Witch Hazel and Merry Christmas

 I know I said I wouldn't be posting again until Spring.... but as I was in the woods gathering pine boughs to make wreaths for my porch, I happened apon one last flower that blooms in our winter, in Western Massachusetts. Isn't it wild? It is, of course, Witch Hazel. I came across it when the moisture levels in the atmosphere were just right. The long thin petals unfurl when there is moisture in the air and they curl or crunch up when it is dry. Witch Hazel was used by the American Indians in many medicinal ways in the past, and it is still produced and sold today as an astringent. There seems to be several reasons that this flower has witch in its name. A closely related plant in Medieval times was named in old English, Wych, the word meaning bendable.... because the branches of this woody shrub are. No magic there! But it has been used as a devining rod by people who have gone by the name, Water Witches, who try to find underground water sources. They hold a forked branch of the Witch Hazel in a certain way and  expect the branch to move in a particular way when the deviner crosses over underground water. When I was a child, my father hired a deviner to find the location of water on our property so we would know where to dig a well. The man picked the spot and the well was dug and there was water..... I was allowed to try my hand at using his divining rods and did not experience any movement in the rods. I guess I just didn't have the gift. I have heard also from an old New England naturalist that in Colonial times people thought that it had witch qualities because the fruit that produces the seeds for this plant actually bursts open with sufficient force as to cast the seeds thirty feet away from the mother plant. This happens in the fall when there are dry leaves on the ground and the sound of snapping seed pods and the sound of tiny seeds landing across dry leaves made the early pioneers of New England think that they may not be alone in the woods... and of coarse in those days ... witches came to mind. Well, I just wanted to share this last beauty with you and wish all of you who celebrate Christmas a lovely Christmas .... and to all of you a Happy New Year. May we meet again in the Spring.

Where I found this : on the outer edge of the woods

This is a photo of the path that leads into the woods where I find wild Orchids, Indian Pipes and Coltsfoot. This path also leads to fields where I find Virgin's Bower, Blue Flag and the New England Aster. As we have had a few killing frosts in the area..... finding anymore delicate beauties has come to an end, and so has this blog. If any one is following this blog.... I will be starting again in the Spring.... but for now I will say "Happy Trails". 
Below is a passage from Nature's Garden  written by one of my favorite nature writers, Neltje Blanchan.

"Is it enough to know merely the name of the flower you meet in the meadow? The blossom has an inner meaning, hopes and fears that inspire its brief existence, a scheme of salvation for its species in the struggle for survival that it has been slowly perfecting with some insect's help through the ages. It is not a passive thing to be admired by human eyes, nor does it waste its sweetness on the desert air. It is a sentient being, impelled to act intelligently through the same strong desires that animate us, and endowed with certain powers differing only in degree, but not in kind, from those of the animal creation. Desire ever creates form.

Do you doubt it? Then study the mechanism of one of our common orchids or milkweeds that are adjusted with such marvelous delicacy to the length of a bee's tongue or of a butterfly's leg; learn why so many flowers have sticky calices or protective hairs; why the skunk cabbage, purple trillium, and carrion flower emit a fetid odor while other flowers, especially the white or pale yellow night bloomers, charm with their delicious breath; see if you cannot discover why the immigrant daisy already whitens our fields with descendants as numerous as the sands of the seashore, whereas you may tramp a whole day without finding a single native ladies' slipper. What of the sundew that not only catches insects, but secretes gastric juice to digest them? What of the bladderwort, in whose inflated traps tiny crustaceans are imprisoned, or the pitcher plant, that makes soup of its guests? Why are gnats and flies seen about certain flowers, bees, butterflies, moths or humming birds about others, each visitor choosing the restaurant most to his liking? With what infinite pains the wants of each guest are catered to! How relentlessly are pilferers punished! The endless devices of the more ambitious flowers to save their species from degeneracy by close inbreeding through fertilization with their own pollen, alone prove the operation of Mind through them. How plants travel, how they send seeds abroad in the world to found new colonies, might be studied with profit by Anglo-Saxon expansionists. Do vice and virtue exist side by side in the vegetable world also? Yes, and every sinner is branded as surely as was Cain. The dodder, Indian pipe, broomrape and beech-drops wear the floral equivalent of the striped suit and the shaved head. Although claiming most respectable and exalted kinsfolk, they are degenerates not far above the fungi. In short, this is a universe that we live in; and all that share the One Life are one in essence, for natural law is spiritual law. "Through Nature to God," flowers show a way to the scientist lacking faith."

