We stopped at an Amish grocery store. One, there was reserved buggy parking, and two, look at what you can buy there—gooseberries and also (wildflower-based)
stuff that will fix your wrinkles AND your gangrene.
More Illinois
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Monthly Archives: May 2012
Wildflowers at the Whiteside Garden
I was in Illinois for a few days and one of the highlights was visiting the garden of Dr. Wesley Whiteside in Charleston. Here are photos of just a few of the wildflowers he had in bloom… green dragons, lady slippers, foxglove, pitcher plants…
Jack-in-the-Pulpit 2
Today I found their secret Red Wing Bay lair. Had to take a couple more photos because they are so photogenic. Arum family. Separate male and female plants, females ones larger, pollinated by flies.
The air was full of birdsongs — I was thinking, if the bird walk man were there he would be reading them like a story, but to me… it was like looking at a page of a foreign language that I don’t speak… beautiful but I couldn’t read it. Also when we came out of the woods onto the grassy trail, we scared a big wild turkey who had been ambling along at his leisure.
Canada Mayflower
The little leaves for these just stand vertically right out of the ground and have been up for quite a while. Now at last they’re blooming. (I notice it’s also called Two-leaved Solomonseal — another Solomonseal to confuse us.)
Canada Mayflower ((Maianthemum canadense)
Thyme-leaved Speedwell
I originally posted this picture April 27, but I just now identified it. Quite tiny. Plantain family.
Thyme-leaved Speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia)
May-apple
Also called Mandrake. The leaves are like little umbrellas hiding the flowers. Fruit is a yellow berry — the pulp is edible when ripe. Name refers to the May blooming and the flower resembling an apple blossom. These plants are in Alert Flowerophile Donna’s garden. Barberry family.
May-apple, Mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum)
Purple Deadnettle
Also called Purple Archangel. Native to Europe and Asia. It is often found near Henbit Deadnettle (see earlier post) and they look a lot alike. “Though superficially similar to a NETTLE in appearance, it is not related and does not STING, hence the name “deadnettle.” Hm. Young plants have edible tops and leaves!
Purple Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)
Common Blue-eyed Grass
Another beautiful name. Saw these at Red Wing. Love the color and the smudges of pollen.
Common Blue-eyed Grass (sisyrinchium montanum)