Late Spring Lovelys

A walk in the woods now means walking in shade of newly leafed trees.  I can certainly appreciate that with the climbing temperatures (wasn't I just saying in my last post that it would be good if it warmed up?!).  It also means that we should enjoy the woodland wildflowers... the lovely spring ephemerals, which will be finishing up their blooming period very soon. 

Right now in our woods, we have a lot of tiny flowers.  These are Canada Mayflowers.

If they remind you of Lily of the Valley, you aren't the only one... as their other common name is Wild Lily of the Valley.

They are only a few inches tall, but they make a big statement in the woods by their number. 

In some places, they really carpet the ground.

 By fall, their flowers will have turned into tiny berries... at first whitish with spots, then light red.

Here's another small white flower, which is not as plentiful as Canada Mayflowers, that you might miss unless you especially look for them.   They are one of my favorites, so I like to make sure I do!

Do they remind you of another flower?

They are a relative of a blossoming tree you probably know... Flowering Dogwood.  This tiny relation is called Bunchberry.  (Both are in the Cornus family).  Just like the Dogwood Tree, this little flower will produce a tight cluster of bright red berries in the fall.  

I only find it in one section of our woods, where it is mixed with several other plants - Canada Mayflowers, Starflowers, and Wild Sarsaparilla.

Starflower is a very dainty and pretty flower, shaped like it's name.

Wild Sarsaparilla is a neat plant, with the divided leaves on one stalk and flowers under them on another.  You can see the leaves in the photo above, and here is a closer look at the flower.

They are related to Ginseng and used to be used for some medicinal purposes, as well as a substitute for true Sarasaparilla to flavor root beer.

The next wildflower isn't technically in our woods, rather it's in my flower garden.  But it is a native Pennsylvanian and a lovely one at that.  So, I want to tell you about it.  

This is Iris cristata alba, a white version of Dwarf Crested Iris, which is typically blue.  It, too, is only a few inches tall.  Like all the other flowers I've mentioned, it likes a shady spot.  It has done well for many years under our apple tree.  If you want a little piece to start in your garden, let me know... I'd be glad to share.

Speaking of sharing, my sister-in-law shared a piece of the next plant with me a long time ago.

It's called Sweet Woodruff, and while it's not a native to Pennsylvania, it has naturalized in some places.  It likes the shade and spreads but doesn't 'take over'.

As its name indicates, it has a sweet smell, which I've read persists after it is dried, so it can be used in potpourri. I think it looks quite pretty in our little woods, and there is a lot of it, but I've never tried drying it. 

Have you noticed all of these flowers are white?  And there are other white flowers blooming now, such as Mayapples and Painted Trillium.  And in some very special places, there are Pink Ladyslippers... which are one of our native orchids, and one of the best treats of all to find in the woods!

That one has a Starflower next to it.

Pretty in pink, surrounded by Goldthread leaves...

And this trio was just beginning to bloom when my husband and I saw it today.  So you still have time to get out in the woods and hunt for some!