Dogtooth Violet is a Yellow Trout Lily

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One of the Spring woodland flowers that is quite common is the yellow-flowering Dogtooth Violet, Erythronium americanum. It’s also called the Trout Lily because it blooms in early Spring when the trout are spawning.

The dogtooth violet has six long, narrow petals that are bright yellow on the inside with streaks of red to brown on the under or back side. The petals are swept back or reflexed which makes the yellow stamens stand out. A single flower rises up on a short flower stalk about 4-8 inches.

Foliage consists of one or two sword-shaped basal leaves. Leaves are thick, noticeably variegated, and entire, having a smooth margin. Photos taken 26 April 2011.

Mottled leaves and swept back petals of the Dogtooth Violet.
Mottled leaves and swept back petals of the Dogtooth Violet.

The trout lily is often seen near streams and other wet, woodland areas. Look for it in areas where the Skunk Cabbage grows.

Trout Lilies can often be found near Skunk Cabbage in wetland areas.
Trout Lilies can often be found near Skunk Cabbage in wetland areas.

Trout lilies will often be found in massive quantities. Along a back road in central Pennsylvania a large group was spyed among brush in a swampy area near a creek.

Wetland habitat of trout lily is shared with skunk cabbage and mayapple.
Wetland habitat of trout lily. Trout lily in foreground and center of image with skunk cabbage. The taller greenery in the background is Mayapple. This area is lowland as noted by the rising hill in the background.

This could have been a beautiful display if the overgrown brush was removed. There were several lilies per square meter.

Many trout lilies growing in the same habitat.
Many trout lilies growing in the same habitat.
Mass of Trout Lily in Juniata County, PA - at least 50 lilies in bloom.
Mass of Trout Lily in Juniata County, PA - at least 50 lilies in bloom.

(Click on photos to see larger images.)

Like other Spring ephemerals this massive display of our native trout lily in bloom would probably hide on a cloudy day. We noticed the wetland flowers by the glint of their bright yellow flowers open in the sunshine.

Spring Ephemerals Bloom in Mass Quantities

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The middle of May brings the end of Spring ephemerals in central Pennsylvania. These early spring flowers are done with blooming by the time the tree canopy fills in with leaves. Once the trees leaf-in the small woodland plants can’t get enough energy from the sun to continue growth. Their greenery dies back and the plant goes into a dormant period until the following year when late Winter warmings stir them back to life.

A neat thing about early woodland flowering plants is that they often bloom en masse. Hundreds of flowering plants in a small area is a sight to behold, especially when the rest of the landscape is still brown and grey. Photographs cannot do these beautiful scenes justice. One has to be there in person to experience the thrill that can only be suggested via photography.

Mass of Virginia Bluebells along the Swatara Creek, Dauphin County, PA.
Mass of Virginia Bluebells along the Swatara Creek, Dauphin County, PA. Photo taken 5 April 2006.
Mass of Marsh Marigolds in Gifford Pinchot State Park, York County, PA.
Mass of Marsh Marigolds in Gifford Pinchot State Park, York County, PA.
Mass of Dutchman's Breeches in Perry County, PA.
Mass of Dutchman's Breeches in Perry County, PA. Photo taken 21 April 2010.
Mass of Bluets in Perry County, PA. Photo taken 7 April 2010.
Mass of Bluets in Perry County, PA. Photo taken 7 April 2010.

Places north of Route 80 in Pennsylvania, or at higher elevation, still have a little time to see the Spring ephemeral flowers.

It can be a very uplifting experience to see the natural beauty of the country. When you go, don’t forget to take the camera!

Wild Native Bee Hive in a Catalpa Tree

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A fellow we know is a farmer from way back. He knows the value of having bees around the farm and was proud to show us one of his natural bee hives. We didn’t get to see the actual beehive as it was deep inside the trunk of a large catalpa tree.

A big limb had broken off at the base for whatever reason and that made a hole into the trunk. Honey bees have been living in that tree for many years. Even though the big catalpa tree is right next to the house, our farmer friend found a way to live with the bees. Smart, I say. When his red raspberries are in flower, and that won’t be long now, they will be pollinated for sure.

Honey bees made a home in this old catalpa tree trunk.
Honey bees made a home in this old catalpa tree trunk. Photo taken 25 April 2011.

Letting the wild native bees stay where they are practically guarantees that the fruit trees will be pollinated. Another rotten old tree harbors a second colony of bees a hundred meters away. The walnut trees in that area will likely benefit from that beehive.

After hearing about colony collapse disorder and the plight of beehives in the USA, it’s great to see that at least some bees seem to be doing well.

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Photos Help to Locate Perennial Plants

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Each year I don’t get to walk all the trails that I’d like to for one reason or another and sometimes I’m too early or too late to see certain plants blooming. Finding perennial plants that bloom only in the Spring can be tough. Relying on memories of past walks to help locate some flowers doesn’t help too much.

