Not sure if this is Red or Purple Chokeberry. They are cultivated as ornamental plants! The name chokeberry refers to the astringency of the fruits which must be cooked — they’re used for wine, jam, syrup, tea, etc. (Birds do not mind the astringency and eat them freely.) Rose family. Native. (Thanks to Alert Flowerophile John for loaning me his Newcomb Guide, which helped me identify this plant.)
Chokeberry (Pyrus)
Love this stuff. The blossoms aren’t as tiny as most of the plants I’ve been recording. Showy and beautiful. Most fragrant in the evening. Native to Europe. Mustard family. (I originally identified this as phlox.)
Dame’s Rocket, Mother of the Evening (Hesperis matronalis)
Alert Flowerophile Donna has mentioned how sometimes my photos look so much better than the weedy little plant we spot out in the field. It’s true, these are kind of glamour shots for weeds. For instance, I would ordinarily yank this right out of my yard… but it’s rather nice on a macro level… the flowers are about a half inch wide.
Common Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)
This is growing in the woods behind our house. Like so many things this spring, I’ve never noticed it blooming before, but it’s quite lovely. Barberry family. Origin: Europe. Compare to earlier post on Japanese Barberry — this one is evidently not a bad marauding invader. Just an invader.
Common Barberry (Berberis vulgaris)
My understanding is that this is a color form of regular violets — the pale grayish lavender is supposed to resemble the color of Confederate uniforms. A gift from Dr. Whiteside. Native.
Confederate Violet (Viola sororia priceana)
A pretty little edible plant with leaves like shamrocks. “All parts are edible, with a distinct tangy flavor.” The green pods have a tartness similar to rhubarb, and the leaves can be brewed to make a drink like lemonade. Contains vitamin C. Can be added to salads for color and flavor. Native to North America.
Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)
I was away for a week and it rained a lot, so now there are so many new things blooming! Thanks to Alert Flowerophile Alyson for noticing this tiny bit of blue in my yard. The flower is about 1/8 inch across. Family Figwort.
Corn Speedwell (Veronica arvensis)
Found a large group of these along with a bunch of Smooth Solomon’s Seal in a patch of woods in Sunderland, Massachusetts, just north of Amherst. I think that’s close enough to call local, although I have not found such big groups in my usual haunts. It’s evidently called False because the leaf is similar to Solomon’s Seal, but true Solomon’s Seal has pendular blossoms. Lily family.
The Ojibwa tribe harvested the roots for eating, and cooked them in lye water overnight to remove the bitterness and neutralize their strong laxative qualities.
From Wikipedia: This plant can act as a strong laxative in sensitive individuals. A poultice made from the roots of this plant was used to treat sunburns. The roots were often dried and then smoked by several Eastern tribes as a treatment for hyperactivity in children and depression. Also used by Native Americans as a cough suppressant. (! that’s a useful plant!)
False Solomon’s Seal (Smilacina racemosa)
One of these is in bloom by the pond at Centennial as well. Red ripening to black fruit. The fruit is edible — black cherries! Lifespan can be 250 years. The bark was used for cough medicine and sedatives. The timber is red and used for furniture making. “A favorite drink in pioneer Appalachia was cherry bounce, in which rum or brandy was flavored with black cherry fruits.” Native to eastern North America. Family Rosaceae
Black Cherry, Mountain Black Cherry, Rum Cherry, Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
