Amazing Orchids in July

The wet field at my neighbors house had three Purple Fringeless Orchids last year. This year there are at least a 100. Below are many photos which speak for their selves how amazing these flowers are. I also found a  white one.

 

Meet the Ghost

State Parks, Orchids and Wildflowers

After spending most of a week in Florida, I spent several days in Charleston, West Virginia at a conference. As usual, when the conference ended for the day, I was out the door headed somewhere to hike.This time it was at two parks, mostly within Charlestons urban sprawl. At Little Creek Park, a mostly sports complex, I hiked into the Trace Fork Canyon.

Hoary Mountain Mint

At one point, I ran into Hoary Mountain Mint, an interesting wildflower that I had only previously seen in the Smokey Mountains . I had not really thought about it being in West Virginia, but now realize that it has a pretty wide range.

#328 - Hoary Mountain Mint

I also saw a large population of Rose Pink

Rose Pink

 The other park that I visited was the Kanawha State Forest.

 There I stumbled on a small group of  Crane Fly Orchid in bloom, or rather partially in bloom. These two plants were side by side, with one in full bloom and the other plant had no open flowers. 

#329 - American Bell Flower

I also found another new
West Virginia wildflower for me.
The American Bell Flower




























Below are other flowers seen over the two days

#330 -  Whorled Milkwort

#331 - Flowering Spurge 

This Spurge has green flowers surrounded by white petal-like bracts.

Summer Wildflowers

Found a wildflower today that has reappeared after a couple years absent in the field behind my home.
This Canada Lilly was covered with the vines of a native Clematis and needed some help to emerge for photos.

#327 -  Canada Lily 

Last week, I spent some time hiking in the area and ran into a couple of bears, West Virginians state animal. I also photographed Rhododendron, the state flower, saw a Cardinal, state bird,  and saw my Honey Bees which are the state insect. If I had saw a Sugar Maple, Timber Rattlesnake, Monarch Butterfly, Brook Trout and a Golden Delicious Apple,  I would have just about exhausted all of the West Virginians state representatives. 

You can see one bear (below center) headed for higher ground after I stumbled on him grazing in tall grass. The other ran through the Rhododendrons and would have been a great picture had I been quick enough.

The last few pictures will be clues to guess where I was on a business trip this past week. Every trip I go on, I make time to roam and hike.

July and More Twayblades

I decided to try a remote area of nearby Mercer county to see if the Appalachin Twyblade was there. Several miles down a rough gas well access road, I went into a likely Rhodendron thicket and immediatly found Twayblades. It seems that this plant is very common in this area even though it was not reported here previously. I only had an iPhone to take pictures but did get some interesting shots of other wild flowers.

Appalachian Twayblades

                                  

                                                                    

Appalachian Twayblades

 Bergomot 

                   

In a small clearing in the middle of the Rhododendron hell, I found these trillium. Maybe the largest I've seen. I hope to be back there next spring to see these beauties in bloom.