On the Path -- June 4th, 2012

It's been a while since I shot anything on the path, but then it's been a while since I've been on the path, for one reason or another.

The growth on the path this year is like everywhere else... lush & explosive. I noticed several grasses today that I'd normally pass by without a second look. They're at the edge of the path and many are about 4 ft tall this year and right now several of them are going to seed, which is when they do catch my eye.

A couple of the grasses... one plant is not particularly impressive, but there's usually lots of any one type in one spot, which is a sight.

Poison Ivy is back in spades at the top of the path. It's much easier to spot in the earlier stage when the leaves still have the reddish tinge. We all know that it has three leaves but as someone pointed out to me, the "forward" one has a short stem while the other two have almost no stem at all and seem joined-at-the-hip.

When the reddish color fades, the ivy blends in with all the other greenery that usually surrounds it. That's when it claims a lot of its victims I suspect. The edges of the leaves can be smooth or somewhat jagged, adding to the difficulty of recognizing it.

I didn't realize until I've been photographing it on the path that it can grow quite tall. That on the left of this shot is about 3 ft high and some in the ditch behind it was about 4 to 5 ft. Mixed in the same patch were a few reddish-tinged ones and lots of green ones only a few inches high... like most of those on the right-hand side of this shot. So if you're out in the woods, keep an eye out for it.

 

This one has berries.

Another of the many plants that I couldn't identify...  but I like the leaves.
It's a type of Dogwood... Thanks Doug.

Goatsbeard-- a grand-daddy 'Dandelion'. This seed head is about 4 inches across.

Bladder Campion is strange looking stuff. In this shot the blossoms look like so many miniature balloons with propellers on them.

Another puffy one...  Bird's-foot Trefoil.

I haven't paid much attention to Red Clover over the years for some reason, but I had a closer look today when I found that the meadow at the top of the path  had a huge concentration ot it.

I don't remember noticing the leaves before either. They're kind of unique, with their whitish/light-green chevrons.

This Bumblebee was sure enjoying the Clover blossoms.

He was having a great time visiting blossom after blossom.

I don't see many fungi this time of year. This looks like a Dryad's Saddle that's seen better days.

Fleabane? Some type of Aster? Kinda pretty.

I think I've got it right this time... Multi-flora Rose. 

 

Our lack of rain in May doesn't seem to have had much effect on the plant-life. We had a downpour a couple days ago, so that should keep things moving right along.

-fini -