I've been waiting for the Inkberry Ilex glabra to bloom, and you would want to have your magnifying glass ready for this. The 1/4" flower has stamens with maroon tips and each petal has the same. (Not as prominent as the Inkberry at the entrance to the Old NPG and I need to stop living in the past.) You know the small black berries were used by Native Americans for writing,thus the common name.
Rhododendrons up the earth path and, to my great pleasure, searching under the Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense there were still those amazing flowers to see. The visitors have never seen these flowers and are always excited by the view. Going up the path does not show you many flowers you can't see elsewhere, but Green'n Gold were still blooming there.
This year the Garden replaced Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia and they are scattered if not as abundant. Solomon's Seal of all species are showing: white flowers under the stems, Plume Solomon Seal showing berries drying, but delightful False Starry Solomon's Seal has what I call "marbles," which are shiny, tan with black markings.
New this week is Skullcap Scutellaria serrata. Careful: may look just like another lavender flower.
Down the steps to the Education Pavilion, see the Eastern Beebalm Monarda blooming.
Worked on the beginning of June 9, 2016 blog, with help, nobody able to get captions except on the first photo, and why the unfinished blog got published, also unknown. I was thrilled to be able to write, though, and spent a long time on the continued report for that week, did not press "save" and the whole thing disappeared. Forcing myself to try to re-do the charming job that got lost, probably show my impatient, irritable self, but here goes.
On the first part of June 9, 2016, starting after Skullcap and before the out-of-place photo of Beebalm Monarda, Kentucky Lady Slipper, Bluestar, a little Golden Alexanders. Back on the boardwalk toward the entrance, among the Pitcher Plants a 1/4" irregular blue flower about 15 inches high, a few opposite leaves, a plant I could not identify, and while waiting for help from Curator Michael Hagen, I am thinking it is Blue Toadflax Linariacanadensis, but wait for confirmation.
In the water Pickerelweed's Pondederia cordata blue flowers and many Iris. On your left are Fleabane, Royal Fern, a favorite fern, (is that because I have grandiose royalty fantasies or because I know it well from being in my own yard?). The white flower hard to see from the boardwalk I think is Canada Anemone. Moving toward the ramp, past the now empty nest in the Shadbush, Kalmia latifolia Mountain Laurel. Notice the huge leaves of the American Umbrella Plant, and on the right Bowman/s Root/Indian Physic/Ipecac Gillenia trifoliata with its delicate white flowers, used to induce vomiting.
As you turn left, under the Sourwood Tree Celandine Poppy is still to be seen in bloom. Most visitors I find call it Coral Bells, but the Heuchera has always been known to me as Alumroot. The shrubby blue-flowered blooming plant that has spread a lot is Scorpionweed Phacelia bipinnatifida which seems to have shown up on its own, and you old timers will remember that it was blooming along the wall just where you came in the Rock Garden/ Native Plant Garden entrance, yes, of the Old NPG. Is it worth getting closer to the Education Building to peer at the Hairy Chickweed by the rocks, which reminds me that the Old NPG had many species of Chickweed. It has been a valuable source of Vitamin C for both animals and humans, blooming even under the snow.
Still traveling counter-clockwise, the marvelous Silverbell Trees Halesia, have now traded their white flowers for Chinese lanterns, so this tree is one to keep your eye on many times during seasonal tours. Here is where I would mention Eastern Beebalm Monarda down the steps to the Education Building, and the photo on the previous 6/9/16 blog shows it.
On the path toward the Split Rock, the eye-catching bright red is (not Cardinal Flower) but Fire Pink Silene virginica, not a long-lived plant. The whopping purple bells are Beardtongue, but greatly outnumbered by their native species white Beardtongue. Of the five stamens, one is fuzzy, thus "bearded," and nature sends a different insect to each species so they do not hybridize.
Whew, this just disappeared from the desktop again, but I was able to get it back. Marcia, save, save, save. Milkweeds Asclepias syriaca, more needed to help save our Monarch butterflies, are blooming in several places in several colors. I think I do not dare to try to put in the photo here, but maybe I will give it a shot at the end. (I did try but no luck.)
Pear Cactus Opuntia is in bloom with striking yellow flowers. Also yellow though a different shade, is Lance-leaved Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata with its fringed tip petals and which can be kept blooming if you clip off the dying flowers. Various shades of Coneflowers, always recognizable by their bristly protruding centers and the less common color, orange, is starting now: Butterfly Weed Asclepius tuberosa. The Spiderwort Tradescantia named after John Tradescant is in both purple and magenta, and makes a contribution to humans by telling if there is radiation.
Behind the Split Rock is the first Bush's Poppy Mallow Callirhoe bushii. The long-stamened St. Johnswort Hypericum was hung over pictures to ward off evil and used in herbal medicine to combat depression. Roses, more Pinkroot Spigelia marilandica we are lucky to have, Stonecrop, and large-flowered, non-native but beautiful Foxglove Digitalis.
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