Charlotte Lake, Renfrew County, Ontario July 2017 #4

You can't have lovely Monarch Butterflies without this plant, shown above.  This is common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, the most widely distributed milkweed in our area.  We call it a weed, but look at those flowers!  Stunning!  Monarch larvae (caterpillars) feed ONLY on milkweeds.  Another milkweed found in our area is the Swamp Milkweed, which is even more colourful.

Above is another photo of Aralia racemosa, or Spikenard, an uncommon relative of Sarsapirilla, as detailed in a previous blog in this series.  This is a splendid shrub-like (3-6 feet high and wide) flowering plant that would be a great addition to any backyard in our area.  Look for it in a wildflower garden centre.

The Charlotte Lake cottage that we rented is on a very long private road which is maintained by local residents. We were fascinated by the simple and effective method for grading the road: an ATV dragging a metal grate weighed down by concrete blocks.

Above is Hairy Wood-mint, Blephilia hirsuta. Note long stalks of leaves differentiate it from Downy Wood Mint.  Also, as "hirsuta" suggests, it is hairy along leaf stems. The Mint family is well represented in North America with many species which are widely distributed.  You may recognize a close relative of this forest plant: Heal-all or Self-heal, Prunella vulgaris, which, if you are silly enough to maintain a lawn, you have probably pulled on numerous occasions. The name of the latter plant derives from its traditional application as a sore throat remedy. I prefer Ricola. This throat lozenge contains extracts from 11 herbs, including several common Mint family plants. Most cough drops contain menthol, which, as the name suggests, is an alcohol derivative of mint oil.

Above is a small flowering plant with round basal shiny leaves, and white flowers with protruding stamen: Round-leaved Pyrola, Pyrola rotundifolia. 

 The Pyrolaceae (Pyrola family), now considered a sub-family of the Heaths, is well represented on our forest floors. Some of my favourites are the Wintergreens...always a thrill to a young person to savour their first Wintergreen leaf...and the Pipsissewa.  Don't try pronouncing the latter after 3 glasses of wine. The results might be, umm, unintentionally entertaining.

Tall Meadow Rue, Thalictrum polygamum, above, is a deep forest plant which is not often seen flowering. This was my lucky day.

Marsh Bedstraw, Galium palustre. Note this species lives in wet places, is weak stemmed (this one certainly is) has 6 leaves in whorls and  WHITE flowers (Northern Bedstraw is more erect with white flowers, and has 4 leaves in whorls). Of course, the best way to identify a plant, or anything else in nature, is in the field.  As you can see above and below, the field guide is with me, and the plant may be compared directly to the description, drawings, and photos. Bedstraw has tiny white 4-petaled flowers. The size compares to the weave of my lovely Levi Jeans (541's...more stretchy for an old waistline!)

Common Speedwell, Veronica officinalis is a species of flowering plant in the Plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia. It has been introduced to North America where it is widely naturalized.

Above  is a buttercup. You already knew that! You used to hold one of the flowers under your chin to prove you liked butter.  There are 7 species of Buttercups (Ranunculus spp.) in our region. Some of them are native, but the most common one (probably the above specimen included) is Tall Buttercup, Ranunculus acris, which is exotic, and invasive....but still delightful to us kids! If you want to know which species this is for certain, take a photo of the leaves! I didn't. Mea culpa.

As you will appreciate and recognize, this series of photos was taken to review some of the more widespread, common, and often exotic flowers we see in summer in open spaces, and along roadsides, fields and trails.  The flowers above are not associated with most of the leaves, which appear to be nettles and grasses.  The flowers are the exotic, and ubiquitous Chysanthemum leucanthemum (a rhyming mouthful), or Daisy.

Another common import from Europe is the Rough-fruited Cinquefoil, Potentilla recta.  I love the notched petals of the subtly coloured flowers. French speakers will recognize the common name means "5 leaves".  Ironically, this species usually has 7 leaflets on each leaf stock.

