A Field Guide to Plant Watching

Native, invasive, and ornamental plants all on display

Happy Monday GPODers !

Hope everyone had a beautiful weekend with lots of time spent in the garden . If not in the garden , I desire you at least had an opportunity to go outdoors and delight the good deal and sounds of spring .

This clock time of year in Connecticut is the best meter to go on cost increase and do what I call “ plant watching . ” Just like hoot watching , plant watching only involves going into nature and observing . ( Thankfully you do n’t have to worry about sneaking up on or spook the plants you ’re see . ) From the talltreestowering overhead to the fuzzymossgrowing on the side of logarithm , just get up nigh and take in their stunner . No matter how long you ’ve been be in an expanse , you might be surprise by the flora you find .

One of my favourite spots to go industrial plant watching isLittle Pond Boardwalk Trailin Litchfield , CT . It ’s a warm 1.2 land mile ( 1.9 km ) eyelet on a relatively 2-dimensional raised wooden walkway across wetland . Given the time , you may easily make multiple loops and see something new each sentence around . Below are some photos from a recent head trip when new leaf was just beginning to come forth .

Foliage and bloom always get lots of sexual love , but in winter and early fountain you may treasure the other elements of plants that make them so mesmerizing . This leaning tree diagram — potentially a crack willow tree ( Salix×fragilis)—is starting to sport some bright fleeceable leaves , but jaggedbarkis stealing the show .

The sad reality is that many of our natural landscapes are overrun byinvasive flora , and detect these is an as important part of plant watching . While an impressive sight as you ’re walk along the boardwalk , this coarse reed grass ( Phragmites australis ) is extremely invasive and has taken over large swaths of these wetland .

I lose these Canada mayflowers ( Maianthemum canadense , Zones 3–8 ) emerging from the ground on my first loop of this trail but was lucky to catch them hide in the shade on my 2nd time around . Anunderstoryperennial aboriginal to Canada and the northeasterly United States , thislow - growerwill produce bantam white flush later in the season , but the tiny wisp of foliation were still a delicacy .

This next aborigine is beautiful , but it sting back . simulated hellebore(Veratrum viride , Zones 3–7 ) has a laundry lean of common public figure , but no matter what it goes by you should be wary of its toxic belongings . Several indigenous American and Canadian communities have traditional medicinal employment for the works , but a novice should not be tempted to experiment . Ingesting even a small amount of false false hellebore can be deadly due to steroidal alkaloids found in the root , shoots , and rhizomes .

On a much lighter and brighter note , the beautiful first blossoms of acrabapple tree(Malusspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) are a surefire sign that natural spring is in the air .

And once the hike is over , plant watching does n’t require to end ! A stop at a local café included a sighting of the classic ‘ Emerald Green’arborvitae(Thujaoccidentalis‘Emerald Green ’ ) and floppingdaffodils .

Have you gone plant watch yet this spring ? We ’d love to see what ’s emerging and get around you . If you have a chance this hebdomad , step outside your garden and see what intake you could get from plants growing in nature .

Have picture to share ? We ’d love to see your garden , a finicky solicitation of plants you bed , or a wonderful garden you had the chance to natter !

To reconcile , commit 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some data about the plants in the pictures and where you took the picture . We ’d love to hear where you are located , how long you ’ve been gardening , success you are lofty of , failures you learn from , hopes for the future , favorite industrial plant , or funny story from your garden .

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