Early Season Spring Wildflowers

Unfortunately, this spring has had surprisingly few sunny days and, earlier, we continued to experience cold nights (many with freezing overnight temperatures). Together, those weather attributes have affected when our early season spring wildflowers have begun blooming and whether, on any given day, the blooms would actually fully open to enable us to view their beauty. Because of this, I have personally taken very few photos so far and have published very few posts here. Therefore, the following photos were taken in the past, but better represent what was observed on the two series of ephemeral spring wildflower walks that I conducted earlier this spring. Below, I’ve summarized what we observed at each of the two destinations: (1) Shenantaha Creek Park, and (2) Steinmetz Woods (AKA 41 acres along the Mohawk River).

Shenantaha Creek Park (25 species)

American Fly Honeysuckle

Barren Strawberry

Canadian Wild Ginger

Common Blue Violet

Common Shadbush

Cut-leaved Toothwort (ephemeral)

Dutchman’s Breeches (ephemeral)

Early Blue Cohosh

Early Meadow Rue

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Leatherwood

Long-spurred Violet

Marsh Blue Violet

Northern Jack-in-the-pulpit

Plantain-leaved Pussytoes

Red Baneberry

Round-lobed Hepatica

Sessile-leaved Bellwort

Sharp-lobed Hepatica

Small-flowered Crowfoot

Smaller Pussytoes

Smooth Yellow Violet

Trout Lily (ephemeral)

Wake Robin

Wild Strawberry

Steinmetz Woods (26 species)

Beaked Hazelnut

Bloodroot

Carolina Spring Beauty (ephemeral)

Coltsfoot

Common Blue Violet

Common Shadbush

Cut-leaved Toothwort (ephemeral)

Dog Violet

Downy Yellow Violet

Early Low Blueberry

Early Meadow Rue

Garlic Mustard

Golden Alexanders

Lily-of-the-valley

Long-spurred Violet

Plantain-leaved Pussytoes

Red Maple

Round-lobed Hepatica

Sharp-lobed Hepatica

Small-flowered Crowfoot

Smaller Pussytoes

Smooth Rock Cress

Spicebush

Thyme-leaved Speedwell

Trout Lily (ephemeral)

Woodland Strawberry

Happy trails!

At last – a sunny day!

This spring has thus far seemed to be one of the longest streaks of cloudy and rainy days along with too many cold nights, including freezing overnight temperatures.

Alas, the sun shined today…all day!

I didn’t dawdle; I got outside for two hikes. One to continue my wildflower inventory at West Sky Natural Area in the Town of Clifton Park and the other to continue tagging native wildflowers for a self-guided native wildflower project at the Mooney Carrese Forest (a part of Veterans Memorial Park), also located in the Town of Clifton Park.

What a glorious day to be outside!

Along the trails at West Sky Natural Area, I observed these blooming beauties –

Golden Ragwort

Dog Violet

Starflower

Small-flowered Crowfoot

Wood Anemone

Foamflower

American Black Currant

And, at Veterans Memorial Park, I found a small group of these in a narrow tree-lined hedgerow adjoining the parking lot –

Star-flowered Solomon’s Seal

Happy trails!

Look for Morels now!

Morel (Morchella esculenta)

The first Morels I came across this season occurred Thursday evening. Today, I discovered more than I’ve ever seen in one location – more than four dozen in all! Unfortunately for me, virtually all of them were no longer edible because insects had been feasting on them and many were beginning to get slimy. I suspect these would have been ready to pick yesterday.

So, if you’d like to sample this delicacy, you’d better stretch your legs and forage in a woods near you soon. Good luck!

If you’d like to try a cream of mushroom soup recipe (or some of the other recipes listed), please view a prior posting of mine regarding Morel mushrooms.

Happy trails!