The Promise of Spring

They're back!  

All of the spring wildflowers are returning.  Actually, they never really went anywhere.  Since their last blooming, the roots have been biding their time safely underground, waiting for the time to be right to send forth their tender shoots again.  
Here are two kinds:

Dutchman's Breeches (it's just fun to say!)

Spring Beauties

I've walked the trails a dozen times since the last wildflowers bloomed here, and I've thought happily of these little plants resting in their dormant state under the earth and snow.  I knew they would spring forth again.  It's like having a secret to gladden the heart, even while you walk amidst the bare trees of deepest winter.

I can't help comparing this natural phenomenon to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He died for us, and was buried in the tomb, but rose again three days later.  He conquered death.  I am so thankful for Him!  He is the Savior of the world, and our hope in an eternal life.  Even while we walk our daily path here on the earth - in sometimes barren surroundings (barren of love, of kindness, understanding, health - you name it) - we can know that "spring" will come for us.  I know that Jesus Christ died for us, and that He lives now, that He loves us, and that He will come again in the fullness of time!  I look forward to that joyous day!

Gaura

I saw this beautiful plant at Nahant Marsh in mid-August.

It was growing in colonies, head and shoulders above the other prairie plants there.

It had the most intricate little flowers, and I could not help photographing it.

This is a native species, so we can rejoice in its beauty and feel no guilt!

It took some time, but thanks to our Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers field guide, I was at last able to identify this plant.  This book has been a trusted companion of ours for more than fifteen years, and I would recommend it to anyone.  It was written by Doug Ladd, and the photos were taken mostly by Frank Oberle.  They are rock stars in their fields.  Excellent book!

A Marsh Mallow

You might know the halberd-leaved rose mallow as a hibiscus, because that is what it is - Hibiscus laevis.

I photographed these at Nahant Marsh, which is the perfect place for them since they like sunny conditions and wet soil.

I first learned of their proper name from Nahant Marsh's Facebook page.  Check out there photo of this plant here:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151552422863344&set=a.10151015943813344.408969.135482933343&type=1&theater

These wildflowers are native perennials, and vary in color.  Those shown here are faintly pink, with a deep pink center.  The blossoms are five inches across or more.

The leaf shape is reminiscent of a handled broad-axe - hence the name "halberd".

Note the large, halberd-shaped leaf to the right of the blossom.

And I just have to throw this in - we get the word "mauve" from French, where it refers to the particular tints of the mallow plant.

Among all the creatures that benefit from it (there is even a particular rose mallow bee), I was pleased to read that the rare and elusive bobwhite eats the seeds of this plant.  (Shout out to my bobwhite wood badge friends!)

Brilliant Swamp Milkweed

This brilliantly-colored swamp milkweed caught my eye the other day:

I loved the deep pinky-purpose blossoms.

This was quite a tall and robust specimen.  Must be a great swamp!

Craving Color

I have been craving color lately, and so I dug up these photos from last summer of Pokewood.  Just look at that color!

Below  a nice little stand of pokeweed, which is a native plant.  It can grow taller than a person, and has an extensive taproot.  (You probably don't want these growing in your yard.)

Most people have seen this plant before, and remember the trademark red-purple stems, but not always the name.

Pokeweed is poisonous, but some people do pick and eat the tender young leaves after following a careful cooking procedure.  The term for this dish is poke sallet - but I could not find a satisfactory etymological source for this term.  The leaves have been canned and sold commercially.  However, you should be very careful about consuming this plant.  It is very toxic.

Pokeweed - beautiful but poisonous!

Below you can see the darker berries, which have been used to make temporary ink.  I, myself, used to crush them up and paint my face with them as a child, when playing in the woods.

Birds may eat the berries, but people should not!

Pokeweed is sometimes called "skoke berry" and this is said to come from an Algonquian word, meaning "red".  The scientific name, Phytolacca americana, also refers to its color.  The first part, "phyto", comes from a Greek word meaning plant, and the second part, "lacca" comes from a Latin word meaning red dye.

It Came from the Swamp!

Another Greek god?  Absolutely!

