Tag Archives: Cape Cod Hiking

Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod Hiking, Cape Cod Photography, Cape Cod Wildflowers

Pretty Pink Water-Willow Wildflowers On Cape Cod

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If you go hiking near a fresh water spring or marsh such as The Spring Trail at the  Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary or the marshes on Red Maple Swamp Trail at Fort Hill, the chances of seeing a Water-Willow are very good. They like to grow in shallow water in July and August.

Water-Willow wildflowers are an  aquatic shrub with magenta flowers whose 5 petals grow in whorls where the leaves join the stem. They are native to this area. The flowers are small, only 1/2″ to 1″ while the plant grows from 3-9 feet. You can see in the 2nd photograph how the flowers grow almost where the leaves join the stems.

This is such a delicate little flower…so pretty. Have you ever seen a Water-Willow?

Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod Butterflies, Cape Cod Photography, Cape Cod Wildflowers

New Wildflower Garden At The Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary On Cape Cod

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The new wildflower garden at  the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is just spectacular! The wildflower species are numerous and the butterflies are everywhere! There are even walking paths through the garden so you can get “up close and personal” with the flowers and get that perfect photo-op of a Monarch butterfly.

If you haven’t been to the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary lately, it’s well worth the stop. Not only are the wildflowers and butterflies gorgeous, the shore birds are abundant out on the beach at low tide.

Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod Hiking, Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Cod Photography, Cape Cod Wildflowers

Beautiful, Yellow Common St. John’s Wort Wildflowers On Cape Cod

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Common St. John’s Wort wildflowers are blooming all over Cape Cod. You can see them along the trails and roadsides. I took this photograph at Fort Hill on the side of one of the hiking trails. I loved how the sunlight caught it.

They are a bushy branching plant with many 5-petaled dark yellow  1″ flowers and many prominent stamens. They grow to about 1-2 1/2 feet from June through September.

Have you ever seen a Common St. John’s Wort wildflower?

Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod Butterflies, Cape Cod Photography

Common Wood Nymph Butterfly At Fort Hill On Cape Cod

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I’ve seen a lot of Common Wood Nymph butterflies while hiking at Fort Hill lately, especially in the evenings as they love the  grassy borders of woodland edges and openings. 

The Common Wood Nymph, mostly tan and brown with two dark eyespots in an orange patch, has a  2″ to 2  7/8″ wingspan. It is very distinguishable.

Have you ever seen a Common Wood Nymph?  

Cape Cod Hiking, Cape Cod Photography, Cape Cod Wildflowers

Pretty Crown Vetch Wildflowers On Coast Guard Beach Trail On Cape Cod

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The Crown Vetch wildflowers were so pretty on the trail from Doane Rock to Coast Guard Beach. These pink and white bi-colored flowers form 1 1/2″ golf ball size clusters at the end of a stalk and grow 1-2 feet. They make a very pretty ground cover from June through August.

Have you ever seen Crown Vetch?

Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod Hiking, Cape Cod Photography, Cape Cod Wildflowers

Bladder Campion Wildflowers At Fort Hill On Cape Cod

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Bladder Campion wildflowers are abundant along the trails at Fort Hill. I loved this  photograph where you can see the “bladder” so clearly. The  3/4″ white, lobed flowers bloom at night and on overcast days.

The Bladder Campions bloom from June through September, so you still have plenty of time to see them. Interesting wildflower, don’t you think?