… continued from previous post
We chanced across a patch of yet another species of trillium. This lance-leaved trillium is the 12th kind of trillium I have pictures of on this blog. There are about 50 known, worldwide.
Last fall when we saw the huge leaves falling down around the bigleaf magnolia I did some research and learned that people often miss seeing the flowers in the spring because they are so high up in the tree. So I’ve been looking up on every visit since spring got started. On this day I saw some buds and new leaves emerging and used the zoom lens to get a picture. (above)
Mountain witch-alder or large fothergilla is a 6-12 ft., sometimes taller, deciduous shrub with picturesquely crooked, multiple stems. Dense, dark blue-green, leathery foliage becomes colorful in fall. The fragrant flower, appearing as a mass of stamens, is white and occurs in thimble-like, terminal spikes after the leaves have appeared.
~ Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center website
Maybe the sunlight was different this year but the Spanish lavender’s hues seemed a lot deeper, compared to last year’s photos. I love this vivid color!
to be continued …
I didn’t realize there were so many different trilliums! Lovely blooms, Barbara, spring is the best!
Thank you, Eliza! I didn’t realize there were so many either until I decided to count how many I had pictures of, which led me to wonder just how many there might be. Wikipedia says the greatest diversity of species is found in the southern Appalachian Mountains.
The Spanish lavender is spectacular! I grow French lavender that smells nice but isn’t as dark in color as this variety.
For some reason I’m not a huge fan of lavender scented things but I do love the way they look and the color, both the light and darker shades.
You’re well on your way to becoming a trillium expert!! I love seeing the magnolia. I imagine I could grow one here, but it would have to be in just the right spot … and while young, might require more attention than I’m able to give just now. Sigh.
The botanical garden just posted some pictures of even more trilliums so now I’ll have to try to find them. Nothing like a new challenge to keep things interesting! I can understand why you would be reluctant to try growing a magnolia if caring for it would involve a lot of work.
So much for you to see and learn at the same time and we also are learning from you Barbara. I’d never see any of these pretty plants on my own, so it is good to see them up close and personal here. I can envision the smell of lavender. I’ve never seen a Venus Flytrap plant except as a novelty item in the plant section of the grocery store in a plastic carton.
I remember when I was living in Connecticut the nearest botanical garden was an hour away from us in Rhode Island and I never got there to visit it. So that has turned out to be a blessing from moving down here, to have such a treasure trove of beautiful and unusual flowers and plants only 11 minutes from home.
Oh this is very close to your home, so you can pop over there anytime the weather is good. I know we have other botanical gardens in Michigan, but too far away for me.