Wildflowers

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nature preserves, wildflowers

From spring through summer, this gallery highlights the diversity of native flora found throughout different areas of the Preserve.

Trout lilies, Erythronium americanum, one of our earliest spring wildflowers, found in damp, seepy woods.

Sharp-lobed hepatica, or liver-leaf, Hepatica acutiloba, maybe our earliest bloomer, still hanging on to last year's evergreen leaf — Sharp-lobed hepatica, or liver-leaf, Hepatica acutiloba, maybe our earliest bloomer, still hanging on to last year’s evergreen leaf

Wood anemone, Anemone quinquefolia, just up, with purple tinted leaves and bud; flower will blossom white.

Round-leaved violet, Viola rotundifolia, another very early spring bloomer

Marsh marigold — Marsh marigold, Caltha palustris

Wildflowers — Canada mayflower, Maianthemum canadense

Marsh marigold, Caltha palustris, blossoms

Painted trillium, Trillium undulatum.

Smooth Solomon's seal, Polygonatum biflorum, displays a graceful, arching form. — Smooth Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum biflorum, displays a graceful, arching form.

Anemone quinquefolia, wood anemone

Spring beauty, Claytonia caroliniana, a true spring ephemeral that will carpet the woods in early spring and vanish by summer.

Dwarf ginseng, Panax trifolius, is a diminutive relative of the well-known herb ginseng.

Merrybells, Uvularia sessilifolia

Red trillium, Trillium erectum, is visited here by a tiny pollinator (hanging off sepal to the right).

Toothwort, Dentaria diphylla, in bloom

This clump of trilliums, Trillium erectum, is growing right at the base of this tree.

Canada violet; Viola canadensis, backside of petals is purple.

Canada mayflowers, Maianthemum canadense, carpet the forest floor.

Wild columbine or rock bells, Aquilegia canadensis, growing at the base of this tree trunk.

wildflowers -- white violets — Viola blanda, sweet white violet

wildflowers -- native parsley — Ozmorhyiza claytonii, sweet cicely

Our mascot, Trillium erectum.

Downy yellow violet, Viola pubescens

Wildflowers — Blue-eyed grass, Sisyrinchium mucronatum and cinquefoil

This Jack-in-the Pulpit, Arisaemum triphyllum, is growing out of a rock.

wildflowers -- tiarella (2) — Foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia

Sisyrinchium Sp. — Sisyrinchium mucronatum

A carpet of violets, mostly Canada with a few yellow violets

Maple-leaved waterleaf, Hydrophyllum canadense, forms large patches of attractively mottled leaves before blooming late spring - early summer. — Maple-leaved waterleaf, Hydrophyllum canadense, forms large patches of attractively mottled leaves before blooming late spring – early summer.

Robin's plantain, Erigeron pulchellus, can form a carpet of woolly basal leaves with pink daisies less than a foot tall in spring. — Robin’s plantain, Erigeron pulchellus, can form a carpet of woolly basal leaves with pink daisies less than a foot tall in spring.

wildflowers -- white star flowers — Starflower, Trientalis borealis

wild sarsaparilla, Aralia nudicaulis, ready to bloom

Robin's plantain, Erigeron pulchellus — Robin’s plantain, Erigeron pulchellus

Golden groundsel, Packer aurea, grows in damp openings in the Hemlock Forest.

A white blue-eyed grass, Sisyrinchium sp. — A white form of blue-eyed grass, Sisyrinchium mucronatum.

Bunchberry, Cornus canadensis, grows at the western edge of the bog.

A patch of bunchberry in bloom

Medeola virginianahemlock ravine — Indian cucumber, Medeola virginiana

Common shinleaf, Pyrola elliptica, grows in the Hemlock forest.

Wood sorrel, Oxalis montana, brightens the Hemlock Forest in early summer.

Fringed loosestrife, Lysimachia ciliata, lines a creek bank.

Foxglove beardtongue, Penstemon digitalis

Small sundrops, Oenothers perennis, grow only a few inches high in dry sandy soil.

Ground cherry, Physalis heterophylla

Ground cherry, Physalis heterophylla, close up, showing the delicate markings on the interior of the blossom.

Orange dwarf dandelion, Krigia biflora

Close-up of orange dandelion

A bicolored form of common milkweed, mostly white, with a pink center

A white form of common milkweed.

common milkweed, Asclepias syriacus, host plant for monarchs. — Common milkweed, Asclepias syriacus, host plant for monarchs.

Aralia hispida, bristly sarsaparilla

Round-leaved Pyrola, Pyrola rotundifolia

Narrow-leaved willow herb, Epilobium leptophyllum, a dainty addition to the meadows.

Spreading dogbane, Apocynum androsaemifolium, visited here by a tiny pollinator, also attracts butterflies.

Foxglove beardtongue, Penstemon digitalis, disappearing from our meadows.

Clasping-leaved dogbane, Apocynum sibiricum runs through a large section of the meadow. — Dogbane, Apocynum cannabinum, runs through a large section of the meadow.

Indian cucumber, Medeola virginiana, fall color

Pasture thistle, Cirsium pumilum, with yellow caterpillar.

Close up of jewelweed , Impatiens capensis, blossoms

Doll's eyes, Actaea pachypoda, beware poisonous berries. — Doll’s eyes, Actaea pachypoda, beware poisonous berries.

Wild lettuce, Prenanthes sp.? blooms in the Hemlock Woods. — Wild lettuce, Nabalus trifoliolatus, blooms in the Hemlock Woods.

One of the small white asters growing in the meadows, possibly heath aster, Aster ericoides.

Flat-topped white aster, Aster umbellatus, found throughout our meadows.

Tall white aster, Aster simplex, at home in the meadows, but harder to find.

A late blooming aster, Aster cordifolia, heart-leaved aster

Downy goldenrod

Strange blossoms of the hare figwort, Scrophularia lanceolata

Another small white aster, possibly calico aster? Someone needs to come and sort these confusing white asters out.

Small white aster, species??, another mysterious aster, growing with the downy goldenrod.

Bidens cernua, beggars tick.

Wild lettuce, Prenanthes sp?, rooted in stony soil along a rocky streambank. — Wild lettuce, Nabalus sp., rooted in stony soil along a rocky streambank.

Late purple aster, Aster patens, uncommon in our meadows

New England aster. Aster novae-angliae

Aster prenanthoides

Blue heart-leaved aster, Aster cordifolius, forms cloudlike patches of lavender blue in the meadows.

Aster puniceus, purple-stemmed aster

wildflowers -- solidago (3) — tall goldenrod, possibly Solidago canadensis

Grass-leaved goldenrod, Euthamia graminifolia, forms large clonal, sometimes circular, patches in the meadows.

Purple milkwort, Polygala sanguinea, blooms in late summer through early fall.

Mystery Goldenrod, Solidago, possibly ulmifolia? Lovely arching form grows in small patches in the meadows.

Downy goldenrod, Solidago puberula, grows on this xeric site which was stripped of topsoil.