Turning the Corner

Rain, sun, and clouds - a typical March day.

As I write this post on March 17th, there are plum trees blooming, daffodils up here and there, and even a few native trillium opening up. From a meteorological point of view, we have crossed over to the other side, so to speak: here in our neck of the woods today is the first day with more than 12 hours of daylight! So from now until the middle of June it only gets better for daylight. This means that the vacation is over for the staff here at Wildflower Blog Central! Time to dust off those lenses, charge up our batteries, and fill up the coffee thermos - after all those blooms wait for no man!


Since our last post, the days are longer, the soil is warmer, and the air temperature is going up. Rainfall and cold winds are decreasing as well. We've posted before about the single Apetala1 gene that controls flower blooming (see link below), so we won't get into the technical details here. All told, it means the lowland bloom season is underway. We've spotted several woodland natives coming out of their slumber, as well as some deciduous trees taking note of the impending arrival of spring.

Throughout history, springtime has been associated with new beginnings, fertility, and garden growth. For our local native wildflowers it's really very similar. The plants produce their blooms for one reason: to attract insects, birds, and other critters to ensure pollination. Without pollination, there is little chance of reproduction. Although some flowering plants can self-pollinate or propagate by division, the vast majority still need to put on a good show to be successful. Pollination is a simple concept but the actual process is quite complicated. If you would like to know more, see the link below.

One of our favorites, the dainty Oaks Toothwort (Cardamine nuttallii var. nuttallii) has arrived out at Hagg Lake, not surprisingly in a wooded oak area.



And it could not really be spring without the arrival of the native Western Trillium (Trillium ovatum). This one is at Rood Bridge park in Hillsboro.



The Indian Plum (Oemleria cerasiformis) flowers are fully blooming now, and their leaves are forming up. We've seen these shrubs in just about every local park recently.

At Jackson Bottom Wetlands, the male and female Hooker's Willow (Salix hookeriana) catkins are starting their pollination dance.

A Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) blooms in a creek bed at Hagg Lake (left); Red Alder (Alnus rubra) catkins show their colors at Rood Bridge park.

     

We spotted these Pacific Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum tenuipes) plants starting to spread their ground covering leaves at Dairy Creek park. They won't bloom for another month or so, but they create large green carpets.

We don't claim to know much about individual moss species, but these Tall Clustered Thread moss (Bryum psudotriquetum) shoots were prevalent on tree stumps along the northeast side of the Hagg Lake trail. They don't have flowers to attract insects so they reproduce via primitive spores.

Next month watch for Earth Day activities around the 22nd. Also check your local listings for native plant sales in the area during April and May. Most are hosted by non-profits and have knowledgeable folks on hand for planting advice.

Links:

How do flowers know when to bloom?

Moss Reproduction

Process of Pollination

Out and About

We are always eager to see the early signs of spring and the subtle hints of new growth in the plant world. There are some dependable non-natives that show their colors by mid-February but what about our stalwart natives? Our mild winter was luring us into thinking we were done with the season, but plants know better! As a cold snap approaches this week, should our hopes be dashed, like watching the media star groundhogs back east? Or shall we go with what we know from observation?!

Here are a few clues to answering that seasonal question. Suffice to say, for the next week I'm sticking with my hot coffee thermos and keeping the heavy coat handy as we're out and about.

Non-native crocus in our yard on Feb. 10

While most local trails are still looking pretty dormant, you may spot some of these local natives lurking in the bushes:

Rood Bridge Park, Feb. 9.

Red Flowering Currant Buds on Feb. 9
(Ribes sanguineum)

This Indian Plum is reliably an early bloomer!
(Oemleria cerasiformis)

One of my favorites, the symbolic Tall Oregon Grape

 on Feb. 2 (Mahonia aquifolium, a.k.a., Berberis aquifolium).

Meanwhile, the fungus season marches on, in deference to the flashier and green neighbors coming out of hibernation. That said, keep your eyes peeled for more natives emerging in the next few weeks.

And last, but not least, if you are thinking about "going native" and planting more natives on your property, here's a great resource link to check out: OSU Native Plant Gardening page.

The Annual Moss Edition - 2018

Tualatin Hills Nature Park

By mid-winter, where we are now, our dedicated wildflower search team starts to get antsy. Even though we are having a very mild winter here in western Oregon, nothing native is blooming. Of course, nature does not come to a complete stop in winter, nor do we; well I supposed we do stop at times, for example when the old cat won't get off a cozy lap. But when we do get out on the trail, we strive to discover new areas to re-visit during the blooming season. That also gets us on our feet and moving around in nature - always a good thing for the mind and soul.

If you live in western Oregon then you know that nearly any mid-winter forest walk will take on a greenish-brownish look. The conifers are green, the moss is green, the ferns are green, and all the dead leaves on the ground are brown. Luckily there are usually frequent creeks, streams, and waterfalls to break this monophonic scenery. Other natural colors are hard to come by; but they are there if you know where to look and you get lucky. For example, we found this Orange Jelly fungus  (Dacrymyces palmatus) oozing out of a stump at T.H.N.P.

