Spring is here, finally, and as if someone switched on a lightbulb after a long night’s sleep, the parade of spring ephemerals has quickly begun in our Appalachian woodlands. The first coltsfoot flowers were just peaking out last weekend, and today the bloodroot in my yard has already gone to seed. Run, don’t walk, to your favorite park…
Day: April 11, 2015
Wild Blue Phlox
Phlox divaricata My wooded yard is full of this tall, lovely wildflower! Although it is called blue phlox, the flowers sometimes appear pink or purple. Look closely and you will see that the outer edge of the flower petal is notched outward. The stem of this plant is hairy and slightly sticky; the leaves at…
Oyster Mushrooms
I’ve read that you can find oyster mushrooms just about any month of the year in the South. I’ve now found them on the same dead tree in my yard in November, July, September, and May. I even found some in early April in another location. So when can you find oyster mushrooms in Virginia?…
Red Trillium
Red Trillium, Red Wakerobin, Southern Red Trillium Trillium erectum Another Virginia native, red trillium is a springtime perennial that can be found in flower from April until June. Luckily for us, the individual scarlet flowers can persist for up to a full month. All the trilliums arise from an underground rhizome and have triangular-shaped leaves…
VIRGINIA WILDFLOWERS 