The best idea I have to share about re-finding plants is to take lots of pictures. Sure, take pictures of the flowers, but also take photos of the surrounding area. Photograph plants that are growing nearby and any other memorable landmark. Images of buildings, walkways, big trees, streams and trail markers can help you find your quarry again in future years.

Before setting out on a trail you’ve photographed previously, review the pictures to refresh your memory. Here is an example that I’ll use next year to find these pretty Hepatica plants. Photos taken 21 April 2011.

Hepatica flowers at the moss-covered base of a large tree.
Hepatica flowers at the moss-covered base of a large tree. Note the two spent flowers as seen by the remaining green bracts near the center and top of the image.

On the opposite side of the big tree there was a white-flowering hepatica growing in the shade.

White hepatica flowers at the base of the same tree, but on the north side.
White hepatica flowers at the base of the same tree, but on the north side.

To be able to find these posies again next year, I took a photo of the nearby vicinity. That way, I can review the images before coming to this location in future years. It’s a great way to refresh one’s memory!

Large wounded tree marks location of hepatica plants. Skunk cabbage included in photo to mark tree's location near the creek.
Large wounded tree marks location of hepatica plants. Skunk cabbage included in photo to mark tree's location near the creek.
Image shows the relative location of the wounded hepatica tree near the creek.
Image shows the relative location of the wounded hepatica tree near the creek. The next photos in this grouping show upstream and downstream views of the creek.

Take a few pictures of the surrounding area to help you find your special friends again on future woodland walks.

Gorgeous hepatica flowering white in the sunlight!
Gorgeous hepatica flowering white in the sunlight!

 

Rue Anemone Dances in the Wind

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Woodland walks this time of year will hold surprises for you, if you look closely. Some of the Spring Ephemeral flowers are large enough that they can be easily seen from a short distance, like the trilliums and bloodroot. Others blend into the scenery so well you may have to search for them, like the Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Rue Anemone.

Rue Anemone, Anemonella thalictroides, is a small plant only reaching 3 to 8 inches tall. The blossoms are about an inch across or smaller and the leaflets are even smaller than the blossoms. Photos taken 21 April 2011.

Rue anemone next to my walking stick with inch-long increments.
Rue anemone next to my walking stick with inch-long increments. Photos taken 21 April 2011.

The Windflower, as Rue Anemone is called, is an appropriate name. The whole plant seems to move with the slightest breeze, like it’s dancing in the wind. Take a look at the photo above and you can see why. The whole plant rises up on a single stem and the first set of leaves is right under the flower, but they’re halfway up the stem. It’s a top-heavy plant and when the wind blows even a little bit, the windflower is going to move.

Leaves are of two types. Leaves on the flowering stalk are in a whorl underneath the flowers. Not always present are the basal leaves which have three compound leaves with three leaflets. The leaves and leaflets have three blunt, rounded lobes.

Leaf types in Rue Anemone include those in a whorl under the flowers and compound basal leaves with three leaflets each.
Leaf types in Rue Anemone include those in a whorl under the flowers and compound basal leaves with three leaflets each.

Flowers occur singly or in larger numbers on some plants. The flowers all emanate from the same point just above the leaf whorl.

Several windflowers with single blossoms. Others have up to four blooms.
Several windflowers with single blossoms. Others have up to four blooms.

(Click photos to see a larger image.)

Different view of the rue anemone flowers in the preceding photo.
Different view of the rue anemone flowers in the preceding photo.

Remember that Spring Ephemerals are perennial plants. Once you spot them make a note so you can find them in future years. They can only be seen in the early Spring and after that they move into the dormant part of their lifecycle.

Hepatica Leaves Upright or Prostrate

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If you’ve been to this blog in the springtime before, you probably know that Hepatica is one of my favorite woodland flowers. Being a Spring Ephemeral its delicate blossoms range from white to light blue, lavender or even cobalt blue. Photos taken 21 April 2011.

Light blue hepatica flowers right on the trail. Note that three large bracts underneath each flower and their hairy stems.
Light blue hepatica flowers right on the trail. Note that three large bracts underneath each flower and their hairy stems.

(Click on photos to see a larger image.)

Looking down on the same group of flowers as above.
Looking down on the same group of flowers as above.

Pardon my hand in the photo below – it’s meant to show the upright nature of some hepatica leaves. The upright leaves are not very common. I had never seen another hepatica with the upright leaves beside one individual plant on our ridge. This day, I observed three other plants with the upright leaves. Based on my limited observations, I would guess that 5-10% of a population might have upright leaves.

Small upright leaf of hepatica.
Small upright leaf of hepatica.

The upright leaves seem to be associated with the Sharp-Lobed Hepatica, Hepatica acutiloba. The upright leaves usually have three or four pointed lobes and they’re about a third or one-half the size of the more common prostrate leaves.

Prostrate leaves of Sharp-Lobed Hepatica.
Prostrate leaves of Sharp-Lobed Hepatica.

