I am always so surprised to see so many Lilies of the Valley blooming by the side of the trails here on the Cape. I had always seen them in “gardens” and it is such a treat to see them growing wild here!
Have you seen any Lilies of the Valley on any of your hikes? Gorgeous little flower, don’t you think?
I saw my first Starflower of the season at Fort Hill the other day. What a treat that was! I had seen the little, star-shaped bud just two days before (2nd photo), so I thought it had a few days to bloom. (Click on blog link for other photos.)
The Starflower usually has 2 small, delicate, white flowers on a slender stem. Each flower has 5-9 pointed petals and 7 long, yellow stamens. The plants are small, only growing from 5-9 inches.
Have you seen a Starflower yet this season? Such a pretty wildflower, don’t you think?
If you take a walk on the Red Maple Swamp Trail at Fort Hill, you will see Common Lowbush Blueberry wildflowers starting to bloom all long the sides of the boardwalk. They are quite prolific and quite beautiful. (Click on blog link for other photo.)
It is a common shrub with white or pink-tinged bell-shaped flowers, hanging in clusters. The flowers are tiny, only 1/4 – 1/2 inch which bloom in May and June, so you still have plenty of time to see them.
The edible fruit, which typically mature in mid- to late-summer, vary in color from a bright blue to bluish-black and are sweet to taste.
I like to photograph them best when are just starting to bloom, as in the 2 photographs. I took mine in color while Phil took one in black and white. Quite a different perspective, don’t you think?
It’s always a treat to see that first wildflower in the early spring. This year it is the Snowdrop which I saw growing on a steep hillside under a cover of trees. (Click on blog link for other photo.)
These little white flowers bloom from January to March, often appearing like a ‘white blanket’ on the hillside. “They look like tiny drops of milk gently hanging from a stem. When these flowers fall on the ground and are scattered everywhere, they often resemble tiny snowflakes that appear to have blanketed the ground.”
Have you ever seen a Snowdrop? So delicate and so pretty…
