So Excited January 15, 2011
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in blogs, photography, spring, wildflowers.5 comments
Sometimes, all you have to do is ask.
I had this vision of a book – hand made by my friend Deb Eck -
containing my photos of wildflowers
punctuated with poems by poet Dave Bonta.
Prim pink pinstripes
beckon from the wet soil
beside the creek. But like
most beauties, they’re choosy
about their suitors,
unmoved except by just
the right bee visiting
in just the right order:
one day they hokey-
poke their stamens out;
the next, it’s the anther’s turn.
Petals close even for a cloud.
And when flowering’s done,
they do their best
to pass for grass.
Who wouldn’t be wary
with such a large
& edible heart?
And so it begins!…
Deb’s blog: http://dryadart.wordpress.com/
Dave’s blog: http://www.vianegativa.us/2011/01/spring-beauties/
Beaver Meadow July 27, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in hiking, wildflowers.10 comments
The heat had been oppressive for a good long time making poor old Winter Woman mighty miserable… and producing way too many, too big cucumbers in the garden. We designated Saturday as as Relish-Making Day (part 2). I put on a sun dress and sandals in hopes of staying cool during the preparations, cooking, and canning. To my delight, a weather-changing downpour ensued throughout the morning… clearing the air and lowering the temperatures.
Here I am in front of a stand of very tall Joe-Pye Weed in the height of fashion in my borrowed adventure clothes.
The dogs had been so patient throughout the morning that we decided to give them an adventure while the jars of relish cooled. I was without adventure clothes, so Terry loaned me jeans, shirt, and socks… and my own old hiking boots which I forgot I had left at his house for just such occasions.
We headed down into the woods and started out on familar trails. We weren’t far into the woods before we saw some cool stuff… and I was glad I decided to bring the camera after all.
Lacewing
Fungus with Slug
At some point, we took a turn that led us in a direction we had never hiked before and we found ourselves in a huge beaver meadow… the lush open meadow left after a beaver pond is abandoned. We followed the creek which because of the rain was overflowing its banks and making wonderful rushing water sounds. All along the way the wet-loving flowers were flourishing – taller this year than I have ever seen them.
Cardinal Flower
Mystery Flower (If you know what this is, please: Tell!)
Joe-Pye Weed
Blue Vervain
Swamp Milkweed
There was also Boneset, but it hadn’t flowered yet – still just tight buds, but also very tall!
I took this photo last fall when we approached it from a logging road rather than a beaver meadow.
We weren’t sure where we were exactly… until we saw a picnic table… a familiar picnic table… from other wanders in these woods… We climbed up out of the former beaver pond to sit briefly and enjoy the view, before heading home again.
It was a gorgeous, perfect walk. Couldn’t have asked for anything better.
Oh! And I almost forgot! I saw the biggest grasshopper I think I’ve ever seen in these parts. He was gi-normous!
In some countries, they might try to eat this guy!
Advice for a pretty summer day: put on your adventure clothes and go exploring. Don’t worry about getting wet and muddy. That’s why they’re called adventure clothes!
Here is one of the beautiful scenes of the Beaver Meadow:
Creek Through the Beaver Meadow
Giant Hogweed July 10, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in wildflowers.5 comments
Usually, the phone calls sent to the Education Department involve birds. We call out, “Stupid bird question on line one.” Of course, the questions are rarely stupid and we actually enjoy the break in our day… a chance to help someone with a Real Puzzle or Problem.
A couple of weeks ago, it wasn’t a bird question, though. It was a flower question. A very nice lady from Lakewood, NY called and described in excellent detail a flower that is growing in her backyard – at the back of the mowed bit – just in the tree line separating her property from her neighbor’s. I was pretty sure from her description that she had a rather nasty, noxious plant called Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) … which I had only read about and never seen. I asked if I might drop by to see it. She said, “Yes, of course.” I advised her not to touch it or try to remove it as it could give her a nasty reaction.
Bob is six feet, one inch tall... for comparison...
