We can work until out backs give out, digging and pulling out rocks and planting new things and meanwhile these two native species quietly reappear each spring no matter what we do.
The lady slipper (aka moccasin flower) is a treasure in our woods.
I learned this while reading Home Bird by Laura Wainwright
Most plants develop seeds that contain their own food supply, but the seeds of the lady's slipper do not. They rely on the presence of a fungus in the soil whose threads break open the seeds and provide the food. It's a symbiotic relationship ...over time, the lady slipper provides the fungus with nutrients it needs. This is why this "wild orchid" cannot be transplanted.
Once the lady slipper is mature it needs the help a bee to spread the pollen from one to another.
It is a complex system.
Have I written about this before? Every year it is as if I am finding this elusive flower for the first time. Our woods are full of them, but you have to look carefully to find them.
2 comments:
Every time of the year is special...everywhere. When John and I were 'hiking" in Rock Mt. Nat'l Park last week we came across a trio of ladies bent over, botany books in hand inspecting "sedum"...and other marvels. When I asked what they had found, they unleashed a torrent of excited discourse to which I nodded knowingly and appreciatively. Nodded in thanks...and proceeded onward. Great time of year!
The only flowers blooming here are dandelions! They sure add a lot of color to this landscape... :-)
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