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What’s in Bloom | Wild Geranium
May 5, 2021 Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) is a woodland perennial herb native to Eastern North America. It spreads via self-ejecting seeds and thick underground rhizomes. It belongs to the genus Geranium, named after Greek word geranos, crane, due to the beak-like seed pod. Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum), also known as cranesbill, is a woodland perennial herb native to eastern North America, […]
What’s in Bloom | Mayapple
May 4, 2021 Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) is a perennial herb that can be recognized by its distinctive peltate, or umbrella-like, leaves. It is found in rich woodlands and will form large colonies by sprouting new plants along its creeping rhizomes. Young plants will only have one leaf, while mature plants will have two leaves borne on a Y-shaped stem. Mayapples are named for their single, sweet-smelling, apple-blossom-like flowers that bloom from the center of their Y-shaped stems from March through May. Benefits to Biodiversity | […]
What’s in Bloom | White Trillium
White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) is a perennial herbaceous wildflower found across the Eastern USA and in Canada.
What’s in Bloom | Sassafras
April 12, 2021 Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is a deciduous tree between 35-60 feet tall, with yellow-green flower balls during spring.Many uses for bark and roots including flavoring, medicine, scents, and dyes; Safrole found in oils is mildly carcinogenic, thus commercial use has been largely banned.Suitable for planting in disturbed, infertile soils.Attracts fruit-eating birds and hosts various pollinator species. Sassafras (Sassafras […]
What’s in Bloom | Maple
March, 24, 2021 Maples (genus Acer) are deciduous trees with oppositely-arranged lobed leaves and winged fruits called samaras. There are eight species of maple native to Virginia: the sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red maple (Acer rubrum), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum), mountain maple (Acer spicatum), black maple (Acer nigrum), southern sugar maple (Acer floridanum), and the boxelder […]
What’s in Bloom | Bloodroot
March 22, 2021 Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a perennial wildflower in the poppy family whose blooms are one of the first signs of spring. They grow in rich woodland soils and produce single, showy white flowers with bright yellow stamens and a single, lobed basal leaf that often wraps around the flower’s stem. Each flower only lasts for one to two days. Bloodroot is named for its rhizomes, which are thick and produce a reddish juice or sap if cut. This juice has traditionally been used as […]