Mountain Wildflowers

Early springtime drives on an otherwise dull and monotonous four-lane highway can be transformed into wondrous trips by hillsides covered with splashes of white serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) flowers.

One of the pleasures of a late winter/early spring walk in the woods is spying the tightly-wound green leaf of a bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) plant pushing its way through the frost-encrusted soil.

Favoring dry fields, open woods, waste areas and roadsides, the individual blossoms are long-lasting, staying healthy and blooming for nearly a month when conditions are right.

It’s a plant that perfectly illustrates that the web of life is an amazing thing that seems to have no end to its number of strands.

Bee Balm is an inhabitant of moist areas in woodlands and beside streams, ponds and lakes where it is often seen growing close to cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis).