Wildflower Wednesday

I did a few "Wildflower Wednesday" posts last year, and I'm hoping to do more this year. That means getting out to find some different wildflowers.. not much fun showing the same ole thing... *wink   So  here are three I have not shown before...


The Purple Trillium is no stranger I'm sure. The trillium family (part of the lily family) is fairly well known in Canada and easily identified by it's three leaves and flowers with three petals and three sepals. The Purple Trillium has a rather unpleasant odor and was used by early herbalists to treat gangrene. I'm hoping I can also find some white and/or some painted trilliums (my favs). If you live in my area and know of any nearby, please let me know...

Another common spring wildflower is the Trout Lily, more commonly known as the Dogtooth Violet. The name Trout Lily (more suitable since the flower is not a violet) refers to the brownish mottled leaves, similar to the markings on a brook trout. The single yellow nodding flowers have 3 petals and three petal-like sepals. If you
look closely the petals are yellow and the sepals are yellow "inside" but a bronzy yellow on the "outer" side. (See the photo below, taken "from behind") I can remember so vividly picking bouquets of these each spring for my mother, while walking home from school as a child. There were several large patches and I watched them in great anticipation until they were blooming and ready for pickin'. It gave me such pleasure to bring my mother fresh-picked flowers and she always acted, day after day, as if they were the most precious and rare roses or orchids on the earth... My maternal grandfather was a great nature-lover and knew the woods well - he knew right where to go to find a particular plant and taught my mother so much about wildflowers and nature... Oh how I wish he was still here to take me on a woodland walk...






Lastly, the "mystery" flower I showed yesterday is Bloodroot.  A member of the Poppy family, the blooms last a relatively short time, opening in sun and closing at night. The flower stem rises from the centre of its curled leaf. The red-orange "juice" from the roots and stems was used by natives as a dye for clothing, baskets and war paint as well as for insect repellant. (Info from the Audubon Society Field Guide to  North American Wildflowers)

Peace,
Linda

"Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.~" ~ Gerard De Nerval