While I suspect that northern New England still has snow on the ground I was wondering if anyone has seen any of this years wildflowers as of yet? Any down there in Southern Conn??
Here outside Boston I usually see the first Crocus before the end of March. This year I did not see a Crocus until the second week of April. There may have been some around but I did not see them in the usual spots until the 2nd week of April.
Any spring flower reports from around the Northeast??
Posted by Jeff Nadler on April 24, 2007 at 8:19 AM
Jim, a naturalist friend led a nature walk in northern NY this past weekend and reported these sightings:
Wildflowers:
Hepatica - in bloom
Spring Beauty - in bloom
Trillium - just about to bloom!
Blue Cohosh - just about to bloom
Violets - just the leaves
Toothwort - just the leaves
Trout Lily - just the leaves
In Milton, NH (where "the squiggle meets the line" along the Maine border), we're not seeing much in the way of wildflowers. I saw a few green stems peeking through the dead leaves. Last week it was snowing - there is still ice in the wooded wetlands. Crocus started blooming a few days ago; forsythia and Korean azaleas showing a couple of blossoms. Looks like there will be a nice show of flowers by the color in the buds, but it's still too early. No sign of ladyslippers or trillium leaves yet. Heard a few peepers today for the first time, though I've heard them south of here a few days ago. Already had ticks and mosquito bites when cleaning up after the flood, though. Plan on plenty of bug spray - looks like a good year for ticks. Birds have started arriving this week.
Posted by Bill Whitney on April 24, 2007 at 8:10 PM
Here in mid VT we have signs of spring. Here is one of several hundred clumps of wild Dutchman Breeches on a rocky slope behind my house.
How long do your Dutchman's Breeches last? The only other place I know where they grow in any abundance is on a very steep slope that makes it almost dangerous to photograph them. Maybe I'll pay your slope a visit if they are around long enough!! I don't have any good images of these guys. . .
The inland locations tend to bloom a bit earlier than the states closer to the ocean. I would expect VT to be good the next couple of week as the Dutchman's Breeches are one of the early blooming species. I would guess that in the next couple of weeks things will begin to pop in NH and ME. W MA and W CT probably have blossoms in the lower elevations where they did not have snow cover.
Posted by Bill Whitney on April 25, 2007 at 7:04 AM
Jim...you are more than welcome to come capture some images...or anyone else. Just email me for directions. I am located near Middlebury. Hopefully they will be in good condition for another week or 2 since the just started opening. But then a lot will depend on the weather.
Jim: The skunk cabbage leaves have not even opened! Just this this week we had some flowering trees come into bloom, and that's all I've seen. Went a little north yesterday to a daffodil field and even though they are blooming on the coastline, it will be another week before they are in full bloom in Litchfield County. I'll take a walk into the woods near my house (near coast) tonight, if the rain stops for a few minutes, and drop an email to let you know what's going on there.
Posted by Bill Whitney on April 28, 2007 at 3:50 PM
Jim...I have found probably several hundred trillium that should be in full blossom next weekend along with some other wild flowers along the stream I mentioned. I will send you directions from the house....just hope they are still in good condition when I get back from Japan.
Milton, NH - in the last few days the trailing arbutis has started blooming, but not much of anything popping up in the woods. The grass turned green overnight and the weeping cherry's are opening up, so things are happening, but it will still be a while. Think we're on the right track with the wildflowers!
Posted by Bill Whitney on April 29, 2007 at 5:32 PM
Update on Connecticut wildflowers. I've been told by a co-worker that she has seen trilliums and bloodroot near her home about 10 miles inland from the the Sound. So, things are beginning to bloom. Hope three weeks won't be too late for the wildflowers in NH.
Look like if the weather cooperates I'll be in your home town next this weekend! Just love your Purple Trillium shot! Looking forward to see some of those. Really looking forward to the directions to these beauties!!
My brother Mike and I went to a place in Acton, MA to photograph some blood root on Sunday. They were just starting to open on Wednesday and I thought they would be just about perfect on Sunday. We got there and virtually all the blossoms were stripped off the stems. It looked like some animal ate them as there was no where enough debris around if they were knocked off by rain!
Look like if the weather cooperates I'll be in your home town next this weekend! Just love your Purple Trillium shot! Looking forward to see some of those.
My brother Mike and I went to a place in Acton, MA to photograph some blood root on Sunday. They were just starting to open on Wednesday and I thought they would be just about perfect on Sunday. We got there and virtually all the blossoms were stripped off the stems. It looked like some animal ate them as there was no where enough debris around if they were knocked off by rain!
Posted by Bill Whitney on April 30, 2007 at 10:10 PM
Jim.....well you should have hundreds of purple trillium to choose from.
Went out this evening, found some Wood Anemones and a flower I haven't Identified near Durham. I didn't shoot the other flower for my dog Virga met a porky, but I'll try tomorrow morning.
Discussion
24 repliesWhile I suspect that northern New England still has snow on the ground I was wondering if anyone has seen any of this years wildflowers as of yet? Any down there in Southern Conn??
Here outside Boston I usually see the first Crocus before the end of March. This year I did not see a Crocus until the second week of April. There may have been some around but I did not see them in the usual spots until the 2nd week of April.
Any spring flower reports from around the Northeast??
Wildflowers:
Hepatica - in bloom
Spring Beauty - in bloom
Trillium - just about to bloom!
Blue Cohosh - just about to bloom
Violets - just the leaves
Toothwort - just the leaves
Trout Lily - just the leaves
UPDATE:
NOTHING...
Stopped at a field/woods for a walk in Durham. Nothing wild in the woods yet.
Wakefield was brown. Ossipee Bog was maybe showing some signs of greening a bit, but no flowers. Still tons of snow along the Kank...
I'll be back down in a week...hopefully somethings going on!
Bill
How long do your Dutchman's Breeches last? The only other place I know where they grow in any abundance is on a very steep slope that makes it almost dangerous to photograph them. Maybe I'll pay your slope a visit if they are around long enough!! I don't have any good images of these guys. . .
The inland locations tend to bloom a bit earlier than the states closer to the ocean. I would expect VT to be good the next couple of week as the Dutchman's Breeches are one of the early blooming species. I would guess that in the next couple of weeks things will begin to pop in NH and ME. W MA and W CT probably have blossoms in the lower elevations where they did not have snow cover.
Bill
Look like if the weather cooperates I'll be in your home town next this weekend! Just love your Purple Trillium shot! Looking forward to see some of those. Really looking forward to the directions to these beauties!!
My brother Mike and I went to a place in Acton, MA to photograph some blood root on Sunday. They were just starting to open on Wednesday and I thought they would be just about perfect on Sunday. We got there and virtually all the blossoms were stripped off the stems. It looked like some animal ate them as there was no where enough debris around if they were knocked off by rain!
Look like if the weather cooperates I'll be in your home town next this weekend! Just love your Purple Trillium shot! Looking forward to see some of those.
My brother Mike and I went to a place in Acton, MA to photograph some blood root on Sunday. They were just starting to open on Wednesday and I thought they would be just about perfect on Sunday. We got there and virtually all the blossoms were stripped off the stems. It looked like some animal ate them as there was no where enough debris around if they were knocked off by rain!
The red trillium are in bloom in the lower areas of the whites now, but have a few days yet to go in the notch itself. No painted trilliums yet.
Wild oats and trout lillies now becoming abundant. The hobblebush is in various states, none yet in bloom.
Oh...and above 2500 feet...a minimum of 2 feet of snow!