Helleborus

Think of being stuck on a long plane ride, next to a guy who talks non-stop, mostly about himself. And he's not that interesting; you just want to go to sleep and he keeps talking...

The word that comes to mind for this person, in this situation is "Helleborus." It's a real word, but of course it is the name of a genus of flowering plants native to Europe, the Ukraine, and Turkey. The greatest concentration of native Hellebores is in the Balkans. It's a hardy evergreen and yes it grows well here in western Oregon. In fact it is starting to bloom now (2-20-2014).

My mother Jackie was an avid gardener and hardly a day went by where she was not out in the dirt, pulling weeds or planting something. When she and her husband Bruce retired in Medford in 1992, they bought an older home with a large yard for gardening. The yard's many species included several varieties of Hellebores. We were not familiar with these winter-blooming plants, so at some point she dug up some of the plants and we brought them back to our place and planted them. She passed away in 1998, but the transplants are going strong in a shaded cluster on the north side of our house.

Some of the common names of the 20 or so species in this genus are Christmas Rose and Lenten Rose, due to the time they usually bloom. They are not related to the Rose family at all, but no matter in the fickle world of common names. I believe the ones in our yard are Lenten Roses (Helleborus orientalis), but this year they seem to be very early.

Most Hellebores are highly toxic but nevertheless were used (centuries ago) as treatments for a wide range of ailments including leprosy! Interesting Hellebore legends from Wikipedia:

• Helleborus niger is commonly called the Christmas rose, due to an old legend that it sprouted in the snow from the tears of a young girl who had no gift to give the Christ child in Bethlehem.
• In Greek mythology, Melampus of Pylos used hellebore to save the daughters of the king of Argos from a madness, induced by Dionysus, that caused them to run naked through the city, crying, weeping, and screaming.
• During the Siege of Kirrha in 585 BC, hellebore was reportedly used by the Greek besiegers to poison the city's water supply. The defenders were subsequently so weakened by diarrhea that they were unable to defend the city from assault.
• An overdose of medication containing hellebore has been suggested as a possible cause of the death of Alexander the Great.

Although somewhat similar in appearance, this plant is not related to False Hellebore, which is a wildflower we found blooming near Lookout Mountain last summer. The flowers are about 1.5 inch wide and have five sepals rather than petals. The sepals, which retain the flower's nectar, remain on the plants for months, thereby helping with more successful seed production. The leaves are large, about 6 inches long, and dark green. Clusters of buds appear as the plant begins to flower. Many hybrid strains are available from garden shops, and there are many internet sources for these hardy evergreens.

At Jenkins Estate - 2/21/2014

Moss Art

The temperature today is 18 degrees, it's snowing, and the east wind is blowing....

That may sound like Purgatory to you and I'm inclined to agree, except that this climate means I can sit at the computer and catch up on some photo editing and writing. Looking out the window at the blowing snow as I write this, gives one time to reflect as well, a necessary ingredient for planning fair weather explorations in the coming months.

Meanwhile, as this is the "off-season" so to speak, here's a half-price post for your viewing pleasure and for me to keep my old brain engaged...

If you spend any time in the Pacific Northwest, at some point during your visit you will realize that no matter where you go, you can count on three things: espresso, craft beer, and moss. Those of us who live here eventually become blind to the moss in the forest, as it just fades into the background like your boss's long speeches. On the other hand, some people spend a fortune trying to get rid of moss in their lawns and on their roofs.

Nevertheless, moss can have a subtle yet special beauty of its own. This winter in particular, it seems like the moss is working overtime: there seems to be more of it and it appears more colorful and lush. I'm guessing that is due to our very dry winter with lots of sun and ample fog to allow for growth. That, coupled with the fact that there are just a handful of wildflowers blooming in winter, inspires me to do this post, basically on the subtle photographic qualities of moss.

Much has been written about moss in general, so I won't repeat any of that here. That said, here are just a few interesting facts about moss:

• Moss is one of the oldest plants on the planet.
• There are about 12,000 species of moss in the plant division Bryophyta.
• Moss is non-vascular, meaning it has to absorb moisture directly from precipitation.
• It does not have roots, flowers, or seeds.
• In summer, moss can reduce its metabolism drastically to survive in the dry weather.
• Spanish moss is not really moss. It's a lichen.

Ok, on to the photos. These were all taken at Rood Bridge Park in January 2014. 

For my complete gallery of my spellbinding moss pictures, visit: Clark's Moss Gallery on Zenfolio.

Snowdrop

Happy new year everyone!

It's been slow in the wildflower sighting club lately, so we have been mostly picking up trash on our local walks at the park. The weather this January was well below normal in precip and higher in sunshine, so we have seen lots of moss - seems to be the ideal conditions for it this winter.

In any event, this post is to commemorate the first sighting of a local wildflower this year! Yee-Haw!

It's the winter-blooming Snowdrop (Galanthus). These small white blooms (about 3/4 in. tall) are one of twenty species found in Galanthus. Many cultivars also exist so it's hard to say if these growing along Laurelview road near a ditch are wild or not. These are probably Galanthus nivalis, the most common species in most areas. Galanthus are native to Europe, where they are threatened, due to loss of habitat.

Interesting note from Wikipedia: It was suggested by Andreas Plaitakis and Roger Duvoisin in 1983 that the mysterious magical herb "moly," that appears in Homer's Odyssey, is actually Snowdrop. An active substance in snowdrop is called galantamine, which, as anticholinesterase, could have acted as an antidote to Circe's poisons. 

Snowdrops at Jenkins Estate (2-21-2014)

Fully opened blossom at Jenkins Estate

On Laurelview Road (2/01/2014)

Wikipedia Reference