Most weekends I take a long urban hike with friends. Forest Park, beginning in Upper MacClay Park and taking the Wildwood trail and the Wild Cherry trail is a favorite with us. At this time of year, it's always cool and beautiful in the woods - summer heat hasn't taken its toll on the lush greenery yet.
The early spring flowers are over, but there are a lot of plants still flowering, and berries are starting to show, too. Here are some of the fruit and flowers we saw on this morning's hike, with my tentative IDs of them.
Polygonatum Biflorum, or Solomon's Seal (correction: Streptopus lanceolatus, or Rosy Twisted Stalk: thank you, Anonymous.) Still beautiful orange berries!
Actea Rubra, baneberry. These pretty red berries are poisonous.
Unidentified ... does anyone know this? I'm sure those luscious-looking berries are poisonous, too.
Candy Flower, Claytonia Sibirica, native to Siberia and the Northwest. You can't see it well in my fuzzy photo, but each white flower petal has several tiny purple stripes radiating from the base.
Lillium Columbianum, also called Tiger Lily, Columbia Lily and Oregon Lily.
Gorgeous Tiger Lily spots from underneath.
I think we need a few of these in the Northwest Territory at Longview Ranch.
The tree canopy in Forest Park.
Looking up at it today, a friend remarked, "I feel safe here."
I know just how he felt.
The early spring flowers are over, but there are a lot of plants still flowering, and berries are starting to show, too. Here are some of the fruit and flowers we saw on this morning's hike, with my tentative IDs of them.
Actea Rubra, baneberry. These pretty red berries are poisonous.
Unidentified ... does anyone know this? I'm sure those luscious-looking berries are poisonous, too.
Candy Flower, Claytonia Sibirica, native to Siberia and the Northwest. You can't see it well in my fuzzy photo, but each white flower petal has several tiny purple stripes radiating from the base.
Lillium Columbianum, also called Tiger Lily, Columbia Lily and Oregon Lily.
Gorgeous Tiger Lily spots from underneath.I think we need a few of these in the Northwest Territory at Longview Ranch.
The tree canopy in Forest Park.Looking up at it today, a friend remarked, "I feel safe here."
I know just how he felt.
We had my in-laws visiting from Tennessee last weekend and almost went on a similar hike on Sunday. Looking at your pictures I'm wishing that we had!
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Forest Park, I had no idea it had such beautiful plants. I'm not much of a hiker, but that might actually be motivation enough to get me out there. Love that Polygonatum.
ReplyDeleteDitto Megan on the Solomon's Seal, for some reason I never saw the orange berries before. I think I had False Solomon's Seal in my old garden, different plant, no berries. Tiger lilies are so adorable, I love how far back their petals stretch, like they are putting their arms behind their backs in a nifty yoga pose or something. Is that Herb Robert I see stinking up the forest floor along with the Candy flower, or are their foliages just really similar? Nice post!
ReplyDeleterosy twisted stalk is the first plant not Solomon's Seal.
ReplyDelete