May 31, 2009 at 6:00 am05 (Uncategorized)
New growth on the Eastern Hemlock decorates a roadside ravine.
The “merry month of May” has been a very busy one in the plant growth department. Many species of wildflowers, shrubs, grasses, and trees have flowered and sent up new shoots of growth. The Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is an evergreen that prefers rocky ridge and ravine habitats. In the photo above, the bright green new growth on the terminal ends of branches contrasts with the older, established growth. Hemlock wood is coarse-grained and strong. More water and rot-resistant than White Pine, it is often used in framing, roof boards, and support timbers. The bark of the Eastern Hemlock is ground up to create a reddish-colored and durable mulch for trees, shrubs, and garden beds.
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May 30, 2009 at 5:48 am05 (Uncategorized)
Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)
You might say “Poison Ivy” is your number one nemesis if you come back from gardening or lawn work with a blistering rash, but the Massachusetts Division of Wildlife lists the following plants as even more enviromentally obnoxious: Japanese Knotweed, Barberry, Garlic Mustard, Honeysuckles (Lonicera species morrowi, tatarica, maackii, and xbella), Multifora Rose, Oriental Bittersweet, and Purple Loosestrife. All are almost impossible to eradicate without resorting to weed wrenches, herbicides, and repeated hand-digging to stop their spread.
Of the plants listed above, only the Japanese Knotweed does not presently grow in the woods, fields, and wet meadows that surround the Meadow’s Edge. It can be found, however, on roadsides just a short walk away, and it may only be a matter of time before some appear near our homes. Japanese Knotweed (also known as “Mexican Bamboo,” or “Japanese Fleece Flower”) is an upright perennial herb with multiple dense shoots that can grow up to ten feet high. The stems are stout, round, and hollow, with swollen joints at the leaf nodes. These shoots grow from stout underground rhizomes that may spread horizontally as far as 65 feet away. Just cutting down the visible plant growth is not enough. The entire rootmass must be excavated or the clump will resprout. Japanese Knotweed is oftebn found along roadside drainafe ditches or near other water sources such as wetlands, streams, riverbanks, and ponds. Its white or greenish-white flowers appear in August or September in branched clusters. The fruits are small shiny black triangular structures that can be carried by wind. Obnoxious as it may be, the Japanese Knotweed is edible. In early spring the tener young shoots less than eight inches tall can be picked and prepared as faux asparagus.
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May 29, 2009 at 5:15 am05 (Uncategorized)
Cinnamon Fern
Cinannamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) is found from Nova Scotia to Florida, growing in clumps one to five heet high. It has both fertile (spore-bearing) and non-fertile (leaf-like structures) called fronds. The fertile fronds grow from the center of the “crown” formed by the non-fertile fronds. The spore cases are cinnamon-colored and protected fro cold weather by a rusty wool-like shield. Look for the Cinnamon Fern in swamps and wet woods, especially during the month of May. This is one of the easier-to-transplant fern species.
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May 28, 2009 at 5:32 am05 (Uncategorized)
False Lily of the Valley, False Solomon's Seal
False Solomon’s Seal (Smilacina racemosa) is a member of the Lily family. It grows in moist woods to a height of one to three feet tall. It has a crowded cluster (panicle) of small white flowers at the tip of the stem. The stamens protrude beyond the petals, giving the flower cluster a fuzzy appearance. The stem is curving and has alternating, oval leaves three to six inches long. Look for fine hairs on the undersides of the leaves. The berry-like fruit of False Solomon’s seal is whitish with brown speckles at first, but turns red when ripe. This plant provides a graceful touch to the floor of mixed woodlands or even flower beds in home gardens. This plant is in full bloom right now in Pine forests and mixed woods. It is not a Lily of the Valley and it is not a Solomon’s Seal.
