June Wildflowers

#322 - Carrion Flower

Carrion Flower

 I am  occasionally finding wildflowers that I missed last year. This one is the Carrion Flower and reportedly smells like rotting flesh in order to attract flies. I can also report that it smells pretty rank. From reading here, I learn that this plant is a female and that male plants have a flower cluster which is much smaller. This plant is in the same family as the Greenbrier

#323 - Cow Wheat 

Cow Wheat is one that is new to me and was a challenge to identify. It grows along a path behind my home in pretty deep woods. It is inconspicuous and doesn't last long. Cow Wheat usually has very narrow, lance-shaped leaves, but this one had much wider leaves. Finally I found this reference.  It seems that there are three varieties with this one being Melampyrum lineare Desr. var latifolium, having broad leaves. 

 Cow Wheat 

Bowman's Root

And some old favorites

Southern Mountain Cranberry

Partridge Berry 

False Solomon's Seal 

Flame Azalea

Flame Azalea

Summer Times A'Coming

Summer is almost here, the temperatures have finally warmed up enough for the garden to begin to grow and the trees and shrubs are blooming, including one of my favorites; the Flame Azalea. This shrub is planted in many yards in our area, but I only had to leave them when I cleared brush from my front yard. There are four that line the road next to my yard and they bloom over a period of several weeks and in various shades. 

#105- Flame Azalea

#106- Black Cherry 

#107- Wild Blueberry 

#108- Common Speedwell

 Dewberries are similar to blackberries but bloom and ripen earlier. They grow in fields right on the ground and escape the mowers. They are a nice warm-up for blackberry season.

#109- Dewberry

Azalea and Magnolias

Started the day following a tip and spotted the Pinxter Azalea before 7 am. Flame Azalea are common here but it took a couple years to find a population of pink ones close to home. I see these and the Roseshell variety often along Blue Ridge Parkway. Roseshell Azalea should be in West Virginia as well. 

#80- Pinxter Azalea

The Magnolias are in perfect shape now and I can see this one from the kitchen window. It is the Mountain or Fraser Magnolia.

#81-  Mountain or Fraser Magnolia

Then after a brief, but intense thunderstorm, I went on one of my favorite logging roads two miles from home. I usually cruise along and get out and walk as well. This small Cucumber Magnolia had fallen into the road, making it easy to photograph. I think I know where an Umbrella Magnolia is, making it a West Virginia trifecta. 

#82- Cucumber Magnolia

The Mayapple are beginning to bloom, this is a very common plant and one of the first that kids can identify readily. 

#83- Mayapple

I do not normally pay a lot of attention to ferns unless very unusual; like the Walking Fern and Adders Mouth Fern. I spotted this plant tonight; it is fern like, unusual and the only plant like it that I could find anywhere. 

The Trillium are just about done for the year. I found this one hanging on deep in the shade of several plants. Others had seed capsules already. It seems like just a few days ago I found Snow Trillium, then Red and Large Flowering, and lastly, my favorite, the Painted Trillium.