Choosing Voluntary Simplicity » Wildflowers

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)

Shirley — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:08:11 +0000

Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) is a member of the birthwort family. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and is usually found in shady, wooded areas. The leaves are large... from three to six inches across... and are thick and fuzzy and have prominent veins. Leaves are heart-shaped and grow on long stalks that start at the base of the plant. Usually the top of the leaf is a deep green and the underside is a somewhat lighter color, but leaf color can vary depending on soil and growing conditions.

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Shirley — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:22:47 +0000

Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are probably one of the best known coneflowers because they grow so abundantly in open and sunny areas in almost any kind of soil. They grow quickly and are sometimes called "pioneer plants" because they are some of the first plants to grow in newly-cleared fields or burned-out areas.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema atrorubens)

Shirley — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:45:24 +0000

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema atrorubens)... also sometimes called Indian Turnip because the root is shaped like a turnip... is a unique wildflower. There are several species of jack-in-the-pulpits, all members of the Arum family, and they all look about the same with the little "jacks" peering out of the "pulpits." We have the woodland type here growing abundantly in areas where the soil is moist.

Bluebead Lily or Yellow Clintonia (Clintonia borealis)

Shirley — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:36:12 +0000

I have always thought this wildflower's berries are more beautiful than its flowers. They don't start out looking like much, just small, spherical green berries that form soon after the flowers fade. As the summer progresses the berries become larger and gradually start changing to white. Eventually they become a startling deep porcelain blue. The berries are pretty to look at but not to eat... although they are not poisonous, they supposedly have an extremely nasty taste.

Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)

Shirley — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:05:10 +0000

I have three huge patches of Lily of the Valley growing where I planted them... and almost as many more plants spreading out into areas where they should not be. Many have spread out into the stone path around the flower gardens and will have to be moved, although I know from past experience that if I accidentally leave even small portions of roots, there will be even more Lily of the Valley plants in the path next year.

Read the rest of this post — photographs »

Canadian Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)

Shirley — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:33:00 +0000

The Canadian Mayflower is a fairly common wildflower with many names. It is often called Wild Lily of the Valley or False Lily of the Valley because of its similar broad, shiny leaves. Other names are Canadian May Lily, Canadian Lily of the Valley, and Two Leaved Solomon's Seal. Several large sections of the wooded area near our meadow are almost "carpeted" with these beautiful little flowers.

Read the rest of this post — photographs »

Starflower (Trientalis borealis)

Shirley — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:35:49 +0000

The starflower is a beautiful little New England wildflower that thrives in our cool woods and peat-rich soil. We often see them growing next to large trees or rocks in shaded areas. The entire plant measures from four to eight inches tall. The flowers appear in late May to early June... they are small (about a half inch across) and white, with the pointed petals arranged in the shape of a star.

Read the rest of this post — photographs »

Fringed Polygala (Polygala paucifolia)

Shirley — Fri, 22 May 2009 11:19:04 +0000

These tiny flowers are only 3/4-inches long and remind me of miniature orchids. My grandmother always called them "baby toes," and I have heard other people call them that too, but they are better known as fringed polygala, gaywings, flowering wintergreen (because their leaves look so much like wintergreen leaves) and fringed milkwort.

Fringed polygala has creeping stems that grow partly under the soil and partly on top of the soil, with several shiny leaves at the top of each stem. The stems are less than six inches long, so the flowers grow very close to the ground. Polygala produces two types of flowers... unseen underground flowers that are self-pollinating and never open, and the pinkish-purple orchid-like flowers that appear in May and June.

Read the rest of this post — photographs »

How To Grow Jack-in-the-Pulpit From Seeds

Shirley — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:30:57 +0000

Reader question... "I just read your post on jack-in-the-pulpits and my question is about the red berries and seeds. Is it possible to plant these seeds and grow new jack-in-the-pulpits? If yes, is there a special procedure for getting the seeds to germinate, or do I just plant the berries?" --Amy H.

Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

Shirley — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:12:54 +0000

Have you ever seen an Indian Pipe? As long as I can remember I have been able to find them in the woods across from our house, and they're appearing in especially huge numbers this year... probably because this has been such a rainy summer. We've been cutting fallen trees in those woods and bringing the long logs back to our house for the last few summers, and then cutting and splitting the logs into firewood in a secluded woodsy area in our back yard. For the first time ever this year we have several clumps of Indian Pipes growing in that area too. Since Indian Pipes thrive at the base of trees, I think we probably have somehow accidentally transported some of their seeds along with the firewood. I have always wished we had Indian Pipes growing on our property too, so finding these here a few days ago was a welcome surprise.