I walk every day in the woods. Every year I find new flowers growing.
Not sure how good the walk is for my body, as I am so slow looking at all the plants, bugs and moss, but it is sure good for my soul!
Thought I would share some of the plants I found the past couple of days. I am stumped to name a few of them.
Like, what is this one?
We did some shoring of the trail last year and now this beauty pops up.
My favorite wild violet is not violet.
Nodding trillium in bud.
Sassafrass is really shooting up. Here are the flowers starting.
The jack in the pulpits are just starting to come up. Here is one with no leaves yet.
Sorry blurry.
I wish I could get a good picture of miterwort. This flower is so lacy, like cobwebs.
Here is a yellow bell like flower. Any guesses?
This one I thought was early wood anonome, but I don't think so. It is just staying like this. Not mayapple either.
The purple fringed polygalas are just starting. These are not quite open all the way yet and the first I have seen this year. We have hundreds of these. I love them.
Wild strawberry.
I am not sure what this one is.
Ok, last one. Marsh marigold.
Still a couple weeks from the lady slippers and other good ones. I will try to add them as they come up.
Thanks for looking. Hope others enjoy the woods as much as I do.
Your first picture is foam flower, Tiarella. The yellow bells look like violets that are not fully opened for some reason - look at the leaves. The other yellow looks like barren strawberry,Waldsteinia fragariodes - again, the leaves are a good clue.
Lovely pictures. I love the little polygalas, but we don't seem to have them.
Thanks. The yellow flowers are near a couple of yellow violets. I will have to ck the leaves again.
I thought those first flowers may be foam flowers, but they usually bloom later here. The weather has been kind of crazy and some things are early this year and some are late.
The last yellow one is way back beyond two swamps into our wild country in the woods. I do not walk there very often and never alone. I may try to head there this weekend and get a leaf sample to verify your guess. I think it is a very good one.
I had never seen the polygalas until I moved here. They are the reason I got my first wildflower book. Can't wait for them to be fully open as they are so unusual. I am sorry you don't have them where you are at.
Thanks for all the help.
The leaves on the 8th one look a bit like my Dicentra - bleeding heart. There are lots of cultivars, including Dutchman's Breeches, I think. Look in that direction, although I could be wrong. A more mature flower may help.
T
Theresa
Thanks, those white ones did open and were just a 5 petaled flower.
I wish we had duchmans breeches here. They grow here, but none on our property (as of yet)
The foam flowers are starting in other areas now, the lady slippers in bud. Looks like I may have a couple yellow lady slippers this year. (they do not bloom every year here)
Just asking do you get Wild Leeks there I lived in the UP of Michigan and they had wild Leeks
I would dig them up dry them out and make a powder for seasoning for my Steaks and Chops its pretty good
Dimmer(AKA) Kim
No, but someone gave me some that I planted by the water. Those things are crazy, growing all over. I may be sorry I took the plant! LOL
Start making the spice But I didn't know that they grew in water I always dig them up never saw them in water thats pretty cool
Kim
Oh, they are not in the water, just near it. The area is land over water, gives a great water source for the plants.
The muskrat and minks have tunneled under the land so much it is more of a cliff. LOL
Oh Well you got to call me Dimmer for some reason
HAHAHAH
Kim
Gee, I wouldn't say that. I am not that good at communication by type sometimes.
No need to make a powder if you don't want to. Treat them like a leek you would buy from the grocer's. I've never tried drying and powdering, but it seems like a waste of the nuances contained therein.
Incidentally, if they really get out of hand, there are plenty of people here on DG that would love some bulbs for planting when they go dormant in the summer, or summer seed. But the seed really should be planted fresh. Just this spring I found some ramps in the woods near me. I plan to collect seed from them.
Still watching the buds coming on the lady slippers.
The purple polygalas are nearly in full swing though.
Some areas are covered in purple and then the green and red of the wintergreen. It is quite pretty. The woodpeckers, rose-breasted grosebeak and woodthrush sing to you as you walk.
This picture I entitled polygana-mania.
Coming across those in a woods in May would stop you in your tracks!
Yes, they do. They are quite small. The flowers are about 3/4" but still quite showy. And there are many of them. Some little plants will have 3-5 flowers on one stem.
The show lasts about 2 weeks. They seem to appear out of nowhere, as the flower comes up with the leaves and open in about 2 days. Then they will dry up almost all in one day.
Incredible little flower, mother nature really knows how to garden.
I have to say, walking in May takes me the longest. You got to stop and admire the flowers.
Very nice pics! I thought I would add some pics of Michigan wildflowers I have found this year.
This is Starflower - Trientalis borealis - that I found in Veterans Memorial Park in Midland County.
Those are gorgeous!! What little jewels they are!! Lucky you.
Here's Spring Beauty...I find this most places I go.
Wild Geranium in Barstow Woods in Midland.
I deduced this was Phlox, and I decided probably Phlox divaricata (Wild blue phlox). I found this in the Shiawassee National Widlife Refuge this past week.
Here's another picture of Jack in the pulpit from the Shiawassee Refuge.
Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cuccularia) at the Skegemog Lake Lookout on M-72.
Hey, those are great.
The star flowers are just starting here, most are still in buds, but we have many.
I have never seen a spring beauty here (only in Traverse City). We have the jack in the pulpits, but not the other ones. Funny, they are growing so close to here.
Thanks for sharing those pictures. Nice to hear from another wildflower lover who lives so close.
This is my first year I have actively looked for widflowers, at least spring widflowers. I am a little bit surprised about the spring beauty, as I've found it near Traverse City, in two parks in Midland County, the Shiawassee Refuge, and even in the woods at Delta College. I haven't noticed any in Bay County though.
It is a pretty one.
Once you start looking at wildflowers in the woods you are hooked.
Found a couple pink lady slippers "in the pink". Most are still green buds.
Some of the trilliums are starting to turn pink.
Not every year do we have the yellow lady slippers in the woods. This is the first. and it looks like a half dozen more if the deer don't chomp them. (already they have gotten into the trilliums and jack in the pulpits)
There is a clump of 4 with three buds. that I can't wait until they open. But for now here is the first.
Isn't it just lovely?!
Yes, it is very lovely.
