Winter Plant ID – Answers now revealed

And the answers are…

Thanks to everyone who participated.  Most importantly, I hope each of you had an enjoyable outing in your search for plants matching those in the photos.

Well, you’ve seen the plant rubble remnants in the photos I supplied for this quiz.  Now, what were those plants and what do they look like when in bloom?  Let’s have a look…

The plants included in this quiz were the following:

(1)    Queen Anne’s Lace

Queen Anne’s Lace

(2)    Burdock

Common Burdock

Great Burdock

(3)    Wild Parsnip

Wild Parsnip

(4)    Horseweed

Horseweed

(5)    Selfheal

Selfheal

(6)    Thimbleweed

Thimbleweed

(7)    Common Mullein

Common Mullein

(8)    Purple Loosestrife

Purple Loosestrife

(9)    Sweet Clover

White Sweet Clover

Yellow Sweet Clover

(10)Yarrow

Yarrow

(11)Cattail

Common Cattail

(12)Milkweed

Common Milkweed

(13)Thistle

Swamp Thistle

(14)Tall Blue Lettuce

Tall Blue Lettuce

(15)Virgin’s Bower

Virgin’s Bower

(16)Aster

Purple-stemmed Aster

White Wood Aster

(17)Jerusalem Artichoke

Jerusalem Artichoke

PLEASE NOTE:  All of the quiz’s winter photos were taken along the Historic Champlain Canalway trail in the Town of Halfmoon, south of Brookwood Road.  If you have not yet visited this trail (south of Upper Newtown Road to this segment), I urge you to do so if you want to view a wide variety of wildflowers blooming throughout the growing season.  Since it adjoins the Historic Champlain Canal, the trail is virtually flat and is comprised of crushed/compacted shale, which makes for an easy walk (and also wheelchair accessible).  Please view my wildflower field guide for this trail and watch for the announcement of an expanded version (which will include this southernmost segment) later this month.

Happy trails!

2014 Wildflower of the Year

The New York Flora Association (NYFA) has just announced that the Cardinal Flower is the 2014 Wildflower of the Year.  Please be sure to read all about it on their web site – lots of great information and photos can be found there.

Have you ever seen this beautiful bloom in its natural environment?  It begins to bloom in late July or early August.

Cardinal Flower

Of all the local preserves that I have thus far inventoried, I have observed this plant only at Town Park nature trails, in the wetland restoration area along the North Meadow Loop.

Wetland restoration area along North Meadow Loop – Town Park nature trails

If you know of other locations where this plant grows, please send locality information to nyflora1@gmail.com.

A friendly reminder:  spring is just 11 days away.  Happy trails!