So on that note I will say good-by for now,
Wild Bee

Potato / Solanum tubersum

Some times, I feel you must think I am making these photos up .... How can they all be this different and unique. This flower looks like it has a small squash growing from its center. At first I thought it was Horse Nettle until I noticed the leaves. The Horse Nettle is a member of the nightshade family, which makes it related to the tomato, and has similar leaves to the tomato. This plant is also of the nightshade family but has oval shaped leaves. I think this flower is actually prettier than the Horse Nettle. I searched and searched and could not identify this flower. Finally, I asked the Hitchcock Center if they were able to identify it .... and of course they did. It is the Potato flower. This makes total sense because this flower is growing from my neglected compost pile, and I happened to have thrown a few potatoes into the compost pile a few months ago. I am not sure if I can consider this a wild flower..... but I guess at one time it was. It is the 4th most consumed plant on the planet.... I think wheat, rice and corn are the three most consumed plants. Potato has a very long and interesting history. The potato was discovered by European explorers during the 1500's in South America... of course those people living in Peru, and I think Chile, had been eating them for a very long time. It was not a plant that took off in Europe ... When introduced in France they thought the potato caused leprosy, rampant sexual behavior, syphilis ... and even early death. Finally, France outlawed the growing of the potato. That was in the 1600's .... later, during the 1700's, a French chemist convinced the King of France of their value as a food and the king allowed him to grow them on some acres outside of Paris. The  King then heavily guarded the field with his French army..... the peasants started to think that anything that well guarded had to be of great value and when the King very cleverly allowed the troops a night off.... the peasants raided the fields to gather some for their own gardens. It didn't take that much "Tom Foolery" to get other countries to adopt the potato.... but, North America was as slow, if not slower than France and did not really start eating them till the mid 1800's. Before that this country mostly grew them as a food for farm animals. Well, that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the lowly potato....

Where I found it : in my neglected compost pile

P. S. Marie Antoinette wore the potato flowers in her hair, and because of her, it became very fashionable in her day for others to do the same.

Blue Curl

The Blue Curl is such a beautiful flower.... but I must say I have found little written about it. It is from the mint family, though when bruised, it doesn't smell very minty. It is native and grows up and down the Eastern part of the United States of America and Eastern Canada. Indiana has it listed as Rare, and Michigan lists it as Threatened. It is partial to sandy soil and sunny locations. The lower petal serves as the landing pad for native bees that partake of its nectar. This lower petal is marked with a patch of white with purple polka-dots..... to me it looks like we can see the flowers bloomers. The stamen and style are quite long and curl over the top of the flower. Most people would never notice this flower growing on the road side because it is rather small..... but this year in the North East it really would not be noticed. With the drought like conditions that we experienced during the growing season, this flower appeared at a fraction of its usual size. The photo you see is of the Blue Curls that grew in my yard last year. This flower is about 3/4 of an inch in size .... If I photographed this years it would have been difficult for me to get an in focus photo ..... the flowers were so tiny.... maybe...an 1/8 of an inch or less. When I got down to really look at it I could barely make out the stamen. You have got to hand it to these little troopers, they did their best in rough conditions.... I wonder how the bees could have pollinated them..... maybe some smaller insect was able to accomplish the task. Give yourself a treat and click on the photo to really see the flowers beauty.... it really is one of the most stunning flowers I have ever seen. 

Where I found it : in a sandy patch where we use to set up our skating rink.

