Lilies Of The Wild!

Lately, with the Bridge of Flowers blooming to beat the band, it would be easy to assume that our humble local wildflowers would warrant less attention.

That would be a mistake, in my humble opinion; better to get down on one’s belly, to shift perspective, to change scale and find the beauty in what Nature created.

Like Trout Lilies (Erythronium americanum ) for instance, whose speckled leaves are reminiscent in both shape and color of brook trout:

No leaves there ’cause I posted them a short while back and don’t want to bore you.

These blossoms, though not much over an inch long and hidden in the dim light of deep woods, are a delight to those who have the good fortune to notice them:

And then there are Blue-bead lilies, Clintonia borealis ,  whose yellow-green gifts are even more subtle and elusive, yet whose complexity delights de lucky:

…and:

These vanishing acts will reappear in a couple of weeks as clusters of fat, dark blue beads levitating above their classic lily-whorles.

There are many more treasures hidden in our Spring woods; I hope I get to share them with you.

But for now, I’m off to mow the lawn!