Published on: Jun 23, 2019
Well, summer is finally here. The past few weeks have been slowly changing the flowering picture. The weather has certainly played a big part in the succession of bloom and many of the standard spring flowers had very short bloom times and came all together instead of in succession. The summer flowers have been slow to start because of the cool and wet weather. Jane and I went from 10.5=mile road to 8-mile road on Monday. Ken and I went east on 12 mile to about 11 mile and then from Averill parking about 1.25 miles during the week. The Early and Tall Meadow Rue are blooming beautifully now in most areas. There are Oxeye Daisies and some remaining Wild Geranium. Canada Anemone is covering many areas, but Thimbleweed Anemone is the dominant one between mile 6 and 7 on the trail. The first of the Pink Daisy Fleabane is also coming along. Both the Yellow Goatsbeard and Yellow and Orange Hawkweed are blooming in sets as well. The hedge bindweed is weaving among the taller plants. Depending on the area, you can see large stands of Foxglove Beardtongue or smaller groupings of the shorter Hairy Beardtongue. At Mile 12, there is even Black Snakeroot blooming. All the yellow is fun, Golden Alexanders in sweeps, the occasional Yellow Wood Sorrel and Swamp Buttercup, Common Cinquefoil and Sulfur Cinquefoil along with the other flowers. The Black Medic or Hop Clover is really making a show in the short grass of the edge of the trail. At mile 11 on the trail, there is a lot of leafy spurge--very pretty yellow but not native and very invasive. At Mile 11 there was even some Coreopsis and Black-eyed Susan blooming. More of these to come soon. A fun counterpoint of the pretty blue Wild Flax was at Mile 11 as well. Here is where you can see the fernlike bush called SweetFern. Coming into bloom are all the pea family. I saw American Vetch, Crown Vetch, Everlasting Pea, Alfalfa and Birdsfoot Trefoil. The red and white Clovers are blooming and Yellow Sweet Clover has just begun to bloom. Tall Stitchwort and tiny common Chickweed area making a show in the outer areas and both Marsh and Northern Bedstraw can be found as well as the Sticky Willy cousin that clings to your clothing. The last of the Columbine are blooming and Wild Lettuce is ready to bloom. Michigan Lilies are up and budded. Tiny Blue-eyed Grass appears in the shorter areas. The Blue Flag Iris is not as evident as in past years, but you can find it in the low areas. Both Common Milkweed and Swamp Milkweed have buds, ready to bloom in the coming weeks and I saw two Monarchs ready for them. The related Hemp Dogbane and Spreading Dogbane have buds and will be blooming soon as well. The invasive Garlic Mustard, Winter Cress and Dame's Rocket is finishing up its first bloom. The Wild Strawberries have formed and are tiny but delicious. The Blackberry and Raspberry are still blooming enthusiastically Multiflora Rose is very evident in many areas, but you can still find the native Swamp Rose in some areas. The Ninebark is blooming profusely up and down the trail and the Silky and Grey Dogwoods and Elderberry are beginning to bloom. Wild Grapes are blooming as well. Bush Honeysuckle has subtle flowers on short bushes. The non-native Honeysuckles get more attention on the large bushes that crowd the banks near Averill.
0 Comments
Published on: May 29, 2019
Well, the ups and downs of the weather certainly kept us and the wildflowers busy. Many of the Spring Ephemerals bloomed and were gone in record time due to record hot days when they started to bloom. Late Spring flowers were slow to come out but they are making an appearance now. The week of the 12th there were still a few Bloodroot and Dutchmen's Breeches and we started to see False Rue Anemone (at Chippewa Nature Center) and Spring Cress (at both CNC and Pine Haven). Star Flowers made their quick appearance in time for the Szok Preserve walk with Little Forks Conservancy. Woodland Phlox and Wood Poppies as well as Virginia Bluebells bloomed beside the Blue Cohosh in my yard and many across the area. My tiny Rue Anemone and Spring Beauties put on a show with the Tall Red Trillium and the Large White Flowered Trillium. Wild Sarsaparilla bloomed when the Black Cherries started to bloom. The Alternate Leaf and Red Twig Dogwood are blooming along with the Black Haw Viburnum. My purchased Double-file Viburnum is also putting on a show. Along the rail-trail from 8 mile to 9 mile roads the Fringed Polygala or Gaywings was really spectacular over the holiday weekend. The first of the Wild Geranium and Canada Anemone are opening up as well as the small Wood Anemone and the Wild Strawberry. Of course, the Stitchwort and Winter Cress are blooming well and the Invasive Garlic Mustard seems to be everywhere. I just pulled 9 garbage bags of it out of the city property next to mine. I know that CNC and LFC are having pulls at their properties as well. Remember, pull the entire plant and do not compost it--it will spread from compost. My favorite weeks are the ones when the trees leaf out--so the last 3 weeks. As the tiny, perfect leaves of Oak, Maple, Ash, Birch and others emerge, it looks like a Monet painting--all subtle shades of gold, red, bronze and green. Now that they are getting bigger and the maple seeds and oak and ash and birch flowers fall to the ground, I know that summer is just around the corner. Soon the Meadow Rue and Black Eyed Susan will be blooming along with the Cattail and Blue Flag Iris. I already see the plants that will be the Jewelweed flowers in a few weeks. Cone Flowers, Sun Flowers, Cardinal Flowers and Lobelia as well as the Yellow Loosestrife will be dazzling our eyes. This is a grand time to live in Michigan. Enjoy!!! Published on: Jun 12, 2017 As I was searching for new blooms along mile 9 and 12 of the rail trail, I noticed once again the layering of flowering times for wild flowers. The Canada Anemone and Wild Geranium are still blooming as are some of the more shaded Blue Flag Iris. Spiderwort is starting to bloom, adding to the blues on the side of the trail. Early Meadow Rue (shorter) and Tall Meadow Rue are opening their blooms as well. Both Foxglove Beardtongue (very tall) and Hairy Beardtongue (much shorter) are showing off. Occasional Golden Alexander and the smaller Buttercups appear as well as Common Cinquefoil and the ubiquitous Field Hawkweed adding yellow to the mix. The overwhelming visual of blooms are the introduced Oxeye Daisy and Dame's Rocket. These areas will have great shows of Joe Pye Weed, Boneset, Swamp and Common Milkweed, and Sunflowers later in the summer, but are pretty tame and green now since the other blooms are more spread out. Mile 6 through 8 will likewise have significant summer blooms with Bee Balm, Coneflowers, Sunflowers and Cardinal Flower as the weather stays warm. Along mile 2 between Sugnet and Dublin is a spectacular scene--the garden "wildflower" mix planted years ago on the north side of the trail still has Coreopsis (Tick Seed), Sweet William in multiple colors, some Gallardia and lots of Crown Vetch, American Vetch and Oxeye Daisy. There will be Sunflowers, Coneflowers and Monarda later in June and July. This is a contrast to the normal wildflowers on the south side of the trail, but there are nice clumps of Hairy Beardtongue, Common Fleabane and Vetch, just not the showy mass that garden planted cultivars can attain.
