A decade and a half ago, when we first bought this land, I found a single dwarf ginseng (Panax Trifolium) while exploring the woods behind the pond. I took a picture of it then, but I was never able to find it a second time and believe me I have searched.
Yesterday I found not one, but three tiny plants. Again I took a picture, but this time I tried to memorize unusual trees and rocks that would help me to find the plants again. With a little temporary confusion I was able to lead Ed to the spot. Again I took a photograph, but when we got back to the house my picture was fuzzy. Today Ed took the camera and went back into the woods and found it again. The flowers have yet to open so we will try to find it again. This beautiful plant is above ground for at most two months, April and May. After that it dies back to the ground. Like so many things, if you are not paying attention, you can miss something wonderful.
That is a rare and special find! So many wildflowers have been collected it's exciting to run across them growing naturally! gail
ReplyDeleteThat really is special! Let's hope they are still there next year, perhaps with a fe offspring nearby.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find - and especially since you can find it again.
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