Appalachian Ephemerals

 

Appalachian Ephemerals

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Four Weeks, One Of The Shortest Growing Seasons On The Planet

 

 

 

 

  Louise (the fantastubularidicool, Mom, sister, daughter, in-law, neighbor, Houstonian, New Yorker, Mossrocker, Girl Scout, retired Wyoming shepherd, better half, friend, plant biologist, naturalist, plant person, Mesozoic Garden creator, College Adjunct, professional Lab Manger, ......) with me at Assateague summer 2013.

A reminder that summer time beach weather is just around the corner.

 

Another Old Rag Sunset

 

 

 

 

 

Birds Foot Violets

Trillium

 

Auricularia auricula-judae   Jew's Ear, Wood Ear, Jelly Ear 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auricularia_auricula-judae

Bluettes

Serviceberry Bush

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/the-amazing-serviceberry.aspx#axzz318d5WTYP

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelanchier

http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com/blind_pig_the_acorn/2010/04/the-sarvis-tree-is-blooming-in-appalachia.html

Chickweed

"Stunning spring wildflowers.

Because the temperate forest’s dense leaf canopy shades the forest floor all summer long, there are only four weeks in spring during which sturdy spring wildflowers can burst out of the ground, flower, and refill their energy reserves before the trees block life-giving sunlight. By June these highly ephemeral flowers have gone to seed and dormancy. They will wait another year for their place in the sun, having one of the shortest growing seasons on the planet. The unified timing of this mass flowering is one of nature’s most beautiful forest spectacles, and no other forest type can quite rival it. This is quite different from tropical rainforests, where the blooming seasons of flowers are scattered throughout the entire year. "

The above is taken from the Arc Of Appalachia website found at:

http://arcofappalachia.org/biome/invisible-forest.html