Royal Catchfly

Milford Center Prairie SNP.

Maybe some people think roses are red, but Royal Catchfly (Silene regia) is more than red. It is the most red. I can see royal catchfly from a mile away, it is stoplight red, it is bright crimson, it is the most red lipstick. It is blood.

Bigelow Cemetery SNP, July 28 2018.

Royal catchfly is rare and special. For a long time people know this plant from only one place in Ohio, Bigelow Cemetery in the Darby Plains. Happen I went there on July 29 this year, and they were blooming everywhere.

Milfford Center Prairie SNP, July 28 2018.

Later people find royal catchfly in other areas, including Milford Center Prairie also in the Darby Plains.

Huffman Prairie SNL, July 18, 2018.

You can also find royal catchfly in restored prairies where people add them. I saw it bloom in Huffman Prairie State Natural Landmark in mid-July.

Calyx has sticky hairs. Bigelow Cemetery.

It is a catchfly because it has sticky hairs, but more important, it is royal because it is red. If you crush a petal between paper it will stain the paper purple. I don't know if I can make dye from old petals, but if I can grow it myself sometime I will try.

Milford Center Prairie.

I think this is my favorite summer wildflower. If sometime I have a garden I will grow it. Hummingbirds and butterflies love it. Every time I see it I see hummingbirds. Royal catchfly blooms in July and August.

Siebenthaller Fen.

Spring is finished. Okay, spring is not finished in the calendar, but happen for wildflowers, spring is finished here in Dayton area. The trilliums, trout lilies, and all other spring wildflowers are finished. Bloodroot is long finished. They will now hide until next year.

Spring wildflowers are most in the woods, or in dry open areas, in lawns and roadsides. Then happen the trees have all their full open leaves, the disturbed areas are too much dry or overgrow with leaves. Summer wildflowers you will not really find in the woods. There are some, putty root, ramps, white rattlesnake root, some bedstraw species. Most, you will find summer wildflowers in big open areas, in prairie remnants and in wetlands.

May 16, 2018

I don't know summer wildflowers, everything now is new for me. I must start again. So happen I went to Siebenthaller Fen.

Fens are interesting wetlands. People maybe think they are similar to bogs, because both often have rare plants. But bogs are wet because they are depression where rain fall or snow melt, and normal bogs have acidic water. Fens have their water from the ground, it flow through and make the ground always wet and cold and with a lot minerals. Because fens are always wet and cold, most trees will not grow there. So happen they are open for the sun in the hot summer, and this time is when most fen wildflowers bloom. There are several nice fens close to me: Gallagher Fen in Clark County and Travertine Fen in Greene County are both state nature preserve, and Gallagher Fen you do not need permit for enter. There are also Crabill and Prairie Road Fen State Nature Preserves in Buck Creek State Park in Clark County, and Owens and McCracken Fen State Nature Preserves in Logan County. Only last one you can enter with no permit. [Edit: And Cedar Bog State Nature Preserve in Clark Co., it is not a bog, it is a fen. I did not know. It is a very special area.] But a lot more close to me, only 5 minutes drive, there is Siebenthaller Fen. It is part the Beaver Creek wetlands corridor, with 10 other areas on the Beaver Creek in Fairborn and Beavercreek.

Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita).

It is really overwhelming first try to learn new habitat, because everything is new. I really don't know where start, so I try identify what I see first. Most things now I only know genus names, but later I come again and try identify more. Every time I go out I learn a little bit more. I feel this is only way for learn plants with only myself and not feel idiot.

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

Black Willow

Cranberry Viburnum

Blackhaw

Poison Ivy

Navel-Shape Cornsalad

I have gone twice now, and I saw many new things. Most wildflowers are not yet ready, but happen there are some blooming now. I found many catkins on Black Willow (Salix nigra), and two different Viburnum, Cranberry Viburnum (V. opulus) and Blackhaw (V. prunifolium). Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) I did not touch, but I did see it will bloom soon. Cornsalad, I think Navel-Shape Cornsalad (Valerianella umbilicata) is blooming everywhere.

There are two species bedstraw (Galium) in Siebenthaller Fen, and I do not know which yet, but happen I will know when I see them bloom.

Spring Cress

One wildflower I am really happy for see finally is Spring Cress (Cardamine bulbosa). It is the larger white and late spring blooming bittercress similar the early spring Purple Cress (Cardamine douglassii). I never see it before now, and I am not really certain why.

Water Pennywort

Water Pennywort seedheads

Water Pennywort mounds

One special plant I am very very surprise about is Water Pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides). It was my special mystery plant first time I went, and today I am certain it is this species. Water pennywort is a rare species in Ohio, it is listed in only 4 counties in BONAP, and only "waif". I really do not understand why people did not report this plant before, because it is everywhere on this small stream flow into the Beaver Creek. Water pennywort is similar American Water-pennywort (Hydrocotyle americana) but happen first have more deep cut lobes on leaves and flowers have petioles. This is new record for Greene County.

