April 14, 2021

Squirrel Corn

Notes and Changes since last report

• It was 68°F, partly cloudy and breezy at 12:15 PM on April 14, 2021.
• This week's trail report covers the Cary Pines Trail side of the trail system.
• Easily a dozen new plants were blooming in the Fern Glen today since last week.
• Several butterflies were seen today.

The Trails

• Canada mayflower was coming up along the Cary Pines Trail. If there isn't already a silly collective term for it I would suggest "regatta".
• In the Fern Glen, bloodroot is abundant this year.
• Last week's spicebush buds had burst into flower.
• Alien fumewort has been reported as a problem plant, but it's behaved itself here over the years.
• Rue-anemone is always a welcome sight with its whorl of mitten-like leaves.
• The strange flower of wild ginger makes one wonder about this plant.
• Trout lily flowers are doing well this year - leaves are often all we see.
• Buds of cut-leaved toothwort might have opened by the end of this walk.
• Twinleaf has such a short lived flower, it may have dropped a petal by then.
• Large-flowered trillium lasts quite a while, only getting more interesting in age.
• Only one of several Uvularia species we have, large-flowered bellwort is the first to bloom.
• I thought squirrel corn was a new species here, but no: just seldom seen. Though distinctly different close up, it does blend in when growing with Dutchman's breeches.
• An unassuming native in our area is American fly honeysuckle.
• Near the kiosk, mayapple was pushing up through last year's leaves.
• Look carefully in the "grass" around it.
• It's actually Pennsylvania sedge and it's blooming.
• A number of trees along the Scots Pine Allée had died and were taken down for safety. Pity for the woodpeckers - it's been said that a tree is more valuable to wildlife dead than alive.
• The specks of white behind the log pile were flowers of shadbush.
• Since last week there had been an explosion of magnolia blossoms at the Carriage House.
• Next week: the Wappinger Creek Trail side of the trail system.

Sightings