Smooth Ground Cherry

This beauty is growing in one of my neglected compost piles. It has been turned to face the camera so you can get a "bee's eye view". It naturally hangs downward under the foliage.... easy to miss. It is a member of the Nightshade family as are Tomatoes. The fruit is small but not unlike the tomato and it is edible when ripe.... Before the fruit ripens it is poisonous and so is the rest of the plant. I am not actually able to identify this plant to a specific Ground Cherry ... it is a toss up between Smooth or Clammy Ground Cherry. I did find some writings that said there is often disagreements about identifying Ground Cherries. I am going with  Smooth because of the smoothness of the stem. The  Smooth Ground Cherry can be processed to be used as a hallucination .... In Louisiana you can only grow this plant for decorative purposes other wise it is illegal to grow. The fruit ripens in a paper husk like the ornamental plant Chinese Lanterns or the edible plant Tomatillos. The fruit can be made into jam or jelly quite nicely because of the high pectin content. It is suppose to taste a bit like strawberry-pineapple with a tomato finish.  It is late in the season so I am not sure that this plant will produce a fruit .... but I will be watching for the appearing of the paper husks.

Where I found it : on top of my neglected compost pile

Sweet Everlasting

It is October first here in New England and there really can't be a more beautiful place to be. Yesterday I went to the Garlic Festival.... it is like being in one of the Back to the Future  movies.  Peace, Love and Hippies.... oh yes, and garlic .... I love it. I walk around with my mp3 playing Joni Michel, and seek out some interesting garlic seed to plant this fall. ...This years finds are Russian White and Spanish Rojo Red.............. But back to flowers. I am so thrilled that I am still finding new flowers that I can put on my "Life List". Fall, here in New England, is host to many flowers.... though I think many only think of Mums when it gets cooler. This one is Sweet Everlasting. Sweet, because if you rub it at any time, living or dried, it has a sweet pleasing scent about it, and everlasting because it will look like this well into the winter. I have read that this plant's fragrance is like that of tobacco or curry. To me it is "citrusy". It has a tendency to smell like something different to each person that smells it. It reminds me a little of Pussy Toes, another flower that comes early in the Summer. It is just another flower that enjoys the warm Fall sun with the rest of us.

Where I found it  :  In my yard   

Virgin's Bower

This is not the flower of the Virgin's Bower, it is what  remains after the petals have fallen. The flower when in bloom does have a feathery pluming center, as if it had a full head of hair......But, as the season progresses the petals fall away and the hairiness grows. It is a clinging vine that has no tendrils. Darwin spent quite a bit of time studying how certain plants move with different stimulus. Some plants move with the sun, and some, like the Virgin's Bower, are sensitive to touch. He discovered if you rubbed a stick on one side of the leaf stock, it would start to move in that direction for the next few hours. If the leaf found, after reaching in that direction for a few hours that there was nothing to wrap its leaf stock around,  it would return to its original position. It is a member of the Clematis family. It is also called Traveller's Joy because, as Neltje Blanchan puts it so amusingly...." Our Traveller's Joy, that flings out the right hand of good fellowship to every twig within reach, winds about the sapling in brotherly embrace, drapes a festoon of flowers from shrub to shrub, hooks even its sensitive leafstalks over any available support as it clambers and riots on its lovely way." I think that this fall display of the Virgin's Bower is more beautiful than the actual flower. 

Where I found it :  on the boarder of a sunny field

Hog Peanut / Amphicarpa Monica

Such a delicate gathering of flowers to have to go by the indelicate name, Hog Peanut. Its scientific name, Amphicarpa, means "seed at both ends". It is unique in that it is self- pollinating. The flowers are very small. In the photo you are seeing a cluster of these flowers, and each individual one is less than a 1/4 inch. Being small, and this cluster is white ( it is more often purple to lavender), it may not attract a lot of insects to aid in the pollination process. To remedy this situation and avoid extinction it has the ability to self pollinate and it produces seeds below ground..... the peanut of this plant. There is a draw back to self pollination, the flower is not benefiting from other plants which may have stronger genetic traits written into its DNA, thus, it is not able to " improve the breed " as my father use to say. So, the ability to produce seeds at the roots and at the flower is why Amphicarpa is part of its scientific name. People and hogs use to part take of this wild delight..... but I have not read about any one eating them today.... I wonder if that is what the pigs that escaped from a neighboring farm were looking for when their snouts excavated the back of our field?

