greens and things

A few things created a pause and a photo shot.

Here is a medicinal plant I don’t forage for, though I always enjoy seeing it in the woods, it was common in an area of large tooth poplar today, the plant is a ginseng relative known around my neck of the woods as wild sarsaparilla, Aralia nudicaulis The visible plant consist of the light green umbrella of leaves in the center of the photo and the 3 small ball-shaped flower heads below.

I reached down and touched the underside of this group of red-belt polypore and was surprised to notice they were holding a good supply of water drops and it hadn’t rained for a day or so?

I have shown a young Clintonia plant at a good harvestable stage for salads around a month ago, today the flowers are open and the leaves look very lively though long past the stage of tastyness.

A dizzy little slug was hanging by a thread around 5 feet from the ground, I extended my hand to help him down but my offer was not accepted, so I took a few photos, most turned out blurry as he was spinning at a slow but steady pace. ciao

I’ll be back around soon.

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Spring flowers, fruits and fungus

Flowers first—Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens)-smells like Avon’s calling

Here is a patch of Trailing Arbutus leaves, the flowers in this shady area won’t be in bloom for a few weeks.

A week ago I mentioned Teaberry  was the only northern fruit I knew that ripened in the spring, well I figured out tonight Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) also overwinters as an immature fruit  and then ripens in the spring. Partridgeberry has some medicinal properties. So here is partridgeberry my (how did I not already know this) of the day.

And Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens) wintergreen flavored leaves and berries.

These Red-belt polypore’s bright color stood out from a far distance, another pleasant evening with a few woodpeckers creating the background music in this new area for me of mid to young birch and poplar trees.

Red-belt polypore appears to have some impressive medicinal properties which actually have been utilized by man for a few thousand years and is once again gathering renewed attention.

Another nice Phellinus

ciao for now

Floodplain food and friends

Here are a few photos from a walk  along a river floodplain this weekend. These are vibrant areas even in the early northern spring and I really enjoy the energy flowing in these spots, always lots of activity, and small animal dens.

Ostrich fern fertile frond

baby Ostrich fern fiddleheads

Goldenrod insect galls

In the bottom central area is an Evening primrose stem with opened seed capsules and in the background plenty of wild cucumber vines.

young Red-belt polypore

Staghorn sumac

Not 100% sure what this plant is? It is pretty though. Not far from here I seen a Mallard swimming beside a pair of Canada geese, as I moved closer to the group it became obvious three is company four was a crowd as the geese got quite cranky at me, so I moved on without taking a picture.

With my camera I won’t get many wildlife photos, plants, trees and fungus are more my speed thought occasional a creature may approach me or as in this case a groundhog allowed me to come within 60 ft before he retreated down under. ciao for now