A great Yiddish word is "kvetch", which, roughly translated means "constantly complaining". I always think of that word when I see this plant: a non-native member of the Pea family called Cow Vetch, Viccia cracca. Like most of this family, the roots fix nitrogen, enriching soil. The flowers are rich in nectar, attracting bees and buterflies. As the name suggests, this is a sweet cattle favourite.

Of course, you also popped the above "fruits" of the ever-present Bladder Campion, Silene vulgaris, or, if you are in the USA, Maiden's Tears (awwwww). The fruit is actually the calyx, enclosing the green seed-bearing fruit.  At this stage, if you pick the fruits, you can pop them against your hand.  When they flower, the calyx is a lovely pink colour (and they are a member of the Pink family), and the petals are white. They are so lovely.

In their native Europe, these plants are treasured as a salad constituent, especially in the southern Mediterranean, where the young shoots and leaves are added to salad. Older leaves are boiled or fried, according ot Wikipedia. When I visit Spain in February, 2019, I will attempt to corroborate this.

Another treasured "weed" is the Common St. Johnswort, Hypericum perforatum. This native of Mediterranean Europe and North Africa (like the Bladder Campion), was introduced to North America by the invading European humanoid bipeds. They brought it with them because it has always been used in traditional medicine. It has been shown to have some anti-depressant qualities, though not sufficient to replace prescription medications. Enjoy its colour and leave it be!

St. Johnswort is also toxic to livestock, and is therefore unwelcome in pastures.

The name derives from traditional harvest on St. John's Day (June 24). The Latin name is derived from Greek (hyper=over and eikon=picture), since sprigs were hung over photos on St. John's Day to ward off evil. Hmm....I wonder if I could use it over a photo of Donald Trump? Which reminds me of my peridontist's joke, as he was pulling my tooth a few weeks ago: "Nickname for Donald Trump? The Manchurian Cantaloupe." An explanation is available for a small fee.

This is an introduction to a few native plants that have become more successful due to agriculture and development. Above is Staghorn Sumac, Rhus typhina. The staghorns turn their familiar reddish colour later in summer, when birds, pollinators and me all partake of their tangy flavour.  They make an excellent herbal tea, the tanginess is due to Vitamin C.  Beware  though, some people may have allergies.

Staghorn Sumac is native to Eastern North America, and it is planted elsewhere. I have one in my garden. The downside of this great fast growing tall shrub is that it spreads through underground stems that have to be continually cut during spring and summer.  I think the result is worth it.

Staghorn Sumac is one of many plants in the Anacardiaceae family, which includes poison ivy  and poison sumac. The family includes other familiar fruit bearing edibles, like mangos and cashews.

Another familiar eastern native flower is the Black-eyed Susan, or Rudbeckia hirta. This colourful flower dominates my garden in late summer. With this plant's close cousins, the Coneflowers, Rudbeckia flowers are native to most everywhere on this continent.

Next year, get a few of these "weeds" in your garden. They are well adapted to our conditions in the Great Lakes Region, and therefore, require much less care than those unwanted exotics.

We will conclude our "Charlotte Lake" series next time, and include some post cottage August favourites.

Charlotte Lake, Renfrew County, Ontario July 2017 #3

Charlotte Lake, Renfrew County, Ontario July 2017 #3

What a biologically/ecodiverse/splendiferous region I live in. These qualities caused me to join the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust that purchases and creates easement agreements with landowners in the titled watersheds. Yes my American friends, Canada has its own Mississippi River.

The various land-forming processes (glaciers, huge rivers and even a salt water sea) have given shape to the surroundings, with a variety of wet/rich and not-so-rich habitats. This results in one of the most diverse collections of Odonate species (dragonflies and damselflies) on our continent.

Above, immature Male Common Whitetail Skimmer, Plathemis lydia. Charlotte Lake is getting quite north for this species, since it is uncommon in Algonquin Park and much more common south of the Canadian Shield.