Where I found them :  On Mount Tom

Ps. This plant is endangered in New Hampshire

Globe Thistle / Echinops

The Globe Thistle was found growing in the dry rocky soil of the Maine coast. I don't believe it is native and can be invasive depending on your soil and the zone that it is grown in. It is part of the daisy family. I really didn't find a lot of information about this ,flower, but..... its Greek name, Echinops, means "like a hedgehog".

Where I found it : on the Maine coast

Wild Mint (Mentha Arvensis)

Growing in North America there are about 10 species of Mint, the only one that is native is this little Mint.  It grows circumboreal, (I just added that because I like the word.)  meaning that it grows in the Northern Hemisphere, Europe, Asia, and North America. There is no end of information about what mint has been used for over the centuries.... from Pharisees using it to pay tithes in the time period of the New Testament, to stomach cures. Wild Mint has glands that contain essential oils that gives mint it's lovely smell and flavor. Gerard wrote about the smell of mint, " It is comfortable for the head and memory." Maybe he is writing about that calming effect that you get when you draw in the scent of mint, whether it is crumbled leaves or a steaming cup of mint tea. The Wild Mint leaves make an especially good tea.

Where I found it : growing on the rocky coast of Maine

New England Aster

 This Aster likes its feet wet, or should I say damp. It is also probably the most beautiful Aster. Neltje Blanchan wrote " The flower-heads.... shine out with royal splendor." And Mrs.William Starr Dana wrote, " Probably no (aster) is more striking...." With all its purple and then Monarch butterflies fluttering about them... it is such a sight to see. This Aster can actually be the color of light lavender to a  purplish-blue.... but this is often how I find them. Before the Asters were scientifically renamed this Aster was Aster Novae-Angliae which translates Star of New England. It was renamed Symphyotrichum Novae-Angliae.... which translates with less charm, Fused Hairs Of New England. The word hairs speak of the hairiness of its seeds. The American Indians used the plant in many ways, from treating skin rashes to insanity cures, from smoking it in a pipe to using it to make smoke in their sweat baths. Over all the New England Aster is a  lovely way to usher in the fall colors
Where I found it  : on the side of the road in a bit of swampiness

Ladies Tresses

Ladies Tresses are the last orchid to appear in North America each year. This one is Nodding Ladies Tresses. The word Tresses refers to a ladies hair. It is suppose to look like braided hair. The flowers do appear to spiral down the flower, but, actually, the flowers only grow on one side of the stem. It is the stem that twists. This orchid is one that caused Asa Gray and Charles Darwin to spend a lot of time studying the very unique way that this flower is pollinated. When the bee sticks its tongue into the flower to sip the nectar, the contact causes a little disk to split. This, I believe, releases a very sticky cement like substance onto a little vertical boat as the tongue goes by it, it coats the sides of the bee's tongue with this glue that dries almost immediately causing what ever pollen that was present to be attached to the bee's tongue. When the bee then goes on to the next flower or blossom the pollen will, if the flower is mature enough, come in contact with the
matured stigma causing pollination. This is how the Tresses are pollinated and it is only half the story.... if you are interested there is more about the shape of the pollen and how the bee can still roll up his tongue with the pollen attached ....... go on line and Google "How Ladies Tresses are pollinated" and you may find out more about this lovely flower.

Where I found it : In the same field as the Turtleshead. So a wet field is where you may find them.

