Little flashes of scarlet that peep out from sidewalk cracks, curbs, and other waste places. These were blooming in sidewalks and gravel in Beechview.
For a description of the species, see the Anagallis arvensis reference page.
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Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)
Photographed May 24 with a Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6. -
Johnny Jump-Up (Viola tricolor)
The original Pansy; it escapes easily, and can establish semi-permanent colonies in odd places. These were growing from cracks in the sidewalk on the South Side.
Photographed May 15 with a Kodak EasyShare Z981. For a description of the species, see the Viola tricolor reference page.
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Blisterwort (Ranunculus recurvatus)
Photographed May 12 with a Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6. Also known as Hooked Crowfoot or Hooked Buttercup, this is another small and easily ignored species of buttercup. The plants favor moist woodlands, frequently in fairly dim light; they often form colonies along forest paths. This plant was growing in Bird Park, Mount Lebanon.
For Gray’s description of the species, see the Ranunculus recurvatus reference page.
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White Clover (Trifolium repens)
It grows in every lawn, but unless you are obsessive about your grass, there is little to object to in this little weed. It is very easy to mow, it never grows very tall even without mowing, and it does the soil good. These flower heads were blooming in a lawn in Beechview.
Photographed May 13 with a Kodak EasyShare Z981. -
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
The main range of American Holly is to the south of Pittsburgh, but there are scattered populations here and there outside the range. One of those places is in Allegheny County, where we sometimes find American Holly in the woods. This bush was blooming in Bird Park in Mount Lebanon.
Some of last year’s berries hold on into the flowering season.
Photographed May 12 with a Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6. For Gray’s description of the species, see the Ilex opaca reference page.
