in vermont. ken and i took a day trip which turned out really well! it was a little longer than we usually might go to see orchids, and we had to drive through some of the hurricane/flooded/damaged roads through vermont but it was well worth the trip. I had been to this spot a few times before, but not recently and I knew that ken would enjoy seeing all of the orchids there. there were showy orchis, cyp arietinum, cyp parviflorum var pubescens, possibly a hooker's orchis (have been seen there in the past) and other interesting sights
when we arrived at the site, it was quite warm and breezy. as we walked up the path towards the bridge, I could see that the hurricane flooding had washed out the bridge before, and new grading plus a new bridge was in place. unfortunately, I could see that some of the new grading looked to be very near where the first colony of ram's head ladyslippers were near the creek. ken and i looked around a few minutes, before I moved closer to the creek
I finally spot my first ram's head seedling before finding about half a dozen
after ken comes down to see the seedling, I spot a plant in flower, and
we soon find about seven nicely flowering plants very close to where
the construction work was done. one part of the colony was bulldozed
to make the grade, but quite a few seedlings and flowering plants were
in the area behind a maple tree and the slope towards the creek. the
orchids were growing in a small area where there was silty loam
(very moist but airy continually).
ken photographing one of the first ram's head, near the base of
the bank
another nice c. arietinum on the bank
another nice flower with a seed pod from last year. there were
quite a few old seed pods in both colonies
the first time I came to this site, I found a single all-white showy
orchis plant in flower. it was my first all-white native orchid, and
nobody had seen it here before so I was pretty excited. much
to my surprise and happiness, this year the plant had multiplied
into a six-growth colony! It's difficult to photograph this species,
but this clump was up on a bank, making it much easier to get a
view from below
amazing
another clump nearby not yet in flower; looked to be a pale pink form
not sure if this was a hooker's orchis, or a new showy orchis seedling
more in next window
when we arrived at the site, it was quite warm and breezy. as we walked up the path towards the bridge, I could see that the hurricane flooding had washed out the bridge before, and new grading plus a new bridge was in place. unfortunately, I could see that some of the new grading looked to be very near where the first colony of ram's head ladyslippers were near the creek. ken and i looked around a few minutes, before I moved closer to the creek
I finally spot my first ram's head seedling before finding about half a dozen
after ken comes down to see the seedling, I spot a plant in flower, and
we soon find about seven nicely flowering plants very close to where
the construction work was done. one part of the colony was bulldozed
to make the grade, but quite a few seedlings and flowering plants were
in the area behind a maple tree and the slope towards the creek. the
orchids were growing in a small area where there was silty loam
(very moist but airy continually).
ken photographing one of the first ram's head, near the base of
the bank
another nice c. arietinum on the bank
another nice flower with a seed pod from last year. there were
quite a few old seed pods in both colonies
the first time I came to this site, I found a single all-white showy
orchis plant in flower. it was my first all-white native orchid, and
nobody had seen it here before so I was pretty excited. much
to my surprise and happiness, this year the plant had multiplied
into a six-growth colony! It's difficult to photograph this species,
but this clump was up on a bank, making it much easier to get a
view from below
amazing
another clump nearby not yet in flower; looked to be a pale pink form
not sure if this was a hooker's orchis, or a new showy orchis seedling
more in next window