Turtlehead

 Hello fellow flower lovers..... you may think I have been away, but actually the blogger site was experiencing a glitch. During that time I have found two more beauties. One is the Turtle Head ,  the other for the next post is our fall wild orchid, the Ladies Tresses.  You may wonder how the Turtlehead got its name and so was I .... because it doesn't really look like a turtle head to me. You know what it does resemble........ Mr. Limpet...... Don Knots turns into a fish in an old Walt Disney Movie. Well anyway, I did find that the genus name is Chelone glabra. Chelone is Greek for Tortoise. This, though, does not explain why..... Turtlehead. In an old 1917 flower guide by Neltje Blanchan, it is written
about how difficult it is to enter this flower before the anthers have matured enough to dust pollen on the insects that make it in . She also mentioned that when it is ready, the plant is a little easier to enter, though even the Bumble Bee with all its brawn has to struggle to get in. Here is what she writes in such an amusing way " At the moment when he  (the bee)  is forcing his way in, causing the lower lip to spring up and down, the eyeless turtle seems to chew and chew until the most sedate beholder must smile at the paradoxical show. Of course it is the bee that is feeding, though the flower would seem to be masticating the bee with the keenest relish ! The counterfeit tortoise soon disgorges its lively mouthful, however,, and away flies the bee, carrying pollen on his velvety back to rub on the stigma of an older flower."   So there you have it. Don't you love these older flower guides..... there are people behind the words.

Where I found it : in a friend's field where it tends to be wet

Fern Leaf False Foxglove

This is one of the False Foxgloves. It is easier to distinguish from the others because it grows in a more bushy form and its leaves are fern like. If you click on the photo you will see down one side of the photo a rather small and out of focus leaf that illustrates this. You will always find the False Foxglove growing near Oak trees because they are partially parasitic. They attach their roots to the roots of the Oak, and reap some benefit from the tree. I did not find any information going into detail about this. The word false, in the name of the flower does not reflect on its ability to be honest.... it is just to distinguish it from the cultivated Foxgloves which contain digitalis. It is listed on the endangered species list for New Hampshire on a N. H. government site, but when I looked on the Massachusetts endangered species list, which shows all the New England states,  it is listed Present in New Hampshire....... It is considered of special concern in the state of Maine. This is my 205th wild flower that I have identified. It is always exciting to find a new flower that I have not seen before. Of course the first year and even the second year of my searches I would always find new flowers.... but this third year is mostly finding flowers I have seen before. A new flower is the           " frosting on the cake " so to speak. Yahoo!

Where I found it : growing on the side of the road

P.S. If you click on the photo you will see the two orange stripes that travel down the inside of the flower. Many believe these are there to guide the insect visitors right to the nectar source .... sort of like a marked off landing strip.  When I was photographing these flowers ...I came in close with my camera and was surprised to see a very black center to the flower. It was actually a bumble sort of bee who went right down inside the flower and  then had to awkwardly back its big black bumble bee bum out of the flower. Very entertaining,

Bull Thistle

The Bull Thistle is one of the most prickly and one of the tallest of the Thistles.Its name may come from the Saxon word, " to stab". It is a food source for butterflies and bees and also birds like the Gold Finch. The thistle down is used also by the Gold Finch in the making of their nests. Historically .... it has been around for a long time.... In Genesis, Thistles are mentioned in the curse put on the land when Adam and Eves disobeyed God. The Thistle is the national emblem of  Scotland. During the Middle Ages the  Scots were at war with the Norsemen. The legend says that thistles saved the        Scots from being slaughtered by the Norsemen. One night the Norsemen came ashore and removed their boots to sneak up on the sleeping  Scots. One Norsemen stepped on a Thistle and cried out in pain. This woke the  Scots and they drove the Norsemen from their land. Once again the humble flower has played such an important part in the lives of man and beast.

Where I found it :  In the back field

Cardinal Flower

 Once again I bring you an update on the Cardinal Flower ... this is especially for those of us who live in Massachucetts or New England. I wrote earlier that the Cardinal Flower is an endangered species, and I found that information on the internet..... but I was't finding it in official places, like goverment sites. So once again I emailed the Hitchcock Center in Amherst to inquire about the conficting information and Ted, the resident botanist, emailed me back to say the following...

There were some archaic laws on the books in Mass that protected certain plant species, including the pink land's slipper, mayflower and cardinal flower.  However these species were listed based on their pretty-ness and not the status of their population in the state.  My understanding is that these laws became obsolete when the Mass endangered species law was passed.