All along mile 2-5 are encroaching stands of Common Buckthorn and Autumn Olive. These are shading out the wildflowers and crowding out the native Witchhazel, Dogwood, Viburnum, Willow, Birch, Poplar and other shrubs and trees. Some of the introduced garden flowers and other invasive plants (like Spotted Knapweed and Garlic Mustard) are also pushing out the native wildflowers. The Wetland areas are seeing another invasive plant called Phragmites. This grass--is overwhelming ditches and drains and lowlands everywhere--look at the Mall area between ALDI and Meijer to see a large colony of it. We know, from Chippewa Nature Center (CNC) and Little Forks Conservancy (LFC) efforts, that removing the invasives can help bring back the native plants. The invasive plants colonize rapidly and crowd out and sometimes use chemicals to stunt or kill the other plants. Please help Wild Ones, LFC and CNC in their clean up efforts and encourage the County and City Parks to get rid of the invasive plants. You can also make sure your own property is free of these rapidly spreading plants by working with LFC. Meanwhile, keep looking for the native wildflowers! Published on: May 22, 2016
Chippewa Nature Center and Little Forks Conservancy hosted a walk in Szok Preserve at the Pine Haven Recreation area in Sanford. This is a lovely wooded trail with much of the same flora as the rest of Pine Haven. Jack in the Pulpit, Trillium, Canada Mayflowers and Bloodroot were in abundance. Because of it's location on the curve of the Salt Creek, the steep embankment held other wonders. Several large patches of wild blue phlox were enchanting. Sarsaparilla was just beginning to bloom and Early Buttercup as well as the more common Crowfoot were both in evidence. Water Hemlock was up but not ready to bloom yet. The Maple-leaved Viburnum were displaying their buds as well. Both Starry False Solomon Seal and true Solomon Seal were beginning to bloom. It is so much easier to tell them apart when you see the collection of buds at the end of the False Solomon Seal stem and the chandelier-like buds hanging from each leaflet on the True Solomon Seal. We had the added pleasure of hearing a very active Pileated Woodpecker both in voice and in hammering. CNC and LFC will host more walks in the different preserves in the coming weeks. I encourage you to join them. Get to know these jewels in our midst. Virginia Bluebells and Wood Poppy have been blooming steadily but will soon set seed and disappear from view with the coming of the warmer weather. Now is also the time to identify and remove Garlic Mustard, as it is blooming profusely. Don't Compost this--it will only aid in the spread. Put in black plastic garbage bags in your regular trash. It will be a bonus for the Methane Production at the Midland Sanitary Landfill. If you host a removal party at a local park or large property, you can call the city for a special pickup of your bags. (Be sure to emphasize that it is for refuse and not composting.) Every plant removed can prevent 6000 new plants from germinating this year! Published on: May 9, 2016
Dow Gardens has lots of wildflowers in the wooded areas and secret gardens. From Bloodroot and Dutchmen's Breeches to Marsh Marigold, Mayapple, Spring Beauties, Trillium and Trout Lilies, they mix well with the native and introduced species of shrubs, perennials and trees. Pine Haven has lots of wildflowers along the trails: Bloodroot, Hepatica, Dutchmen's Breeches, Trout Lilies, Spring Beauties Canada Mayflower, Swamp Buttercup, Trillium, Canada Lousewort, Mayapple, Yellow and early Blue Violets, Wood Anemones. Step lightly and keep a lookout on the trails. Chippewa Nature Center has many colonies of Bloodroot, Mayapple, Dutchmen's Breeches, Trout Lilies, Hepatica, Trillium, Early Blue and Yellow Violets, Wood Anemone, Cut-leaved Toothwort, False Solomon's Seal, Spring Cress, Spring Beauties and many more. Stay on the trails to avoid damaging the emerging plants. All have many ferns unfolding, from the broad Sensitive Fern to the majestic Ostrich Fern and Royal Fern. At Averill Preserve the Pussytoes have started to bloom and everywhere the many Bedstraw varieties are ready to bloom. Early Meadow Rue has flower heads and Ginger is beginning to show it's magenta flowers under the uncurled spreading leaves. Mayapples are ready to bloom, Wood and Wild Strawberries are blooming. Soon more plants will send up flower spikes. Enjoy your trekking wherever you find yourself. |