It was, just as she described it, about seven feet tall. Giant Hogweed can get to be as high as fifteen feet, according to the literature. The flat cluster of white flowers reminds you of Queen Anne’s Lace – but it is much bigger and does not have the curly bracts underneath.
The stem is thick and sturdy – green, and colored with deep reddish purple reminding you of rhubarb. 
The deeply cut leaves are two or three feet across (and can get to be five feet across).
I found some literature for the discoverer of the plant. I also called the DEC Hogweed Hotline where I was able to leave a message on the voice mail. The answering machine voice told me that this is their busy season and it may take a while to get back to me… As of this writing, it has been about two weeks and I haven’t heard a thing yet.
According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture, Giant Hogweed was probably brought to Europe and North America from it’s native range in Central and South Asia to be used as an ornamental in gardens. It’s large size made it unique and appealing to gardeners with a penchant for the exotic. Seeds spread by wind and water, and the plant can also spread from the strong root stock, so the plants we now find along roadsides, railbeds, and stream banks are most likely escapees from someone’s garden.
Unfortunately, it is not a happy match for humans. Get sap on your skin and then expose that skin to sun and you are likely to break out in a nasty rash. Get the sap in your eyes and you may suffer temporary or even permanent blindness!
I have mixed feelings. While I’m happy to have finally seen this plant in person, I’m not happy that it is growing in Chautauqua County!
Learn More:
- NYS Department of Health
- NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (including the hotline phone number)
- Michigan Department of Agriculture
Roadside Weeds July 1, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in wildflowers.17 comments
I love flower gardens. But I’m not much of a gardener. Unless I can eat it, I’m not likely to tend it. So I enjoy flowers wherever I can find them. During this season of the year, I find my eye traveling to the habitat referred to in my wildflower field guides as waste places – the roadsides. It’s fun to be able to watch the roadside and click off 20 or more species of flowers on my way to work. I joke with my fellow naturalists about including my lists in my someday book: Nature at 55. (That’s 55 miles per hour, not 55 years old, by the way; talk about distracted driving!)
Wanna test yourself? Get out a sheet of paper and number it from 1 to 24. Some are (admittedly) tricky, because I’m not showing you the whole plant! See how you do! (Answers at the bottom.)
1 – 
2 – 
3 – 
4 – 
5 – 
6 – 
7 – 
8 – 
9 – 
10 – 
11 – 
12 – 
13 – 
14 – 
15 – 
16 – 
17 – 
18 – 
19 – 
20 – 
21 – 
22 – 
23 – 
24 – 
Bonus Question! Numbers 2, 5, 10, 12 and 23 all have something in common. What is it?
For answers, click:
(more…)
Color May 4, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in wildflowers.9 comments
OK, so sometimes I use LightRoom to tweak the color on my photos. But on these, I didn’t touch the color settings at all…
I almost didn’t even go out… It was a little breezy. The overcast skies were threatening rain… I’m now convinced those are the most excellent conditions under which to shoot spring wildflowers!
False Solomon's Seal
White Trillium
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Red Trillium
Swamp Buttercup
Wild Geranium
Violet
And, my absolute favorite:
Foamflower
Happy May Day May 1, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in wildflowers.3 comments
There is a frantic-ness about spring for me…
Painted Trillium
rushing to the woods and through the woods to find every flower…
Wood Anemone
afraid i’ll miss one…
Wild Geranium
because they come and go so quickly…
Goldthread
My Day Off April 28, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in wildflowers.3 comments
I wish it had not been quite so windy… Still, I got a few shots… Most are from the Black Snake Mountain Trail at Allegany State Park. Some are from Long Point State Park and Audubon’s Bentley Sanctuary.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Slide Shows?? April 25, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in wildflowers.10 comments
I saw a slideshow on my friend Deb’s WordPress blog… Just had to try it…
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Happy Earth Day April 22, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in spring, wildflowers.4 comments
Early Meadow-rue
Thalictrum dioicum
I loved this flower even before I found out it is dioecious.
