Posts categorized Plant.
Yesterday, during the Butterfly Census, we came across this interesting morph of Butterfly Weed(Asclepias tuberosa). Most Butterfly Weed is orange (as in the photo below), but we found a yellow morph. In the Plants of Pennsylvania by Rhodes and Block, it lists “flowers yellow to orange-red”, so it probably isn’t as rare we thought. Photos by Carole Mebus.
Most forest plants need to flower early in the spring. They need to take care of business before the trees overhead block the precious solar energy necessary for reproduction. There, of course, are exceptions. Two of the exceptions are blooming right now in Mariton’s woods, and they are spectacular.
The native Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) blooms at the end of June. Personally, while the ones planted in yards have beautiful colors, they don’t hold a candle to the beauty of our native tree. Now is the peak of the blossoms at Mariton, so you want to get out to see them this weekend. The best places are on the River Lookout Trail. You can also find several along the Main Trail. While you are visiting take note of the girth of Mariton’s Rhodies. They are huge and very old.
Another eye-catcher is the Black Cohosh (Cimicfuga racemosa). Looking at the photo above, you can see why children call them Fairy Candles. In the deep woods the bright white flowers light the understory. My favorite place to view these is along the River Lookout.
We often think of summer wildflowers in the fields, but these two are worth a walk in the woods.
The Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) is blooming at Mariton. This is a very pretty, but very small orchid that is native in Pennsylvania. These photos were taken by Denis Manchon.
Enjoy viewing orchids where you find them. Orchids are very dependent on fungal mychorizae in the soil. Transplanting them from a forest into a yard will likely fail. I have been very pleased that the Showy Orhis is spreading at Mariton. It could be that the forest and its soils are maturing to allow germination.
On the other hand, the spread coincides with a concerted effort to remove Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) from Mariton. Garlic mustard is an invasive plant that is believed to actually impede the growth of fungal mychorizae. Many native trees and herbaceous plants (including orchids) rely on mychorizae for nutrients. I feel that the removal of garlic mustard explains the spread of orchids, trilliums, and other wildflowers in Mariton’s woods.
You can help. We will be pulling Garlic Mustard along the trails at Mariton from 1 – 4 p.m this Saturday, May 7. This plant has been greatly reduced, but there are still a few patches that I would like to remove this spring.
Trees offer us so many benefits, it’s hard to list them all in one blog post! Trees absorb air pollutants, offer shade that can reduce cooling costs, provide habitat and food for wildlife, and slow stormwater run-off.
But did you know trees can save you money and add value to your home? A report from the USDA Forest Service indicated trees added more than 18% to the average sale price of a suburban residence. Another study by American Forests reports homeowners who properly place trees in their landscape can save up to 56% on daytime air conditioning!
April 22 marks the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. Why not celebrate by planting a tree? Here are some tips to get you started:
