year’s blooms!

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Trout Lily Flowers Next to the Juniata River

In Pennsylvania one of the Spring Ephemerals that blooms in early April is the Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum, which is also called Adder’s Tongue or Dogtooth Violet. Trout Lily is a better or more descriptive common name because the trout lily is a member of the Lily family, Liliaceae.

If you know traits of the Lily Family, then you’ll be able to recognize that trout lily is a lily. It’s supposedly named for blooming at the time when the trout are running, or spawning. Since April 3rd was the first day of trout fishing season here, the name trout lily might be right on.

You’ll probably first notice the foliage of the trout lily as it is visible for many weeks, yet the blossom is out for a short time, perhaps a week at the most. The flowers in these photographs, taken 8 April 2010, were gone by the 13th of April.

We found a colony of trout lilies blooming along my favorite river road. It was easy to spot their yellow flowers on the west-facing slope that overlooks the Juniata River.

Large group of trout lily blooming next to the river road.
Large group of trout lily blooming next to the river road.
Colony of blooming trout lily.
Colony of blooming trout lily.
Looking up at trout lily blooming on the hillside next to the river.
Looking up at trout lily blooming on the hillside next to the river.

Looking up the hill at all the yellow trout lily blooms.

Small group of trout lilies flowering.
Small group of trout lilies flowering.

Flowers at the bottom of the image are just opening their bell-shaped blossom. Once open the petals flare backward exposing the bright yellow stamens.

Trout lily flowers and leaves.
Trout lily flowers and leaves.

The palmate or divided leaf on the left in the image above is a cut-leaved toothwort, which was growing in small patches among the trout lilies.

The thick, sword-like leaves of trout lily come to a point at the tip and are mottled with dark green to maroon on a light green background, or vice versa.

Found in wetland areas, natural water drainage areas next to creeks, rivers, lowlands.

Close-up of trout lily flowers with yellow stamens.
Close-up of trout lily flowers with yellow stamens.

One to three lance-like leaves per bloom and sometimes you find a large number of single leaves with no blooms on this perennial spring flower. Trout lily flowers are the tallest part of the plant and they reach 8 – 10 inches tall.

The under or back side of the yellow petals is streaked with brown, and more so on the three outer petals.

Petals of trout lilies flowering.
Petals of trout lilies flowering.

Oh, see those three little leaves in the foreground? Well, I certainly didn’t. In my enthusiasm for the opportunity to photograph these flowers I neglected to check for poison ivy, but that’s what I got! Never used to as a kid. Use caution if you’re going in the woods, no matter what time of year. All it takes is one brush with the poison ivy plant and you could be itching for a long time. Take my word for it!

Spring beauty blooming as trout lily cohort.
Spring beauty blooming as trout lily cohort.
Spring beauty flowers and the mottled leaves of trout lily.
Spring beauty flowers and the mottled leaves of trout lily.

Also blooming in the same area were Spring Beauty and Cut-Leaved Toothwort.

Trout lily and spring beauty blooming together.
Trout lily and spring beauty blooming together.

Across the road on the river side, a small patch of Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia virginica, were blooming at the base of a tree.

Virginia bluebells blooming next to the river.
Virginia bluebells blooming next to the river.

On the east side of the Juniata River these bluebells were blooming on the 8th of April 2010.

From what we’ve seen on the Juniata River it seems that river banks and the adjacent lands might be great places to search for spring flowers. If you can find a trail near you that runs through river side areas, take a hike and let us know what you find.

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