(I love that word!)
It means the male and female flowers appear on different plants.
Staminate Flowers (male)
Pistillate Flowers (female)
It would be really easy to walk right past this small, inconspicuous member of the buttercup family. But try not to! It’s a lovely little flower that deserves your attention.
The eFloras website listed below claims that Native Americans made various concoctions from the roots to treat heart palpitations and other conditions. Henrietta’s herbal page reports otherwise… Whether it has medical properties or not, it’s a cool plant. Look for it in moist woods. And don’t forget:
Love your Mother (Earth)!
Happy Earth Day.
Learn more:
So Many Species! April 18, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in wild edibles, wild medicinals, wildflowers.6 comments
Zigzag Goldenrod
The year I got my Canon Rebel XT, I also got several days of vacation in September. I decided I would teach myself to identify all the goldenrods and asters that grow in our region. Ha ha ha… It was a ridiculous goal. In my Newcomb’s guide alone there are 34 species of goldenrod and 43 of aster… I never even got close.
New York Aster
According to botanist Thomas Elpel, there are over 100 species of goldenrod worldwide, over 90 of which can be found in North America. For asters, the numbers are 500 and 150.
Numbers like these speak to the success of the reproductive and adaptive strategies of these genera… producing huge numbers of seeds, and also regenerating year after year from continuously spreading root stock. Clever little plants…
Violets have 5 petals.
For a Ridiculous Springtime Challenge check out the violets – another long list of species under a single genus. Violaceae – The Violet Family – boasts sixteen genera and 850 species worldwide. In my Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide (northeastern and north-central North America), 31 species are listed and there are 39 in my Peterson guide for the same region.
Generally speaking, violets have 5 petals that are not all shaped the same. Think of them as a top pair, a side (lateral) pair, and the larger, single bottom petal. Leaves are most often basal, but on some species they alternate.
While most species are some shade of the color of their namesake, you will find other colors. It seems the earliest ones I find in spring are yellow:
Round-leaved Violet
Shortly after the snow melts, the little, yellow dots of Round-leaved Violet (Viola rotundifolia) push their way up through the leaf litter along with tiny leaves. Together, the blooms and leaves expand in size until by summer the leaves might be 2-4 inches long.
Northern White Violet
The Northern White Violet (Viola pallens) has streaks of purple on its lower petal.
There is another lovely white violet that won’t bloom until later in May. The plants get quite a bit taller and the flower petals are a little more “regularly” shaped.
Canada Violet
Back of Canada Violet Flower
The Canada Violet (Viola canadensis) flower is interesting because it is white on the front, but violet on the back. It is also distinctive because whereas many of the violet species have flowers each on a stalk that comes up from the ground, this plant is more bush-like – with flowers on branching stalks from a main stem.
When a flower has a unique feature, and is named for that unique feature, it is easy to remember the name. Such is the case with the Long-spurred Violet (Viola rostrata). I first found these along a creek in a very moist, rich woods and found them to be just delightful, both for their shape and for their delicate light-purple color.
Long-spurred Violet
When it comes to the purple ones, i fear I have not been attentive enough to identify to the species level… I have not paid attention to the shape of the leaves and whether they are smooth or fuzzy… I have not paid attention to whether the veined markings are on all petals, or just the lower, or lower and lateral… I have not paid attention to which of the petals are bearded and which are not… So much to notice.
One of the purple ones...
As you know, there is always something new to learn… This year, I learned that violets form a 3-valved exploding capsule of seeds! When I did an image search for such a thing, I found that one of my Flickr friends had one:
Seed pod of Viola sororia - by Fleur-Ange Lamothe
I think I’ll keep my eyes open for such a thing this year!
All violets are edible. You can throw the blooms right on your salad or dry them to make tea. They are reported to be high in vitamins C and A, and as a medicinal tea to work well as a laxative or expectorant.
The domesticated plants “Johnny Jump Up” and pansies are in the same family as the wild violets.
