More Forest Flowers

Here’s the haul from this evening’s lap around my property. We’ll start with more gaywings. I never get tired of these.

Gaywings (Polygala paucifolia)

I don’t know if these close again after they open or if they just stay open. Either way, these weren’t open when I captured their picture.

Unopened gaywings (P. paucifolia)

I finally decided that this is lowbush blueberry rather than just generic blueberry. Highbush blueberries are, yes… higher bushes.

Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)

I like the hairs on this one. I hadn’t every noticed that before.

Pink lady slipper (Cypripedium acuale)

We bought this at a nursery during our first spring here. I have no idea what kind of viburnum it is, and with cultivated varieties, it’s pretty hard to tell. It might be a Korean spice viburnum, but that’s really just a guess. It could (and likely is) also be some sort of hybrid.

Cultivated Viburnum

I ought to pull up this ground ivy. If it takes hold, it could take over the whole yard, and then… all of Merrimack County.

Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

But it is pretty.

 

Three Blooms

Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

Here’s a horse chestnut in bloom. The shots I got today were not easy to come by, as it was kinda on the windy side. Wind sets flowers in motion, and motion means blurry pictures. This tree is on the corner of Loudon Rd and Main Street in downtown Concord. There’s another specimen about triple the height of this one across the street from my office. I can see it from my desk. It bloomed half a week earlier than this one did.

Next photo please!

Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

This is one that I managed to finally identify today. The wind complicated its portrait as well, but I think this one is maybe passable. Ground ivy is an alien invasive, and it was really taking over this spot where I found it (near the railroad tracks, again in downtown Concord). I stepped on some while taking this shot, and that immediately stimulated my olfactory center. In other words, this plant is somewhat aromatic.

Next photo!

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)

I’ve been looking for this one for about a week now. I had a patch of it in the woods on the south side of the house the last couple years, so that’s where I’ve been looking. This one (and two of its buddies) came up along the path I cut through my woods last year. The white petals there are actually not petals at all, but rather, they are sepals. The petals are the tiny green things in the center of the “flower”.