Last Day of April

I spent an hour or so making a one mile loop around the farm and surrounding property and saw some great flowers. There are several springs that run out of a hillside in a very deep and steep gullies. One in particular has the only Bloodroot that I have seen on any of the property near my home. I found the leaves last year and hoped to catch them in bloom this year but missed. But today, I found one just starting to loose its petals. It was 44 degrees and rainy, still cool.

#338 - Swamp Saxifrage

But the most interesting find was Swamp Saxifrage, a flower I have only seen in the Smoky Mountains. I found these in only one spring fed, wet gully in the area and they were not blooming a week ago. Today, one plant was in bloom, even though most of the green plants in the picture above is it. It also makes the 5th new wildflower found for this blog in April of this year.

          Now, bring on May.

Wild Blueberry

Serviceberry 

Rambling Around

One of my favorite ways to find wildflowers when I just have a few spare minutes is to drive along old dirt country roads. Jumping out occasionally to look around. Yesterday I drove to two places near my home and found the following:

The first was Early Meadow Rue. This first plant has male flowers, the second one may be female, but I didn't know at the time that they had all flowers of one sex on a plant, so I did not pay enough attention 

#336 - Early Meadow Rue

This swarm of Putty Root Orchid were near the Rue

And I found a new location for  Gaywings or Fringed Polygala.

As I was reading up on this plant. I learned that the fringe is a landing platform that is spring loaded and when a pollinator lands on it, it bends down on a hinge and a load of pollen springs up and attaches to the insect. 

#337 - Yellow Rocket
Non-native related to the mustards

Late April Hikes

Three Hikes in five days. One on a trout stream in Fayette County
 and two within spitting distance of my house.
The interesting thing was finding Yellow Lady

Slipper and Showy Orchis in places that I have never seen them before .Both were a couple of weeks from blooming, But, I'll be there.
Last Summer, I found some of the largest Trillium plants that I have seen, so had been looking forward all year to going back. I got there in time but they were Red Trillium and not as large this year, unless the leaves continue to grow after blooming.





Below are Fayette County wildflowers first

trillium sessile

Common names: Sessile trillium, toadshade.

Dwarf Larkspur
Delphinium tricorne

Light Variety of Dwarf  Larkspur

#334 - Cleavers
This is a new flower to record on this blog
the 334th I have found, photographed and
identified

#335- Fernleaf Phacelia
I kept seeing this and thinking it may be wild Geriumn
but knew there was a difference, and it turns out,
it too is a new wildflower for this blog

Mitrewort

Baneberry

Foam Flower

Wild Blue Phlox

Large Flower Bellwort

Wild Ginger

Stone Crop

Rebud

                    Camp Creek Wildflowers 

Lots of baby Trillium

Southern Red Trillium

Last of the Hepatica

Yellow Lady Slipper, just starting

Showy Orchis

                  Logging road near home Wildflowers below 

                             Red Trillium

Rue Anemone

Odd Color of Mountain Thimbleweed

Cutleaf Toothwort

Early April Trip to Camp Creek State Park

Today, I got out on my first lengthy outing, heading to Camp Creek State Park to see if the Trout Lilies were accompanied by any other wild flowers. It was chilly and had rained a lot the previous days, but the park was busy. I found many Trout Lilies but also found the first of the year Hepatica, Spicebush and sedge in bloom. I could not find the Rue Anemone that I've seen in the past nor Cut Leaf Toothwort.
It was a great afternoon and the first of many outings.

The first of the several color variations of Hepatica

Pink Variation of Hepatica

Light Blue Hepatica

White Hepatica

I tried some macro shots and was not real pleased but could get a better look at the blooms on Spicebush and Sedge

Trout Lily

Trout Lily 

Trout Lily; All Yellow.
I keep a close watch for color variations on most Wildflowers so this all yellow caught my attention,
 but I suppose it could be because it has just opened

Mash Fork Falls