NATURE / OUTDOORS
Here are some
nature stories, outdoors tips and
photos. National and
local coverage...
National
Arboretum
Washington, DC 5/2/07
Mark Burchick
A female
(resident)
Canada
goose
holds
tight on
her nest
as we
walk
past a
small
pond fed
by
spring
seeps.
You
would
never
guess
such
natural
areas
occur
just off
of New
York
Avenue
and
along
the
Anacostia,
within
the
District
of
Columbia.
White
Trillium
-
can
be
highly
variable
in
color,
with
this
particular
plant
expressing
a
pink
hue.
Large-flowered
Trillium
-
the
biggest
and
most
showy
of
all
trilliums.
Toadshade
Trillium
-
has
mottled,
camo leaves
just
like
trout
lily.
Sweet
Cicely
-
the
roots
and
seeds
that
follow
after
the
flowers
smell
just
like
black
licorice
when
crushed.
Creeping
Phlox
-
has
basal
runners
that
can
create
large
patches/drifts
as
it
matures
within
rich
woodlands.
Perfoliate
Bellwort
-
has
a
flower
stem
that
appears
to
pierce
the
leaves,
hence
the
name
perfoliate.
Star
Anise
-
a
wetland
shrub
of
southern
states.
The
flower
smells
just
like
fish.
As I
walked
down
along
the
creek
I
assumed
that
there
must
have
been
a
fish
kill
on
the
Anacostia,
but
it
turned
out
to
be
the
anise.
The
only
other
fowl
smelling
and
locally
native flower
that
beats
this
is
carrion
flower,
a
thorny
greenbriar
that
I
had
all
over
a
site
near
Frederick.
The
greenbriar
smells
just
like
dead,
rotting meat
and
is
pollinated
by
flies.
Yellow
Lady
Slipper
-
a
gorgeous
native
orchid
that
was
at
absolute
peak
flower.
The
Latin
name
for
this
lady
slipper
means
little
shoe.
Juliet and I
spent the
morning with
Dr. Thomas
Elias, the
Director of
the National
Arboretum,
to evaluate
wetland/stream
mitigation
and
ecological
restoration
options
within the
grounds of
the
Arboretum.
The majority
of our time
was spent in
natural area
stream
valleys where
the public
does not go
when touring
this
botanical
wonderland.
I also saw
yellow
trillium,
mayapple,
chickweed,
wild azalea,
Solomon
seal, wild
geranium,
golden
ragwort,
celandine
poppy, white
and purple
violet and
the ending
of the
highly
ephemeral
Virginia
bluebells.
Some of
these
flowering
dates (phenology)
are a little
off of
what's
typical
(maybe
because we
were in the
highly
urbanized/disturbed
Washington,
DC).
The next few
weeks in the
woods are
going to be
great.
It's
wildflower
madness!
National
Arboretum
