There are so many changes happening out there! This week, I made sure to touch all four trails to take note of all the new spring growth.
The blackberries are in full bloom everywhere. Look carefully, though, and you might notice another showy white flower: the multiflora rose. You’ll notice the smell of the roses as you pass by. The fragrant (and invasive) privet and Japanese honeysuckle are also beginning to bloom. The mock strawberries are putting out berries now. Don’t forget to look at the clumps of grass! Two common plants with interesting growth are sallow sedge and Gray’s sedge.
On the Hatcher Creek Greenway there were many European field pansies. In the woods, the rain lilies were covering the ground. There were many jack in the pulpits and mayapples in the woods as well. There is even a clump of wide leaf bluestar. If you pay close attention in the wet areas, you will see the tiny flowers of the Carolina bedstraw.
The Crabtree Creek Greenway hosts many of the same flowers as the Hatcher Creek Greenway. You’ll notice more privet and multiflora rose on this trail. Look carefully for the very small flowers of southern chervil.
On the Indian Creek Greenway, I saw a beautiful clump of Philadelphia fleabane. Look up and you’ll see crossvine blooming high in the trees. Thymeleaf speedwell, strawberry bush, and small flowered buttercups can also be found on this trail.
The new blooms on the Shiloh Greenway include yellow star-grass, common honeysuckle, wild strawberries, pink-ladies, wild quinine, downy beardtongue, ox-eye daisy, and Small’s ragwort.
What are you seeing on the trails right now?