Much treasured as a garden flower, this native perennial is abundant in some of our wooded parks. Here we see a large patch in Bird Park, Mount Lebanon.
Sometimes a white or nearly white form appears; the range of shades is continuous from deeper blue to almost pure white.
For a description of the species, see the Phlox divaricata reference page.
These charming little green bells are usually invisible from human level; you have to get down to plant level and gently lift up the leaves, and there they are.
The leaves seem to provide an ideal lurking place for tiny spiders. The pictures above were taken in the Kane Woods Nature Area in Scott Township; the one below was taken in Fox Chapel.
For a description of the species, see the Polygonatum pubescens reference page. Note that there are two very similar species of Polygonatum in our area, treated by some botanists as indistinguishable; if any botanically inclined readers believe that these plants are P. biflora rather than P. pubescens, corrections are always welcome.
Frequently found in our woodlands, these are also called Cranesbills, because of the distinctive seedpods that look like the head of a long-billed bird.
The “bill” is an ingenious spring-loaded mechanism that, when the pod dries, suddenly releases and flings the seeds into the air with amazing force.
The five-petaled flowers come in shades of pink ranging from lavender to deep rose.
These plants were blooming in the Kane Woods Nature Area in Scott Township.
For a description of the species, see the Geranium maculatum reference page.
Like bright yellow asters, these cheery composite flowers come out in time for Mayday. These were blooming in the Kane Woods Nature Area in Scott Township. There is nothing else like them blooming in the spring around here, so they are easy to recognize.
For a description of the species, see the Packera aurea reference page.
A beautiful native succulent that loves rocky wooded hillsides, which it finds in abundance around Pittsburgh. The pictures above were taken in the Kane Woods Nature Area, Scott Township; the ones below in Fox Chapel.
For a description of the species, see the Sedum ternatum reference page.
