A plant that should not be here, but this patch on the Trillium Trail has been expanding and now covers quite a bit of ground in the woods. Although this is generally a Midwestern plant, its range becomes spotty and discontinuous at its eastern extremity, and there are recorded stations east of us; so it is likely that this is just one of those discontinuous spots.
For a description of the species, see the Enemion biternatum reference page.
A pure white Bleeding-Heart that, as a plant, is just about indistinguishable from Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra canadensis) until it blooms. Even then, a casual glance might register as the more common Dutchman’s Breeches—and especially here on the Trillium Trail, where it was growing in the middle of a patch of Dutchman’s Breeches.
For a description of the species, see the Dicentra canadensis reference page.
This is Blue Cohosh when it is out of its Bela Lugosi phase but still blooming. It looks much more like a normal plant when its leaves have unfolded and turned green.
For a description of the species, see the Caulophyllum thalictroides reference page.
As the species name tells us, this is a dioecious plant, meaning that each plant is either male or female—a rarity among flowering plants. The male flowers, with their dangling stamens that jingle silently in the breeze, are the ones we notice; the female flowers are more obscure. These plants were blooming in Fox Chapel above the parking area for the southern end of the Trillium Trail.
For a description of the species, see the Thalictrum dioicum reference page.
Close-up pictures of Redbud flowers in Bird Park, Mount Lebanon.
For a description of the species, see the Cercis canadensis reference page.