Red Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis. This lovely wild flower grows, sometimes in large numbers, around wettish areas in the Ottawa Valley. If you get a chance, find a local grower and add it to your garden. What a splash of colour and form!

Spreading Dogbane, Apocynum androsaemifolium, note recurved lobes, distinguishes from Intermediate A. medium.  Compare to Indian Hemp and Intermediate Dogbane.

I need to take better notes!  I mis-identified this uncommon plant (above) in a previous version of this edition.  This is not the common Cornus rugosa (which I like very much!).  It is the very UNcommon Aralia racemosa, or Spikenard.  Spikenard is a very large round-leaved relative of the very common Aralia nudicaulis, or Sarsapirilla. You may have heard of a soft drink called Sarsapirilla, mispronounced in the US, sometimes, as Saspirilla. Strangely, the soft drink is not made from this plant! It is derived from Smilax ornata, a very different unrelated plant.

Both Aralia plants are in the Ginseng family. The size, leaves and cluster of flowers just emerging at the top of the plant are all indicative.

As seen in the last blog, ferns are abundant around Charlotte Lake. The Wood Ferns are the most frequently found ferns in rich forests locally, and they are very difficult to tell apart.  This one (above) is the most elegant of the Wood Ferns. Pinnae are cut and cut again. The fronds are very long and rich coloured this time of the year.  They arise from a central point. Pinnae are longest at the middle, and almost disappear towards the narrowing tip.  This is Lady Fern, Athyrium filix-femina.
My fingers are clutching one of the newly developed fertile fronds which will bear spores later in the summer.

A favourite woodland maroon 6-petaled flower (April-May), Blue Cohosh, Caulophyllum thalictroides, is shown above. The flowers have already been replaced by developing fruits, which do turn a spectacular blue.  Caution: these pretty fruits are poisonous.

For the bird-lovers, the sequence which begins with the above photo and continues below is, likely, a once in a lifetime opportunity which most of you may never experience.  I was very fortunate to spot this newly fledged Blue-headed Vireo (used to be called Solitary Vireo for you older people!), Vireo solitarius.

An adult, on the left has arrived to feed the fledgling. Note the young bird is spreading its new wings. Mom or Pop turns briefly and lets out a call, perhaps signalling to the other parent.

More ferns!  This one named itself when I looked on the underside of the fertile frond. The sori (the spore-containing bodies which appear as roundish and lighter than the pinnae above) are just developing on this Marginal Wood Fern, Dryopteris marginalis. And below, a more mature Lady Fern on my knee. Note the longer pinnae in the middle of the frond, and shorter ones toward the base..

The plant above with maple-leaf shaped leaves, and a large purple flower is Flowering Raspberry, Rubus odoratus.  These are also very common in our Eastern Ontario woods.  The berries do look like very large raspberries. These are only palatable to wildlife, so don't be trying one!

Back we go to the trials of fern identification. This is a big fern, as you are able to see my fern field guide in the photo above for size comparison. Note that the fronds emanate from a common point in the centre. Below, you see mature sori (which are the dark spots, and the are not at the margin, but rather clustered along the mid veins of the pinnae. So it is not Marginal Wood Fern, but it does look like another of the Wood Ferns.

Note that, like the Lady Fern, the pinnules are toothed, though not as delicately as in Lady Fern. Also, the longest pinnae are not at the centre of the frond. Note also that the stipe (lower leafless stem of each frond) is hairy and scaly.
I had not encountered this very large wood fern before, and I took home a piece of a frond to help with the identification.  It is now dried within the pages of my fern field guide. Even though it is more than a year since I collected the specimen, it rests within the field guide at the page for Goldie's Fern, Dryopteris goldiana.  After review at my desk, I am sticking to this identification!

Flowers and new creatures when we return for instalment 4 of Charlotte Lake soon!