Appalachian Wildflowers – Page 15 – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

Hidden Blessings

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Wild Geranium 32420” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The big blue truck has been parked for the better part of a week now. Fortunate is the one who has the opportunity to be sequestered in the Appalachian Mountains as the Spring season comes on. Even more so when that happens to coincide with my day off. I awoke to sound of the rain ebbing away softly into parts unknown beyond the ridge line. The window of my bedroom relays the golden smile of the morning sun and the birds begin to join the morning chorus.

As my mountain awakes to the new day I make my way to my woodland sanctuary on the edge of my property. Several of the robins take to the lower branches as I breech the invisible barrier between yard and forest. The ground is carpeted with life. Small flowers look up and smile where just 24 hours ago only the promise of something that might be held the ground. Among the new arrivals is one that’s not normally present this early. Geranium maculatum or wild geranium. I normally don’t see them until we’re well into April. And, this one seems to be the only one right now. But I know that where one thrives others are breaking through the leaf litter yet unseen. Blessings are like that. They’re coming wether you see them or not. But if you just look around you’ll find them when they arrive.

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The Morning Smile

Color Photography, wildlife

The saturated earth gives slightly as I tread out to my thinking spot. The warm day and time of year makes me a little more cautious about where I step just in case one of our pit vipers has awakened from hibernation early. I was on my way to to practice some long exposure techniques on the little drainage ditch that runs off of my mountain and into Little Elk Creek. And there it was. The smile from nature that I’ve been longing for since Christmas. The Harbinger Of Spring. To give you an idea of how small the flowers are the black speck is a flea beetle and about 1/10 of an inch long. The plant is also known as Pepper and Salt and the scientific name is Erigenia Bulbosa but I am partial to Harbinger Of Spring. According to Wikipedia it is the first wildflower to bloom in Spring but I’m a little dubious about the accuracy since my fly honeysuckle started opening a few days ago. Nevertheless, it is a most welcomed sight. It means that I’ll soon be seeing the Carolina Spring Beauty, Fiddleheads ( young fern fronds ) and the Trillium.

One thing that I agree with Wikipedia on is the importance of these tiny flowers for solitary bees like the mason bees that will emerge from their holes into a harsh world. Before 1622 solitary bees were the main pollenators in North America. It stands to reason that their lifestyle would be closely tied to early blooming plants like Harbinger Of Spring. I have looked around the area where I found this one and it seems to be the very first one to pop up on my place. It also wasn’t there yesterday ( or at least it wasn’t in bloom) because I was in the same spot and actually looking for any changes to forest floor. But from this day forward I expect to see life explode onto the scene.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that graduation will be here before you know it. Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!!

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Ironweed, Honeybees & Staying Warm In Winter

Color Photography

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Ironweed 91419” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Outside of my window a cold rain washes away the last of February’s first snow. Even though this winter has been relatively mild it’s still cold enough for a fire in the fireplace and have a cup of coffee while reviewing my archive. The image of the ironweed from early September came up and I thought it was the perfect subjec to bring a little warmth to a gray day.

When I look into the photo I can feel the balmy breeze against my skin and smell the sweetness of the ironweed bloom. The day was warm without being humid. The leaves were just showing the first sign of color. The bees were busy with gathering pollen for that last bit of honey to get them through the oncoming winter. I’m by no means an expert on honeybees but I’ve learned that that don’t actually hibernate in winter. So they have to store enough honey to feed themselves until Spring. Honeybees activity warm the hive with their metabolism so there has to be plenty of fuel for their bodies or their whole colony could die. Fortunately the ironweed is both plentiful and productive for them. The plant itself is considered to be weed and is often cut down as such but in doing so we are removing a resource from the honeybees that pollinate the flowers that produce the fruit and seed that feeds the rest of forest.

As I’m considering the connection between the ironweed and the survival of bees through winter I notice that coffee is gone, the fire is low and its time for me to do a little hibernation of my own.

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Forage Friday #44 Polemonium Reptans (Jacob’s Ladder)

Uncategorized

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Small Wonder In Winter” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Disclaimer: This is a plant that I’m just now getting to know. That means that it’s very likely that I could be mistaken about some of the information covered in the article. But that’s also why I always advocate that you do further research before trying any wild plant.

The cool crisp air is envigoreating as I head out to see what I can see. The dry leaves crunch under my feet as carefully stride to my little quiet spot on the edge of my property. The spot has become my sanctuary of the past few years and I’ve truly enjoyed stepping out at different times of the year to observe the minor changes in the landscape. On one particular day I spotted the green leaves creeping over the leaf litter in December. I probably should have noticed it a long time ago but I didn’t. It looked like something that I should recognize but I couldn’t quite place it. So I waited and I watched to see what the tiny leaves developed into. But even after several weeks of unseasonably warm weather the little plant didn’t grow. I looked through all my reference books and it seemed to look like everything with a small compound leaf. So I finally turned to the West Virginia Native Plant Society on Facebook for a little help with the ID. It wasn’t long before I got a reply and a direction for research. The plant turned out to be Polemonium Reptans.

Now there’s a reason why I use the scientific name for tonight’s post. Like most plants Polemonium Reptans is known by a number of common names including, Creeping Jacob’s Ladder, Jacob’s Ladder and False Jacob’s latter. It’s even known by the name Greek Valerian.

That’s where the confusion comes in. Because Polemonium Reptans has a bunch of cousins and all are commonly called “Jacob’s Ladder”. And when you are interested in the food or medicinal qualities of a plant different species within the genus might have different qualities both beneficial and undesirable.

Also, the common name “Greek Valerian” is a little deceptive because true Valerian is a completely different family of plants with sedative properties while “Greek Valerian” seems to be more of an anti-microbial herb. In fact Polemonium Reptans is also called “Abscess Root” for that very reason.

So tonight I have a start on a plant that has caught my interest but one that I have not really researched in depth. Partly because I seem to be at the Easternmost extent of its range. I found tonight’s feature image growing beneath yellow birch and a magnolia on an almost vertical Northeastern slope. The research so far suggested that it likes stream banks and rich soil.

The medical uses I’ve found are that it’s anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and promotes sweating. ( I also found it listed as “sweatroot” ) The internet also says that it is seldom used. That could be because it’s also described as not tasting very well or because there’s so many better options. So I’m going to do more research on this one and give you a part 2 in the spring when this little Phlox ( yes, I found another name ) comes into a beautiful bloom.

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Sunshine and Stone

Color Photography

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Wallflowers 9619” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Cool mists curl out from the base of the little waterfall and drift to the large block of stone jutting out from the mountain. As I passed by the bright yellow wildflowers seem to wave and show a warm smile as they dance in the breeze. I moved the big blue truck to the berm. How could I pass up such an invitation to come and enjoy the fresh air? The mists carry the clean scent of the moss that grows thick by the water and it mingles with the smell of the stones. In the distance a single crow high in a tree top makes soft cooing pur as it calls for a mate. I could probably spend all day here enjoying the beautiful mountain landscape but I only have a few minutes to capture the image and be on my way.

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