4.27.11 Woodland Wonders

Fiddleheads2 790 xxx
iphotos by gluttonforlife
A-foraging I went and I didn't find one thing I was hoping for. No morels, no edible fiddleheads, not a single solitary ramp. And yet, it was truly a glorious day. The mighty Delaware, full of silt stirred up by the recent rains, is flowing the color of milky coffee. Eighty degrees out, with gentle breezes, fluffy cumulus clouds like globs of marshmallow cream in a Tiffany blue sky. The kind of weather sure to rouse even the drowsiest bear and summon the rattlesnakes from their stony bowers. I confess, I devoted a fair amount of mental energy conjuring up scenarios in which I was lunch. A trio of turkey vultures circling overhead didn't help matters much. But in the end, I was sufficiently distracted by all the green living things teeming on the forest floor.
Cress 790 xxx
wild cress has a delightful peppery flavor
Trillium 790 xxx
i think this is a type of trillium; i love the mottled/marbled leaves
Red lichen 790 xxx
these red tree fungi were about the size of dinner plates
Fiddleheads1 790 xxx
hay-scented fern fiddleheads; the edible kind are from ostrich ferns
Frog1 790 xxx
this darling frog sat right in my palm
Soft lichen 790 xxx
a soft and feathery lichen
Violets 790 xxx
tiny wild violets, full of vitamin C, are cropping up all over
 
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4 Comments

I'm not sure that'a a trillium - they always have three leaves. I believe it's a type of lady slipper orchid. And the blue flowers might be a type of forget-me-not. (need to see the foliage to be certain.)
Cathy on April 28, 2011 at 3:50 am —
I think I need to get out the wildflower guide!
laura on April 28, 2011 at 4:20 am —
I can "smell" your pictures. Beautiful.
Vetivresse on April 28, 2011 at 7:46 am —
A part of me has always longed to be a forest ranger. Especially if I get a uniform. Love all your nature posts.
Mily on April 28, 2011 at 4:41 pm —