Such good news, but I still wouldn't go about picking these beauties. I think even the Cardinals (birds) would stop and admire the color of this flower.

Live Forever

 A first century Roman naturalist named Pliny wrote that you could use the juice from this flower to treat wounds. The name Live Forever comes from the fact  that it can establish new growth from nearly any part of the plant. If you chop up  the plant,  it can start new grow from any of these fragments. You can even separate the front of the leaves from the back of the leaves to create a little purse. This is where the common names Balloon Purses and Witches Moneybags comes from.

Where I found it : in a field

Cardinal Flower

For any of you who find the Cardinal Flower as stunning as I do..... I have an update. Remember I wrote that I was hoping to find more than one growing in its quiet and protected location this year. When I went a to check on it I was disappointed to find just one growing in the location again. But, the friend that showed me this location went back to check to see if anymore came up and she called last night to say that there was another one. That makes two.  I returned to photograph the boost in the Cardinal Flower population. To the right are photos of the two different flowers. Maybe next year there will be three. Yahooooo!

Where I found it : Its a secret

Ground Nut

This flowering vine has one of the most aromatic flowers in the flower kingdom.... it has what some say is the scent of a Violet. The name, Groundnut,  refers to a pear shaped tuber that grows on underground shoots. They can be boiled, or fried, the same way a potato is   prepared for comsumption, and the Groundnut has three or four times more protein than the potato. Henry David Thoreau turned to digging up Groundnuts to supplement his failed potato crop. The Indians taught the Plymouth pilgrims about them, and the pilgrims used them to survive the first winter in Massachusetts. It is always such an adventure searching for flowers ... and not just in the woods. Sometimes the discovery is in a book or on the Internet. Just a few minutes ago I was searching on line to see if there was anything of interest about the Groundnut and I found an article by a Prof. of Biology at the University of Massachusetts. In it he talked about how someday the Groundnut could be a future food source and that in the near and distant future we maybe able to buy them in the grocery store. He went on to say that until then we would have to dig them up ourselves. At this point in his article he said, which surprised me, ........" but be careful in  Southampton,  Ma., they take their groundnut seriously!"  I live in  Southampton, Ma. and I am wondering what he meant by that............

Where I found it : near a river bed......

Great Lobelia

Linnaeus named the group of Lobelias after Matthias de L'Obel an herbalist or botanist who became an attending doctor to King James the First of England. It is on the endangered species list in Massachusetts, and I read that it has pretty much disappeared from Maine.... so sad. I found these beauties with no knowledge of their status. It is both exciting and sad to know that you have just seen a flower that is rare. Let me introduce you to this flower ... it is the twin sister of the Cardinal flower. The Cardinal Flower, and the Great Lobelia, and also Indian Tobacco are all Lobelias. This beautiful blue flower is named Lobelia Siphilitica, which lets you know that it was once used in treating syphilis. American Indians used it in many medicinal ways from cough medicine to nosebleeds.

Where I found it : on the side of the road

Indian Tobacco another Lobelia

This light blue flower is related to the Cardinal Flower. If you look back two entries on the blog you will see the Cardinal Flower. You can click on the images and you will be able to see more closely how they are similar. Though it is called Indian Tobacco and it is assumed because of the name that Indians smoked it, several sources stated that this may not be true. It is thought that it was called, in earlier times, Wild Tobacco, and as time went on it was just assumed that it being called Tobacco and Wild that the American Indians did what you do with tobacco ... they smoked it. But there is no historical evidence to back that up.  It is suppose to have a nicotine sort of effect if you chew the leaves. Everyone from quacks, physicians and many tribes in New England have used this plant for medicinal concoctions. The American Indians have also used it to scare off ghosts and even heal marriages. They believed it to have magical powers.


