WiseAcre Gardens

Golden Alexanders

Zizia aurea

 I spotted the Golden Alexanders for the first time this season. They’re blooming at the same time as the Wintercress so spotting them is a little tough if you want to keep your eyes on the road at 60 mph.

 The alexanders are not as plentiful since they prefer wetter ground than the Wintercress but can easily be found in roadside ditches. It’s a member of the Parsley Family but no one seems willing to say it’s edible.

 Slow down a little and you’ll see the difference between the flowers of both species. You’ll notice the Golden Alexanders’ flowers are set in umbrels just before you end up in the ditch.

  MINE! MINE! ALL MINE!

 An Alien Wildflower Identified as Taraxacum officinale met an untimely death today in a motor vehicle accident involving a hit and run driver. When caught the driver stated that the dandelion was headed for greener pastures and had to swerve in order to hit it. It was determined a case of self defense and no charges were made. Local lawn enthusiasts hailed the drivers quick reaction noting Taraxacum officinale moves at incredible speed.

The body was left in place as a warning to any others thinking of sneaking into the lawn.

Red & White Baneberry - Foamflower - Garlic Mustard

 White seems to be the theme for today.

Baneberry - Woodland Wildflower

Red or White (doll’s eyes) berries

Actaea pachypoda - White Baneberry

Actaea ruba - Red Baneberry

The Red Baneberry is more common that the white around this area. While the foliage is similar the flower clusters differ as do the berries themselves. Red Baneberry has a rounded flower cluster and the White Baneberry has a tighter oblong cluster.

 

The red was found in the Town of Canton while the white was in the Town of Lisbon.

 Tiarella cordifolia

Also called False Miterwort. The foliage is similar to Miterworts but lacks the stem leaves. Foamflowers have no frills on the flowers and the stamens are very long.

Foamflowers are a bit easier to spot while driving since they seem to grow in groups. I spotted them in the Towns of Canton, Potsdam and Lisbon today.

And the worst was saved for last.

Garlic Mustard

Alliaria officinalis

A biennial with a garlic smell when crushed. This plant is a noxious weed and is considered an Invasive Plant. Once gone to seed it is very difficult to ge rid of and spreads rapidly.

 Often found in the edge of woods it seems to prefer shade and tolerates very dry conditions.

 I was back on the Russel Turnpike again and found a wonderful spot filled with red and white Trilliums, Spring Beauty and Squirrel-Corn.

The WakeRobins have bloomed a bit later than the White Trilliums found in the same spot on May 1. Right now all the Trilliums are at their peak and can be seen in scattered colonies in the woods throughout the central part of St. Lawrence County, NY.

 Trilliums are known for having things in 3s. Today was a bonus 3peat. The easy to spot trilliums lead me to two other wildflowers that are a little harder to spot while racing down a dirt road.

What first registered in my mind when I saw the small while flowers was Bleeding Hearts. Then Dutchman’s Breeches but after a carefull look Im pretty sure that the ‘bed’ of finely dissected leaves was Squirrel-Corn. I didn’t have the heart to find out for sure by digging some up to see if the roots looked like ”corn kernels”.

I’ve saved my favorite for last.  Spring Beauty flowers are small but impressive if you get up close.

These look to be Claytonia caroliniana (Carolina Spring Beauty) with wider leaves than Claytonia virginica.  The whole plant is so small that they are easily overlooked in the undergrowth in the woods. If it wasn’t for the Trilliums getting me to stop in the first place and the Squirrel Corn leading me on I would never have seen them. While most have the striking purple veins some were so feint that they looked plain white.

But that wasn’t all for the day. Just down the road I saw a nice bed of wild strawberries I’ll be picking in the future. Someone already staked a claim but I’m sure the fly won’t be in the ointment when it comes to harvest time.