This was such a lovely setting at Kent Point the other day with the bright yellow Goldenrod wildflowers and bright red leaves against the fallen log. However, those pretty bright red leaves are actually poison ivy.
Did you know that you can get poison ivy any time of the year? If you touch the vines in the winter you could get a nice rash.
I was driving by the salt marsh the other day and saw a lady walking through the poison ivy to get down to the salt marsh. Oh no! I wonder how she is feeling today… she went through quite a bit of it.
Remember the old saying, “Leaves of three, let them be!”
You can still see Pokeweed growing all over the place on the Cape. It’s quite amazing to watch them grow from spring to fall. The first photograph shows what it looks like now with its deep purple berries. (Click on blog link for other photos.)
The 2nd photograph shows what the pretty little white flowers look like in the summer. And the last photo shows the green berries before they start to look like deep purple grapes in the fall.
Be aware that eating the berries can make you sick. Watch out for children as sometimes they mistake these berries for grapes. You can tell the difference because Pokeweed has red stems while grapes have woody stems.
This was such a pretty, fall photograph overlooking the salt marsh. I love the Bittersweet berries in their bright red to orange to yellow colors.
“The berries on this plant were called bittersweet by colonists for their resemblance to nightshade berries. They are usually dark to light orange in color, but can sometimes be yellow or almost red. American bittersweet berries are important late-winter food sources for birds, who then “plant” the seeds for more vines.”
My mom used to pick these Bittersweet vines and then wind them into a wreath for the fall. It was always so festive. Fun memories…
You can still see the beautiful deep blue Chicory wildflowers blooming along the roads, trails and out in the meadows. I took this photograph at Fort Hill.
A couple of interesting facts: The stemless flowers grow right on the stalk and each flower lasts only one day. I love the delicate stamen and pistils in the center.
Chicory blooms through October so you still have time to see it.
These little, bright orange Jewelweed wildflowers are tubular spotted flowers that dangle like pendants from a branch. (Click on blog link for 2nd photograph.)
Their flowers are only 1″ and bloom in shady areas from July through September, so you don’t have much more time to see them. I saw these on the trails at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