Where I found it : On the path into the woods




 

Jewel Weed or Touch Me Not

The name Jewel Weed, some think, comes from the fact that the flower hangs from the stem the way a dangling jeweled earring hangs from an ear lobe. Others, think it may be because of the way water beads up in such a pretty way at the edges of the leaves, like jewels. ( click on the photo to see the droplets on the leaves) The name,Touch Me Not, comes from the the way seed pods explode when touched. They are a late summer treat for children. Just one touch causes the mature seed pod to spiral like a cork screw and this sends the seeds flying out four or five feet. The scientific name is not such a good fit. Impaiens Capensis, translates, at least partially, as "of the Cape of Good Hope". Mr. Meerburgh, in 1775, thought that the flower which had been introduced to European gardens was from the tip of Africa and thus named it. He had no idea that it was native to North America. And, because the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature does not allow changes in the name on the grounds that it is inappropriate, the name remains inappropriate.

Where I found it :  on a patch of wet land at the back of the field

Cardinal Flower

This has got to be one of our most beautiful New England wild flowers. Did you know it has a twin sister? The Great Blue Lobelia is the sister plant.  Rodger Tory Peterson called the Cardinal Flower.... " America's Favorite " flower. John Burroughs ( one of the fathers of the U. S. Conservation Movement )  said, " It is not so much  something colored as color itself. "  Unfortunately the numbers of Cardinal Flowers have been dropping in the North East. It is on the Endangered Species list in Massachusetts. Last year was when I saw my first one. A friend spotted one on a walk and later showed me its secret hiding place. This year I hoped to see a few more added to its number.... but again this year there is only one.  Hummingbirds are the chief pollinators of the Cardinal Flower and here in lies part of the problem with the scarcity of the flower. It is a " Catch 22 " situation. Are the Hummingbird numbers dropping in the North East because there are fewer and fewer Cardinal Flowers, or are there fewer Cardinal Flowers because the number of Hummingbirds in the N. E. keep dropping?  Of course over picking in the past and destruction of the wet lands in the N. E. are also part of the equation. Well, lets hope they return to us in great numbers. They are such a treat to see.

Where I found it : its a secret

Jimson Weed

American Indians called this Jamestown Weed, which is where it is thought that those colonist may have brought it for its medicinal uses. It contains an alkaloid, that at the time was more valued than opium, which was used to make morphine. Gypsies are also known to have carried it with them where ever they traveled, though, often what I read of the Gypsies can be a little slanted. But, I guess if it is possible that the colonists were bringing it with them, then it is not so far fetched that Gypsies might carry it also. On another note, amazingly enough .... I even discovered that in a Batman comic book Jimson Weed ends up being and important clue.
Detective Comics #619 “Rite of Passage, Part Two: Beyond Belief”
Alan Grant, writer
Norm Breyfogle, penciler
Published August 1990
Tim Drake’s parent’s have been kidnapped and a mysterious tape sent to the Gotham Police demanding a ransom. Batman notices a faint odor on the tape and uses it to help track down the criminals.

Sherlock Holmes once suggested a man needs to recognize at least 75 perfumes before he can even begin to call himself a detective.

I could double that on herbs alone.

It’s Jimsonweed. Thornapple. Central American plant. Many medical uses.

That is just too funny! Batman is correct, Jimson weed does have a rather rank odor. It is probably why we don't see it in flower gardens. Jimson Weed is just another example that the flower world is really a part of our culture ... whether it is Georgia O'Keefe or Batman, drug world or flower arranging, and even Kings or world leaders picking a flower as their emblem. The modern world seems very removed from the plant world but in reality we are still very closely involved... of course some closer than others.

Where I found it: at the back of my garden

Joe Pye

An American Indian, that went by the name Joe Pye, is said to have been a  "Yarb man". Yarb man is what early New Englanders would have called a medicine man. I read that  Joe Pye is known as a folk tale hero and other accounts that he was a real person..... My guess is that he must have been both because so few of our flower's common names are named after American Indians. That alone makes me think that there must have been a Joe Pye. He used plants for his medicines, and the plant that now has his name is said to have been used by him to treat typhoid fever. The scientific name is also attached to bigger than life story of a man that lived from 120 B.C. to 63 B.C., and is known by some as the first immunologist..... but that is another story.... I think one of the most interesting roles this plant may have played in our history is that it may have poisoned and killed Abraham Lincoln's mother, and thousands of other early settlers. Cows will eat the Joe Pye plant when other food is in short supply, and the Joe Pye poison would taint the milk. Today cows still may partake of the Joe Pye leaves but our milk is processed with so much other milk that would not have any of the Joe Pye toxins in it that we are not in danger of dying as Nancy Hanks Lincoln did.
On another note, if you click on this photo it will give you an enlarged version and you will notice that a Honey Bee chose this Joe Pye as its last resting place. A bitter, sweet touch.