Yellow Flag Iris

Swamp Saxifrage

Marsh Pea

Sweet Flag

Shrubby Cinquefoil

Purple Stem Angelica

Some other interesting new plants I see: Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), with fruit; Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus), not native; Swamp Saxifrage (Micranthes pennsylvanica);  Marsh Pea (Lathyrus palustris); not-native Sweet-flag (Acorus calamus); Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa); Queen-of-the-Prairie (Filipendula rubra); and Purple-stem or Giant Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea). Last two will bloom later in summer.

I think next I will go to Gallagher Fen and compare.

Rampsy Spinach

Recently when I went hiking, I saw these plants everywhere.

Two big leaves, no flowers. I thought before they were some kind of lily, but happen I learned these are wild leeks (Allium triccocum). Most people use another name for them, Ramps. They are a weird plant, because happen ramps grow leaves in the fall, and in late spring these leaves die. In summer, the flower stalk grows alone. Many people harvest ramps in the spring for eating. They taste similar togarlic, or onion, or leek, but different from all of them, and they have a very strong taste.

I came again with my older sister to harvest leeks. I decided I wanted to make something really simple with them. It is an old recipe named Garlicky Spinach. Chopped garlic, anchovies, and spinach all sauteed in olive oil until spinach wilts. Ramps leaves have a very similar texture with spinach, so happen I think I will add them.

It is really nice we found this area with many ramps, because often people harvest too many. The best way for harvesting ramps is to take only one leaf from plants late in spring. If you try to dig them and take the stem, happen you can hurt the roots and you will not have a plant growing there next year.

We also harvested some Garlic Mustard (Aliaria petiolata). This plant, you can harvest whatever you want. Harvest everything. It is really bad for spring wildflowers, but it have nice mild garlic taste.

I sauteed 20 washed and chopped ramps leaves and some garlic mustard leaves with two cloves chopped garlic and one pound washed spinach. We did not have anchovies this week and my older sister is vegetarian, so happen we added some salt. When all leaves were wilted, I added cooked fettucini and fresh ground pepper. I think it was good, the ramps mix nice with other flavors. I think I want to try it next year with only garlic mustard and ramps and no spinach.

Try Again for Indian Mound Reserve.

Twinleaf. April 25, 2018.

I think first time I went Indian Mound Reserve, I not really appreciate it enough. Massie Creek Gorge is beautiful. Maybe I was too much early, there was still snow. Maybe they not really have many early spring wildflowers in this gorge, not many Hepatica. Maybe I did not look for snow trillium in the right area.

In late April I went again to Indian Mound Reserve. Now happen I understand, it is a very beautiful area. I am sorry I doubt anything.

There are many many things for see in mid spring, many wildflowers, and best, if you have rain recently, water spout from rocks. This is all Ordovician limestone and shale, and limestone cut really easy with water and spout through caves in rock, and drip through in overhang area in Massie Creek Gorge. It is streams, or groundwater, I don't know which. It is very cold and clear.

Maybe first I will talk about some not native flowers I saw close to Williamson Mound and the parking area. I don't care if they are native or not native, I want to know them. New for me are Bird's-Eye Speedwell (Veronica persica) and Winter Cress (Barbarea vulgaris). They are both common in disturbed areas and fields. I have some bird's-eye speedwell outside my home! Other "new" not native plants for me are Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) and Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsis). I see common mullein before, but this is first time I take picture it. It will have big yellow flower stalk later. I see hairy bittercress many areas this year, Caesar Creek Gorge, Clifton Gorge, lawn outside my home, but happen I never realize it is this plant! It is everywhere!

Haploa? caterpillar on Hydrophyllum leaf

Wild Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum)

Miterwort (Mitella diphylla)

Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

Ragwort (Packera sp.)

Twinleaf

Skunk Cabbage

There are many many native wildflowers in Indian Mound Reserve. Most are in Massie Creek Gorge, or on left side slope walk from parking area. There are too much too many for tell all, so I will only talk about some. I was really happy for see Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) for first time. Flowers are finished now, but I know where to find it next year. I was also really happy see full bloom open Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) flowers for first time! When I saw them in Caesar Creek Gorge and Davey Woods they were not yet open or really close finished. It was very nice warm day, so happen they open and bloom for me.

There are Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) everywhere in Massie Creek Gorge. I think this is most virginia bluebells I see forever.

Wild Geranium

Wood Anemone

Some other native flowers I see, Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), and Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia). Second is life list plant for me.

Massie Creek Falls

Sycamore

Dryad's Saddle

There is this very old broken sycamore (Plantanus occidentalis) close to Massie Creek Falls, and there were some large mushrooms growing from it. I think this is Dryad's Saddle (Polyphorus squamosus), it is a polyphore mushroom and it likes many kinds trees.

I will come to Indian Mound Reserve next spring, certain!

Two paintings.

Hepatica in the Rain. Hepatica nobilis. March 4, 2018.

Smooth Rockcress Flowers. Boechera lavigata. May 2, 2018.

These both acrylic paintings I made this spring. Before this year, only acrylic paintings I make are my eclipse paintings. So happen I am still learning. Painting is very different from drawing, and acrylic painting is really different from watercolor.

February 21, 2018.

Because I don't know anything about acrylic painting, when I first tried to paint Hepatica in the Rain, I did not know I need start with background first. So happen you can see my silly try painting here. It is on backside other painting.