These hepatica leaves are pointed at the tips which would make this plant the Sharp-Lobed Hepatica, not the Round-Lobed Hepatica, H. americana. Sharp-lobed hepatica has a prominent central leaf vein that is lacking in Round-Lobed Hepatica. We like to call round-lobed hepatica leaves Mickey Mouse Ears because the leaf lobes are so rounded.

The underside of the hepatica leaf is fuzzy and the flower stem has many long hairs.
The underside of the hepatica leaf is fuzzy and the flower stem has many long hairs.

If you haven’t been lucky enough to see hepatica on your nature walks, realize that you’ll only find them in woodlands. When you’re out there on the trail, make sure to take a look at the bases of trees. A large proportion that I’ve seen have been at the base of a tree. I counted nine hepatica plants in this area that I couldn’t photograph (due to lack of enough battery juice) and four of them were at the base of large trees.

I can’t claim that half of all hepaticas will be found there, but the contrast of the colorful flowers with the tree bark makes them easier to spot than their cohorts among the leaf litter. Surprisingly, the bright flowers blend in with splashes of sunlight that hit the forest floor.

Hepatica is a perennial so when you find a nice specimen make a note of it so you can go back in future years to see it again.

Northern Ringneck Snake on Rocky Hillside

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A Diadophis punctatus edwardsii on Goat Island...
Image via Wikipedia

On a hike along a mountain ridge we were crossing some hilly terrain as the trail followed a little valley between two large hills. It’s wooded and rocky and the valley has a little creek running through it. The day was warm, but windy.

I saw some slate rock and said to myself to turn over that piece. There might be a salamander under there. Earlier in the week I had seen a couple of lead-backed salamanders under tree bark that was on the ground, so it was fresh in my mind to look for others. Then, just before I turned over the rock I thought – Hey, watch out! There might be something under there! I turned over this brick-sized piece of slate and flipped it back pretty quickly. Instead of a salamander there layed a small black snake all coiled up!

It wasn’t coiled up to strike out, but was probably just laying there resting when some huge creature disturbed it by lifting the roof over its head. Ringnecks apparently do most of their hunting at night so that’s when they will be on the prowl. During the day they will hide among and under rocks and tree bark.

The ringneck snake in Pennsylvania is the Northern Ringneck Snake, Diadophis punctatus edwardsi. It is the only ringneck snake in the Mid-Atlantic, Appalachian and Northeastern United States. It is a sub-species that is related to the Southern Ringneck Snake, Diadophis punctatus punctatus, that can be found in the Southeastern United States. The southern ringneck has a reddish ring around its neck and its underside is redder than the yellow belly of the northern ringneck.

Ringnecks are plain, dark snakes with a light-colored collar or ring around the neck. They only get 10-15 inches long and you probably have to turn over a rock or log to find one. This one was found under a slate rock in a rocky, wooded hillside near a spring-fed stream. A couple years ago we saw a ringneck that was lying among large pieces of bark that had been stripped off logs for firewood. It made itself visible only when pieces of bark were moved and its hiding place disturbed.

If you’re adventurous enough to turn over logs looking for salamanders, use a stick or a gloved hand. At the very least watch where your fingers and feet are because you could easily uncover a nasty snake instead of a sleepy one.

To find out more aoubt our legless freinds and other reptiles, check out Peterson’s Reptile Field Guide.

Northern White Violets Bloom Next to a Stream

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Hiking along the mountain ridge the other day we saw some ground covers in bloom like the chickweed in the fields. Spring wild flowers that were blooming included white violets, hepatica and rue anemone. These wild flowers were all growing in a rocky, wooded area. The white violets were found down in the holler near a spring-fed stream, whereas the hepatica and rue anemone were on the hillsides in the woods.

White violets were just beginning to bloom. More violets were observed with flower buds or no buds than had open flowers.

The Northern White Violet, Viola pallens, is identified by its leaf shape and flower shape. The leaves and flowers reside on separate stems, which is the first thing to determine when seeking to identify a violet. Some species share their leaf stems with the flowers, like the field pansy.

The basal leaves are small, round or blunted heart shapes with scalloped edges. The upper petals of the flower are not twisted as they would be in the Sweet White Violet, V. blanda, which also has heart-shaped leaves that are more pointed. Photos taken 21 April 2011.

The inch-long increments of my walking stick shows the Northern White Violet to be a small plant of about 4 inches across. This photo clearly shows the upper petals are smooth, not twisted.
The inch-long increments of my walking stick shows the Northern White Violet to be a small plant of about 4 inches across. This photo clearly shows the upper petals are smooth, not twisted.

(Click on photos to see larger images.)

Viola pallens, the Northern White Violet.
Viola pallens, the Northern White Violet.

The violets were adjacent to a spring-fed stream and probably within 20 feet of the flowing water. This is the same stream where we saw skunk cabbage.

The white violets don’t seem to have any medicinal qualities, but they are edible. We won’t be harvesting any violets so that we can go back and enjoy them next year. Leaves can be used in salads, as cooked greens or dried for use in tea. Flowers make pretty garnishes for salad plates.