Where I found it : at the back of the field where there are a few springs.

P.S. I think I mentioned in one of the last blog entries that it is butterfly season in New England. This plant grows so that where there is one, there are many.... and on a sunny day if you are out and about, go by a stand of Joe Pye and watch the simply choreographed ballet of butterflies dancing in and out, up and down, and all about the Joe Pye. It is a true butterfly food source.

Mullein

 This tall tower like plant can grow up to seven feet tall. It was dipped in animal fat and used as a funeral torch by the Romans, and the Greeks used the leaves as lamp-wicks. The leaves are covered with velvety-hairs. Hummingbirds have been seen gathering the hairs to line their tiny nests. One nature writer wrote " Pale country beauties rub their cheeks with the velvety leaves to make them rosy". Also, American Indians would line their moccasins with them. The hairs that cover the leaves protect the delicate, sensitive, cells from intense light, draught, and even cold. In harsh conditions the hairs have been known to felt together for more protection. I have read that at the end of each hair is a star.... I have not been able to see that yet, but don't think I am going to give up looking. I want to see that and add it to my list of fascinating marvels that fill this planet we call home.

Where I found it. In the field

The Season of Butterflies and Dragonflies

Yesterday, I was talking with someone about walking in the wild. I mentioned that I really never see any wild animals. My guess is that they see me first. But, I do see other wild life, besides flowers, on my walks. Frogs, toads, snakes, and all sorts of insects are my fellow companions on these nature hikes. Here are a few photos of some beauties photographed recently. If you click on the photos you will get a closer look at how truly beautiful they really are.  It is the season for butterflies and dragonflies in New England, which make my walks all the more magical.

Where I found them : in the field

Bouncing Bet

Bet or Betty is an old English word for washerwoman. The Bouncing part of the name is thought to be what you might see if you were behind a washerwoman who was bent over and scrubbing the clothes at the rivers edge.  The leaves of the plant contain saponin which is what produces the bubbles in soap. It not only makes suds but it also dissolves oils and grease.  If you take a few leaves and a little water and rub vigorously you will get a soapiness .... It was called " Fuller's Herb " by monks that used to clean cloth . Even around the ruins or old locations of  Fulling  Mills where they use to plant fields of this plant ,  you can still find  Bouncing Bet growing.

Where I found this : In my yard

Herb Robert

 Recently I wrote of common names being a problem. Herb  Robert was not a problem, but I was impressed with the common names I could find for this little flower. Here are a few..... Red Robin, Red  Shanks,  Dragon's Blood, Death Come Quickly,  Doves Foot, Crows Foot, and  Stinky Bob. Dragons blood struck me as an interesting name for the plant, and it turns out that the leaves become stained with red at the end of the flowering season. In Washington state it is known as a noxious weed and called  Stinky Bob. It does have a disagreeable odor when you break or crush the stem or leaves.  Some say it can be rubbed on the body to act as a mosquito repellent. Historically, what ever is in the secretion, tannins, bitters, or essential oils, was thought to be a cure for the plague. The name Robert may have come from either a Benedictine monk,  St. Robert, or Robert Duke of Normandy for whom the "Ortus  Sanitatis" was written. The "Ortus  Sanitatis" was a medical guide or Herbal,  written and wonderfully illustrated in the  1400's, and was used for nearly one hundred years.

Where I found it : Near a river

P. S.   Somehow when I see this flower I want to say " Bob's your Uncle " .... a  British saying I will never understand.