Five Beautiful Spring Wildflowers

It's time to share a small set of wildflower images for 2024. My aim is to always strive for some new images that offer a fresh view. 

The spring weather here in New York has been challenging for wildflower photography.  Sure, it's been warm and has offered reasonable rain.  There have been some really windy stretches that limit image sharpness. So, I am limited to only five fresh images.

My first offering is of the "lowly" Skunk Cabbage,  Symplocarpus foetidus.  The plant has a clever approach.  First, in early spring there are few insects to pollinate other than flies.  So, it smells like carrion (but it's not.)   So the flies get nothing in return.  Also, it creates a hood over the pollen to shield it from any rain washing the pollen off.  This hood usually keeps the pollen out of sight.  

I searched a large area in the wet woodland before I finally found this beautiful cluster of three plants.

Next is a plant that is now thriving in my house garden,  Lungwort aka Pulmonaria officinalis.  Common in Europe, it seems to have adapted well here.  Mine have been in colorful bloom for seven weeks.

Medieval herbalist attributed the leave's similarity to lung tissue as indicating usefulness in treating lung disease.  (note" Phone image using  iPhone 14 with ProCamera app.)

Next is Sharp-lobed Hepatica,  Hepatica acutiloba. Beautiful blues just like the previous subject. 

Hepatica blooms before its leaves emerge.  At the base of the stalks is the emerging crop of 2024 leaves.

Now,  for the most exciting wildflower I have found this spring. I cannot recall ever seeing such brilliant colors in a Purple Trillium, Trillium erectum.  Furthermore, it is very large and true to its name - the plant is very erect.  The specimen in the distant left is nodding, as is more common.

In addition, the warm green under leaf is notable. Everything was perfect including the rise in the land that isolated the plant from the very distant trees.  The photo is also from my iPhone. I could not get my Canon lens adequately low to the ground.  

My final image drifts into photo geek territory, so please humor me.  Blue Cohosh, Caulophyllum thalictroides is easily overlooked.  The leaves are bluish green and the small flowers are a subdued yellow-green to brown.  The plant is relatively tall, so slight wind causes problems obtaining sharp results.  I love the challenge.

Returning home with this image yesterday, I decided that I would create an ink drawing from this photo to really "see" the structure of Blue Cohosh. When finished, I realized that the textures, forms and colors of the plant are not really understood when making the photo.  Now, I see it, and have abandoned any thought of adding watercolor.  It is beyond my skill.

Thank you for your interest.

 Paul Schmitt 

Signs of Spring

After being away for most of May in 2018, I vowed to stay close to home for the spring of 2019.  It's been a good month in terms of birds, and of blooms. Here a few of the birds that offered good views.

Orchard Oriole singing.  Male first spring

I've learned that a large number of birds feed on the blooming Crab Apple trees. Black-capped Chickadees hang upside down when feeding on the lower flowers.

Black-capped Chickadee.

Another participant in the feast is the Yellow Warbler.

Yellow Warbler, male

Away from the apple trees, another striking bird that arrives in May is the Scarlet Tanager.  They are a bit more difficult to locate since they prefer the extreme treetops.

Scarlet Tanager,  male

Enough of the birds, the blog is also about "blooms".  Besides, wildflowers are much easier to photograph - only if the flowers happen to be in good bloom (and the winds are calm and the light is good).  I have a list of wildflowers for which I  need a better example.  Highest on the list was Blue Cohosh.

Blue Cohosh in bloom

The colors are really challenging to get correct, and the Cohosh has a tall, spindly stalk that moves in the slightest breeze. 

For the next bloom, breeze is again a challenge; however, just getting extremely low and finding a clear, uncluttered view is added. So, I checked bellwort off my list.

Large-flowered Bellwort

And, there are some whose beauty just drives me to get a new result.  Once again, my knees got dirty getting low for the trillium.

Trillium grandiflorum

I never tire of photographing trillium. 

So, May has been a good month for photos, and there is still time to add some more.  There's a small warbler that I am researching now for a good setting.

Thanks for your interest.

Paul Schmitt