Let’s have a look at some of the magnificent native wildflowers blooming on this Mother’s Day in forests and thickets throughout the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed.
Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) is a fragile little wildflower of open woods.The Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium) is a shrub of thickets and forest borders. The flower clusters mature into an abundance of berries relished by birds and other wildlife.A large Black Cherry tree adorned in white blossoms can be pleasing to the eye and very beneficial for pollinating insects.The Common Pawpaw is a small tree of damp well-drained soils. Where conditions are ideal, it may form clonal colonies in the forest understory. The deep maroon blooms mature into banana-like fruits, hence its alternate common name “Custard Apple”.The Mayapple or Mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum) commonly blankets the forest floor. It, like other ephemeral wildflowers, is vulnerable to invasions by non-native shrubs that leaf out earlier in spring than native species and rob them of sunlight during their already abbreviated growing season.
Aren’t they spectacular?
Why not take a stroll to have a look at these and other plants you can find growing along a nearby woodland trail? You could check out some place new and get a little exercise too!
If you go, please tread lightly, take your camera, mind your manners, and…
