Witchhazel

This flower has always interested me, and after reading its description from the US Forest Service

Celebrating Wildflowers website, I find much more that is fascinating. Just read this excerpt:

#308- American Witchhazel

      "Generally, its bright yellow flowers are the only sign of color in woods where all the autumn     leaves lay upon the forest floor. American witchhazel is pollinated by a moth. The small, tanish to gray, hard capsules go dormant throughout the winter and then develop over the next growing season and then in autumn forcibly expel two shiny black seeds 10 to 20 feet rarely to 40 feet. The seeds then take an additional year to germinate."



November is the eleventh month in a row, this year, that I have found and posted a new wildflower. Winters are sometimes bleak and seem that they will never end, but a wildflower is never too far in the future. I probably will see the lowly Dandelion this December after a couple of warm days, making it possible to see wildflowers every month of the year in West Virginia. A Dandelion was the first flower that I posted in this wonderful year of attempting to  photograph and record every wildflower that I can in West Virginia for one year. 308, I never really expected that high of a count. Anyone that I happen to mention that figure to usally say something like, '300? Flowers? Around Here?' and then quickly lose interest. My obsession is almost mine alone. 
        I am making plans for this Winter and next Spring. This Winter compiling this years data into charts that show information like the number of natives vs. non-natives (roughly 86% native) that I found, or how many were found on the 28 acres that I live on (wow 148 or so) and etc. I will also continue to add new flowers as I find them, I know of a few that I missed this year.

My obsessions used to be my protectors, but now they have taken me prisoner. -- Mason Cooley