Walk One: The yard.
The Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus) in all her glory. Native to, and threatened in Ohio, a member of the olive family. (I did not reduce this photo so you may click to enlarge, then buzz amongst the petals.) 
One of our young oak trees has more than a dozen galls. It looks as if someone spent some time decorating the tree. I've noticed lately, when searching for a bit more information on the subject of one of my photos, that, more often than not, hits consist of how to kill it/them/he/she, often followed by "but they do no measurable harm".
Anyway. . . this was created by a gall wasp who injected an egg into the mid-rib of the oak leaf. As the larva hatches, a chemical reaction inside the leaf occurs that forms a gall that grows as the larva feeds. I was tempted to slice it open and look inside, but that would be akin to setting fire to an orphanage, wouldn't it? Here is a photo that someone else took.
Sometimes Nature knocks my socks off.
Golden Ragwort always surprises me in Spring; it feels more like a late-Summer aster and I always have to stop and look at the calendar when I see it.~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walk Two: The Woods.
The Swamp, holding water nicely, thank you, after a couple of nice rains this week.
This is a Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium), forming a little canopy over violets, Jewelweed, and Virginia Creeper. The seemingly multiple leaves are truly one, palmate leaf. If you follow the stem to the ground, you'll see
the dragon's tongue, the spadix within the spathe.
in their dark burgundy form,
and all green.
While the yard has its share of similar-looking 4-petaled, non-native Dame's Rocket, the Woods harbors 5-petaled native Wild Blue Phlox.
The Swamp, holding water nicely, thank you, after a couple of nice rains this week.The forest floor was so lush.
This is a Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium), forming a little canopy over violets, Jewelweed, and Virginia Creeper. The seemingly multiple leaves are truly one, palmate leaf. If you follow the stem to the ground, you'll see
the dragon's tongue, the spadix within the spathe. The Woods is just a few miles/kilometers from the house, walking distance (in good shoes with a water bottle), but the heavier overstory extends the season a bit, compared to the yard. Closely related to the Dragon, Jack-in-the-Pulpits were all over,
in their dark burgundy form,
and all green.
While the yard has its share of similar-looking 4-petaled, non-native Dame's Rocket, the Woods harbors 5-petaled native Wild Blue Phlox.Since we began with a white flower, we'll end with one.
Rubus, either wild black raspberry or blackberry (I saw both), a member of the rose family, bright white petals brighten the Woods as the canopy closes.
8 comments:
Jain I just love walks like this. Many plants here that I've never seen before and such beautiful natives too.
The fringe tree certainly has an appropriate common name. Just a pity that its in decline - I would never have thought it being part of the Olive family.
Well say little about the rubus - I have a sucker that comes from my neighbours garden - I cut it down yesterday but in the process it riped the skin from where my glove - ouch those brambles can certainly tear up the skin.
:)Rosie
Lots of cool stuff--I love galls, and swamps, and jack-in-the-pulpits, but don't think I've ever seen one of those dragon tongues before. Thanks for the pics.
Rosie, thanks for walking with me. :o) I was surprised to learn of the olive connection, too. I sustained a scratch or two from those brambles -- ouch, indeed!
greentangle, Green Dragons grow from Minnesota to Massachusetts (and points north and south). Perhaps now that you've seen one, you'll start tripping over them. Just look down in wet woods.
I've not heard of Green Dragon before, Jain...but the leaves do look familiar, so I will be searching for one after this.
I found a Jack-in-the-Pulpit that was 2 feet tall earlier this week with my grandaughter.
♥...Wanda
Wanda, I love to come across great big Jacks, really makes me feel I'm in a jungle. I hope you find some Dragons on your next walk.
The swamp and woods look like a really neat place to walk. There're certainly a lot of color variations in the Jack-in-the-Pulpit flowers.
So much beauty, Jain. The burgundy jack-in-the-pulpit is stunning! Though admittedly the phlox is so divine and gentle that it would be hard to walk away from.
I do love walks like these, where every step offers some new discovery, some new bit of art to stop and appreciate.ch
Steve, we've been SO lucky to get into the woods this year; last year, mosquitoes wouldn't let us in. The jacks stop me in my track every Spring, they're so otherworldly.
Jason, there was a quote, I forget by whom, something about traveling all summer... and the writer made it halfway across his back yard. The only thing slower than walking in the woods is walking in the woods with a camera in hand.
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