A longish photo diary to establish a baseline for plants and flowers being seen along the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia. Lots of stuff so far that I can not immediately identify. Please see my earlier diaries on this area for the initial wildlife sightings and other observations. These photos are from walks along the Schuylkill River on March 18th and March 20th.
One thing I noted in trying to identify these plants is that most of the quick internet options concentrate on “showy” garden plants and seem to ignore anything with small flowers.
The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. |
First off — let’s do some of the little stuff. Moss and lichens.
(Moss 1) Cushion Moss variety growing on a nearly vertical surface
(Moss 2) A second variety of moss growing on a flat surface — a feather moss (Brachythecium rivulare perhaps)
Another moss growing on a flat piece of rock outcrop — note the sporophytes
Close-up of the moss and sporophytes
(Boulder 1) — Plants growing under cover of the edge of a boulder along with some lichens; Speedwell (Veronica) and probably Bittercress (Cardamine).
Close-up of blooms and stem of the Cardamine
Second we have the small edge plants; invasives, “weeds", etc. that grow in untended or disturbed soil.
(Edge 1) (Alliaria petiolata) Garlic Mustard rosette
(Edge 2) Possibly a young stinging nettle (?)
(Edge 3) Speedwell (Veronica)
Close-up of leaves and bloom — ooo, fuzzzzzy
(Edge 4) Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) — member of the daisy family
(Edge 5) (unidentified)
Close-up of blooms
(Edge 6) Common Mullein rosette (Verbascum thapsus) — non-native
(Edge 7) Pineapple Weed (Matricaria discoidea) (?)
(Edge 8) Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) — I note a few differences from the one I posted a picture of in another diary
close-up of blooms
(Edge 9) Red dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum) — part of the mint family
Close-up of blooms
(Edge 10) (unidentified)
(Edge 11) (unidentified) — has large number of runners along the ground
(Edge 12) (unidentified)
(Edge 13) Curly Dock (Rumex crispus)
(Edge 14) A young Burdock (Arctium lappa)
(Edge 15) Low-growing (unidentified) shrub in the woods on the bluff
(Edge 16) Growing on runners amidst another plant; possibly Japanese honeysuckle?
(Edge 17) Yes, the dandelions are blooming already
Dandelion bloom close-up
(Edge 18) Bull thistle rosette (about 20” in diameter)
Third, we move on to bedding plants in the area that are blooming. There are extensive plant beds around the Art Museum. Most have recently been heavily mulched.
(Ornamental 1) Snowdrops (Galanthus)
Snowdrop bloom close-up
(Ornamental 2) Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica)
Close-up of blooms
(Ornamental 3) Helleborus niger
Close-up of one of the blooms
(Ornamental 4) Daffodil bloom — lots and lots of them around
(Ornamental 5) (Helleborus x hybridus)
Close-up of bloom
(Ornamental 6) Black Hellebore (Helleborus niger)
(Note: The Helleborus pictured above were all planted in shady areas. And I might well be wrong and they are all Helleborus varieties or all Aconite varieties. They seem fairly similar other than leaf pattern, and appear to share a number of general characteristics.)
(Ornamental 7) (Oxalis)
Fourth, we move up to shrubs and small trees; both wild and specifically planted for ornamental purposes.
(Ornamental 8) Forsythia Blooms
(Ornamental 9) Bloom on ornamental shrub — possibly Italian Honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium)
(Ornamental 10) Oregon-grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
Close-up of Oregon-grape unopened blossoms
(Ornamental 11) Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) — an explicit thank you to the person offering this correction since I saw blooms on this hedge in January!
Close-up of blossoms on hedge
(Ornamental 12) Holly with berries that survived through the winter
(Ornamental 13) Ornamental shrub (unidentified)
(Ornamental 14) Bloom cluster on an ornamental shrub
(Ornamental 15) Winter hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora) with lots of yellow blooms
Close-up of blooms
(Ornamental 16) Helleborus x hybridus
(Ornamental 17) Close-up on a flower cluster bud on a bush near the Art Museum
(Ornamental 18) Another Italian Honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium)
(Ornamental 19) Rhododendron — these should be very pretty in a few months
(Ornamental 20) Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas)
Close-up of the blossom groups
Fifth, we move up to trees. Blooming right now are dogwoods and plums. Cherry should be following shortly. (And at this point I am realizing that I have been mis-identifying the early blooming trees — mainly thinking some of the hybrid dogwoods are fruit trees (cherry or plum).
(Tree 1) Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia × soulangeana) in a churchyard in Center City
Close-up of a different Saucer Magnolia tree
Large and deep blossoms
(Tree 2) Flowering crabapple (?)
(Tree 3) Star Magnolia
We close with a geology picture. This is a sample of the bluff and local rock through which the river flows.
Wissahickon Formation outcrop on Kelly Drive
(Edit 1: Added an identifier to most of the photographs. Also made an initial set of corrections to the picture captions as comments corrected my conclusions, which I do highly appreciate.)
(Edit 2: More name corrections as commenters have offered suggestions and corrections. The three unidentified “ornamentals” are tough since all I posted are close-ups and no information on shrub structure, leaves, etc. Same going for the unidentified “edge” plants since they might be in youth stages, or have not bloomed. I suspect they will go into one of the large groups like brassica or prove to be a honeysuckle varient, etc. And I really do appreciate getting straightened out on the trees — magnolias are nice, and now I get to start watching for the cherries and plums actually blooming.)
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Now It's Your Turn
What have you noted happening in your area or travels? As usual post your observations as well as their general location in the comments.