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May 27, 2009 at 5:11 am05 (Uncategorized)
Wild Geranium
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), also known as Spotted Cranesbill, produces a lavender or purple-pink flower resemling that of a small wild rose or apple blossom. The plant reaches a height of about one to two feet. The gray-green leaves are deeply cut and may be fuzzy or hairy. When the plant matures, the fruit bursts open and scatters seeds for many feet in all directions. Look for Wild Geranium in fields, open woods, and shady country lanes.
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May 26, 2009 at 6:14 am05 (Uncategorized)
Hobblebush or Witch-Hobble
The Hobble-Bush Viburnum (Viburnum lantanoides) is a straggling shrub 3 to 8 feet in height found in cool, moist woods and along stream banks and the edges of swamps. In May it produces fragrant, flat-topped clusters of white flowers, with the outer flowers much larger than the inner ones. The coarse textured, deeply furrowed, prominently veined leaves are opposite each other on the stems and are heart-shaped with saw-toothed leaf margins. The fruit is a berry, red at first and then turning black as it ripens. The bark of young twigs is generally smooth to the touch. The outer branches of this shrub may grow outward and hang down to the ground, where they touch and take root. The shrub is used by wildlife for both food and cover. Deer browse the twigs in winter. The Hobblebush is host plant for the larvae of a particular species of butterfly – the small blue Spring Azure butterfly.
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May 25, 2009 at 5:16 am05 (Uncategorized)
Nannyberry is a woodland shrub.
Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) is a deciduous shrub 14-16 feet high and found along roads, on the borders of woods, on stream banks, and in thickets. Nannyberry has opposite green leaves that are finely toothed and come to an abrupt point. They have leaf stalks with edges that are wavy or toothed. The white flowers are in groups 2-5 inches accross, but the cluster lacks a main stem. Look for blossoms with five white spreading petals and stamens with golden yellow tips. The edible fruit, which matures to blue-black in September, has a sweet pulp and a large stone inside. The Nannyberry shrub attracts both birds and butterflies.
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May 24, 2009 at 5:36 am05 (Uncategorized)
Horse Chestnut tree in flower.
Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is often planted as an ornamental tree in New England. Look for it now along roadsides in your town. The trunk divides into several strong branches at approximately ten feet off the ground and these main limbs support a broad, spreading crown. The Horse Chestnut is a good shade tree, but requires rich soil to grow well. The Horse Chestnut has dark green, compound leaves that grow opposite each other on branches. Seven leaflets radiate out from a single point. The leaf margins are coursely toothed and the blades come abruptly to a point.
The flowers, which are bloming this week in our neighborhood, occur in showy clusters. The individual flowers have white petals spotted with yellow or reddish purple. The fruit of a Horse Chestnut is a round spine-covered pod about 1 1/2 inches in diameter that is green at first but later turns to brown. Inside is a single nut-like seed that is not edible.
The wood of the Horse Chestnut is light, soft, and close-grained but not used commercially in New England.
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May 23, 2009 at 6:07 am05 (Uncategorized)
A roadside view of Interrupted Fern.
The Interrupted Fern (Osmunda claytoniana) is found in swampy places from Newfoundland to North Carolina. It appears in woods, meadows, and along roadsides in May. It develops its fruiting bodies (spore cases) as it unfolds. At first, the leaf structures bearing spore cases are almost black. Later they become golden-green. After the spores are discharred they turn brown. They serve to identify the fern at a glance. The Interrupted Fern is a graceful fern that adapts well to beds in the home garden that have partial sun and shade.
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May 22, 2009 at 5:24 am05 (Uncategorized)
Buttercups thrive in moist soil.
The waxy, bright yellow flowers of the Common Buttercup (Ranunculus acris) are easily identified and a common sight to any traveler in sunny open fields and marshy places. In the photo above, the Buttercup competes for space at the water’s edge with blue flowering Forget-Me-Not and other moisture-loving plants. The buttercup flower has five yellow petals, five sepals, and many yellow-green stamens bearing pollen. The dark green leaves are deeply cut and jagged. They notched leaves resemble a frog’s splayed-toed hind foot. Hence the genus name Ranunculus, meaning “frog-foot.”
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