An Earth Day Walk at Garbry Big Woods...April 22

Seth, Scott, Ceceila, Pat, Tom and I met at Garbry Big Woods Sanctuary.  We were hoping to see the Large-flowered trillium.  When we arrived at ten in the morning the temperature was only forty degrees Fahrenheit, definitely chilly.  The flowers were half open.  When we left an hour and a half later, the temperature had risen to sixty degrees and the flowers were wide open.

Garbry is home to Nodding Trillium as well as Large-flowered Trillium.  The flowers are about the same size but the leaves are broader and the flowers are on a stem that bows down a little.

Only a few of the Nodding Trillium were open.  Many were half open like the one in this photo.

Last week there were a few Sessile Trillium buds were open but this week we saw maroon flowers throughout the woods.

The Bloodroot flowers were gone but there were a few Trout Lilies still intact.

There were more Bellworts than last week.

The Mayapples were showing swelling buds but we didn't see any that were open.

Tom took another photo of the Hispid Buttercup.  He only saw one, just like last week.

He took this portrait of a species of Blue Violet.

One of the prettiest groups of flowers he found was this cluster of Spring Beauties.  As these flowers age, they show more and more pink.

There were flowers which we didn't find a week ago.  Tom found this Wild Ginger.  Its flower grows on the ground where it is pollinated by insects who are drawn to its foul smell.

Another new bloomer was the Wild Blue Phlox.

Ceceila and Pat showed me the buds on the Ohio Buckeye.  They were on a slender sapling.

 I was really glad Ceceila has sharp eyes.  She spotted the first Jack-in-the-Pulpit I have seen this spring.  it is in the lower right hand corner.  It was about the size of a person's thumb.

To get better views of the flowers, click on the photos to enlarge them.