Wild Flowers

Glacial till abuts the remains of a bedrock ridge here on what may be the most inhospitable land that we own.  Water seeps down the ridge as it seeks a downhill run to the river.  None exists so the trapped water gradually seeps into the gravel ground near the tree line.  Broken stones litter the ground and holes are everywhere.  This goldenrod is taller than I am so one must find solid ground with an exploring foot.  Weight is gradually transferred when smooth footing is felt.  Wisdom and a sore ankle kept Becky in the truck while I approached the plants in the background.  Despite the shortness of the trip, I soon disappeared from her sight.  She wondered just what she would do if I failed to reappear.  With no cell phone service here, she would need to drive to the house to call for help.

Eutrochium purpureum is a plant name that does not roll easily off the tongue.  Joe Pye Weed appears to be an unusual label.  Connecting a person's name with the word weed does not suggest a positive connection to the man.  A few keyboard strokes revealed that Jopi was a native American healer that lived in the northeastern United States and used this plant to treat illness.

We find that this plant naturally occurs in moist areas.  Its appearances here are limited to the ground where rain water collects between the ridge and the meadow.  Pinkish-purple flowers are popular here but these remain difficult to approach.  Many of the individual flowers are now past but many more buds wait to open.  Fresh flowers will be evident here for many weeks.  Butterflies and humming bird moths were seen but my disruptive approach through the tall weeds drove them away.  A return trip is necessary since I failed to stop and smell the flowers.  Their scent is reported to be pleasant.

Boneset as a name suggests a specific medical use.  This plant is growing near the Jopi Weed.  It appears that it also prefers moist ground.  These flowers also open over a span of time making their pure white display visible for many days.  Here again I failed to sniff.

The bright red flowers are the only plants in the area planted directly by man.  Since this native treasure remains uncommon in our area, we are seeking a location that might allow it to exist here on its own.  This soil is moist and the nearby ridge blocks late winter sunlight from directly striking the ground.  Lingering snow cover affords this evergreen plant some protection from the extreme temperature swings of early spring.  We are not claiming success yet since the past two years have been nearly free of brutal hard freezes.  Three plants were set out three years ago.  Seven plants are visible in the picture.  Many more might have appeared here given the plant's method of creating new growth but we are more than a little happy to find this bright cardinal red display at the edge of the darkened forest.