Swamp milkweed is designated as Asclepias incarnata.  Asclepias comes from Asclepius, the god of healing. This makes sense because milkweed is known for its use in many healing remedies.  Incarnata refers to the somewhat flesh-colored blooms, and is related to the word "incarnate", which means "in the flesh".

Swamp milkweed is just one kind of milkweed.  As pictured below, it is generally pink, varying in shades lighter and darker.  

It is most at home in moist soil, has a stronger fragrance than you might expect, and is beloved of Monarch butterflies.  In fact, it is a crucial source of food for them, and they lay their eggs on this plant.  It grows wild, but there are many cultivated varieties as well.

It is also called Swamp Silkweed and Indian Hemp.

Family on the Trail

We had a recent visit from my sister and her husband.  The majority of our family members live far away, so we made the most of their short time with us.

One event was a must.  We had to get out and see the trail that Jason worked on for his Eagle project.  It was a living "show and tell".

On the way to the trailhead, we got to see some pleasure boats lock through.

We also enjoyed the colors along the way as we walked and talked.  Below are photos of the beauties we enjoyed, taken by my son, Jason.

Photo by Jason - Swamp Milkweed

Photo by Jason - Poke Weed

Photo by Jason - Bull Thistle

Photo by Jason - Butterfly Milkweed

Photo by Jason - Blue Vervain

Photo by Jason - Compass Plant

Know Your Thistles

Who knew that there were so many different kinds of thistle?  There's milk thistle, bull thistle (also known as spear thistle or Scotch thistle), Canada thistle, tall thistle, globe thistle, fringed thistle, plumeless thistle, wavy-leaf thistle, mountain thistle, prairie thistle, swamp thistle, pasture thistle, elk thistle, sow thistle, Parry's thistle, Drummond's thistle, Flodman's thistle, yellow star thistle, purple star thistle, and plain old yellow thistle - just to name a few.  There are over 200 kinds.  Some are native and some are not.

To the best of my research, these pictured here are of the musk thistle variety.  I loved this beautiful little stand.

Milk thistle will often have drooping heads, which lends to their other name - nodding thistle.

I came across them one morning, and they glowed with a beautiful luminescence in the early sunlight.  Take a gander.

In spite of how gorgeous they are, milk thistle are considered noxious weeds. They are an invasive species, and were brought to the U.S. in the early 19th century.  Farmers work hard to eradicate them from pasture and farm land.

Thistle Stars

Hyperion and I took a walk yesterday, and I was in raptures with the glory of the thistles.  They were so beautiful!

Here are just some of the "stars".

Their intricate details are stunning.

I may have to get a large print of one of these made up and hang it on my wall.  I love the perfect symmetry!

Spring Beauties

These are Spring Beauties.

If you see this little wild flower, than you know that spring has definitely arrived.  They like the dappled sunlight and the rich soil to be found in undisturbed woodlands.

Believe it or not, these tiny little flowers have edible tubers that can be cooked just like potatoes.  They are sometimes called "fairy spuds".  They are quite small.

I love their beautiful starry shape, and gorgeous, delicate stripes.

Euell Gibbons, author of Stalking the Wild Asparagus, wrote, "The tubers are good food for the body, but after a long winter, the pale-rose flowers in early spring are food for the soul."  Indeed.

Purple Loosestrife

Purple Loosestrife.  It's an invasive species.  Ever heard of it?

Invasive species can be beautiful to look at, but they are blood-thirsty invaders.  They pillage and burn in that they disrupt the native eco-system, affecting native plants, tiny organisms, birds and mammals.

Purple Loosestrife was brought to America for medicinal purposes, and was planted for its beauty.  At that time, people had little idea of the damage it could do.

When I saw these beautiful flowers growing in a ditch in my neighborhood, their brilliancy and color caught my attention immediately.  They were stunning!  I wondered what they were.  The more field guides I looked at, the more worried I became that they were Purple Loosestrife.  They were.

This opportunistic plant establishes itself where the ground has been disturbed and chokes out the life of the native species that otherwise would thrive there.

It's hard to believe that something so gorgeous can be so harmful, but there it is.  There's a lesson in that.