Poppies (Papaveraceae) – LIFE IN THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATERSHED

Here’s a native plant you don’t see very often, but Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have a knack for finding and adoring it within the limited habitat where it still exists.

Allegheny Vine in Bloom — Allegheny Vine (Adlumia fungosa), also known as Climbing Fumitory or Mountain Fringe, is a seldom-found biennial herbaceous plant in the poppy family (Papaveraceae). Both its divided leaves and drooping clusters of flowers might remind the observer of a more familiar member of the poppy family, the spring-blooming Dutchman’s Breeches. But unlike the low-growing Dutchman’s Breeches, Allegheny Vine ascends nearby shrubs and small trees with trailing stems that add a garland-like pizzazz to the summertime foliage.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird at Allegheny Vine — Seen here creeping atop a small Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) tree, Allegheny Vine seldom escapes notice by the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a primary pollinator of the plant.

Not likely to thrive in deep forest cover, Allegheny Vine is a denizen of edge habitat. The species is dependent on some type of disturbance to maintain suitable growing conditions. The plants seen here were found flowering in an area that had experienced a fire prior to last year’s growing season. It is therefore quite possible that the fire completed the stratification process and triggered long-dormant seeds to germinate last spring or summer to develop a basal plant which matured and flowered during this second summer of the biennial’s growth. On a forested slope opposite this site, a first-ever prescribed burn was conducted in March of this year to eliminate accumulated fuel and replicate a natural fire cycle. With a little luck, this forest management approach may prompt additional long-dormant Allegheny Vine seeds to germinate and form basal plants this year for maturation in 2025. Without man-made disturbances, Allegheny Vine may remain viable as a species by enduring seed dormancy periods of 40-100 years or more between fires, lightning strikes, wind storms, ice accumulations, and other events which clear the canopy and encourage growth.

For those of you who dare to shed that filthy contaminated rag you’ve been told to breathe through so that you might instead get out and enjoy some clean air in a cherished place of solitude, here’s what’s around—go have a look.

Northern Flickers have arrived. Look for them anywhere there are mature trees. Despite the fact that flickers are woodpeckers, they often feed on the ground. You’ll notice the white rump and yellow wing linings when they fly away.

The tiny Chipping Sparrow frequently nests in small trees in suburban gardens. Lay off the lawn treatments to assure their success.

Field Sparrows (Spizella fusilla) are a breeding species in abandoned fields where successional growth is underway.

White-throated Sparrows spend the winter in the lower Susquehanna valley. Their numbers are increasing now as waves of migrants pass through on their way north.

Northbound flocks of Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus) are currently found feeding in forest swamps along the Susquehanna. Their noisy calls sound like a chorus of squeaking hinges.

Migratory Red-shouldered Hawks are also making feeding stops at area wetlands.

The Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) is easily identified by its tail pumping behavior. Look for it in shrubs along the river shoreline or near lakes and streams. Palm Warblers are among the earliest of the warblers to move through in the spring.

The springtime show on the water continues…

Common Loons will continue migrating through the area during the upcoming month.

Buffleheads are still transiting the watershed.

Horned Grebes are occurring on the river and on local lakes.

Seeing these one-year-old male Hooded Mergansers, the bachelors, wandering around without any adult males or females is a good sign. The adults should have moved on to the breeding grounds and local pairs should be well into a nesting cycle by now. Hatching could occur any day.

Like Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks are cavity nesters, but their egg laying, incubation, and hatching often occurs a month or more later than that of the hoodies. Judging by the attentiveness of the drake, this pair of woodies is probably in the egg-laying stage of its breeding cycle right now.

Redheads (Aythya americana) are stopping for a rest on their way north.

In spring, Double-crested Cormorants proceed up the river in goose-like flocks with adult birds like these leading the way.

Hey, what are those showy flowers?

That’s Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna). It’s often called Fig Buttercup. In early April it blankets stream banks throughout the lower Susquehanna region. If you don’t remember seeing it growing like that when you were younger, there’s a reason. Lesser Celandine is an escape from cultivation that has become invasive. While the appearance is tolerable; it’s the palatability that ruins everything. It’s poisonous if eaten by people or livestock.

The Eastern Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) is a dainty native wildflower of riparian forests and other woodlands throughout the lower Susquehanna valley.

The Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is beginning to bloom now. It’s a native of the region’s damp forests.

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) is not native to the Susquehanna watershed, but neither is it considered invasive. It creates colorful patches in riparian forests.

Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) is a strikingly beautiful native wildflower that grows on undisturbed forested slopes throughout the Susquehanna valley.

Wasn’t that refreshing? Now go take a walk.

Category: Poppies (Papaveraceae)

Allegheny Vine

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