Saturday, April 04, 2009

Highbanks Metropark





Megan, Weston and I went on a hike Thursday to Highbanks Metropark, and it was a glorious spring day, warm, sunny, and perfect for the first splash of color throughout the maple-oak-beech forests there. Perhaps "the flower" of the day was bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, which we seemed to catch at the peak of bloom. A few more days, and the white petals will be a pile on the ground at the base of the plant. Named for the orangish red sap in this plant's underground tubers, bloodroot is perhaps my favorite spring wildflower. This wasn't the only thing blooming, and I'll have the rest of our hike soon.

Tom

8 comments:

  1. I love how it is unfolding. It's as if the leaves are protecting the petals from the elements.

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  2. Yes, isn't that amazing? If I were going to show just one picture, the last one would be it. It adds more, tells us more.

    Tom

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  3. That's a lovely flower, and well-photographed. It's also one we don't get around here.

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  4. Such a lovely sequence of photos, Tom. I'm glad your spring has arrived in OH.

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  5. Tom: What a beautiful wild flower, we are still a little behind.

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  6. The flowers are so delicate in the woods. I'm always rather in awe of them. Lots of tiny white beauties. If it ever gets less rainy (muddy), I better get out in the woods before I miss the wildflowers.

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  7. Love the blood root but I think we need more baby pictures!

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  8. Great close up of the blood root! Did you get snow today? We received 2 inches...come on spring already!
    Chris

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