Jelly for your toast? 

You could say there are two kinds of moss people: those who hate moss because it gets in their lawns, mucks up the roof, and covers the walkways; and those who see it as an attractive native plant, doing its part for the damp habitat we occupy. There are about 700 different species of moss in our area, and all are abundant at all elevations. Here are a couple of very common ones living in our local parks.

Menzies Neckera (Metaneckera menziesii) covers a
White Oak at T.H.N.P.

Cat Tail Moss (Isothecium myosuroides) covers old
Vine Maples at Noble Woods Park

If you're looking to soak up some knowledge about Bryophyta plants (moss), see my posts from prior years (links below). Suffice to say, we live in the ideal environment for these curious flowerless and seedless plants. This year, we are featuring some photos from the Galen McBee Airport Park in McMinnville, Oregon. It's an obscure little park with a few walking trails and plenty of moss covered benches! It's a worthwhile stop if you are in the area.

     

The park is mostly natural but has a few curious structures. 

     

There has to be a good story behind this mushroom hut!

    

The trails feature several whimsical water fountains that are 

no longer functional. A small creek winds through the park.

     

At left, an old Big Leaf Maple is almost completely covered; at right,
a patch of lichen stakes a claim on this oak.

And last but not least, we spotted these mushrooms

caught in the late day sun near the creek.

Links:

2017 Annual Moss Edition

2016 Annual Moss Edition

2015 Annual Moss Edition

Newspaper Article about Airport Park (2017)

Urban Legends

You know the feeling - suddenly you get the urge to put on your hiking boots, fill your water bottle, grab the camera, and head out for the nearest trail. I hesitate to say "the call of nature" because that has come to mean something entirely different. Nonetheless, the known benefits of the exercise and just being out in nature are too good to ignore! The urge comes frequently in the summer, so our posts tend to fall behind. But not to worry, early January is a perfect time to crack open the backlog and share past adventures!



We are indeed fortunate to live in an area where the choices are numerous depending on how much time you have and how far you want to go. Some trails and parks become regulars, to be enjoyed over and over, while others are somewhat familiar, like distant cousins at a family reunion.

This post is about a local urban trail we enjoyed on a very hot summer day in August 2017. Like many of our nearby forested hikes, the Portland 4T Loop trail, as it is called, is a respectable four miles long (trail portion), is mostly shaded, and has the distinction of letting you ride the other sections of the loop route on a tram, a trolley car, and a light rail train, hence the 4T name. There's quite a bit of uphill for the first two miles, then some down and then more up! The reward at the end of the hiking part is when you hop on the aerial tram and zoom down to river level in about three minutes! Then we had fun stopping for coffee and snacks and taking in the sights of this busy area before riding the trolley over to the light rail stop to get back to our starting point at the zoo.

One of the highlights of our day hike was finding a gem of a mosaic near the end of the trail. It's a large, stepped, artwork by Lynn Takata showing the native flora and fauna of Marquam Nature Park, where the trail passes. Completed in 2013, the work is a tribute to nature and the community effort needed to bring it to fruition.

     

 A wren and creek at left; Hooker's Fairy Bell at right.

     

Western Trillium and Stellar's Jay at left; Orange Honeysuckle and hummingbird at right.

     

False Solomon Seal berries at left; mosaic marker at right.

Most of the four mile hike is what we call "relaxed" although there are several steep sections. You see plenty of homes tucked into the woods and it's a popular route for locals. Overall it was a good way to spend the afternoon in the shade while getting some exercise. It's also a great route for your active visitors if you don't feel like a long ride to the coast or Columbia Gorge.

Links:

Four T Trail Info

Marquam Nature Park

Portland Aerial Tram

Dirt and Detritivores

This post is about heroes. Not your Pulitzer prize heroes or your comic book action heroes, but the unsung heroes of that seldom talked about part of the natural world: dirt. The heroes in this world are mostly invisible. They are silent partners, master recyclers, often ignored kingpins of making dirt viable and getting carbon back into our air - no small task. The underdogs of the understory deserve a post! Don't worry though, we are not getting down to the molecular level - after all many of you gardeners out there already know most of this, if you have a compost heap.

Now that all those colorful fall leaves are on the ground, the action really begins. I'm not talking about spending hours raking up your yard, although that can be good exercise - if you don't rely on one of those blowers!

After a few weeks of rain and several layers of leaf buildup, those underdogs start their work. Bacteria, fungi, insects, slugs, and worms all do their part. They arrive at different times and finish their work in parallel or independently. These detritivores, as they are called, are an important part of the ecosystem. For example, fungi will release enzymes and acids that break down the structure of the leaf.


As the older leaves on the bottom of the heap turn to mush with the help of bacteria and detritivores, nutrients are deposited into the soil and the leaves slowly disintegrate. In addition, the carbon within the leaves will also be left in the soil. Luckily for us living earth inhabitants, this carbon slowly returns to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide via carbon respiration (remember that carbon cycle you learned about in high school?!).

As the decomposition process of plant matter continues, a typical deciduous leaf will be completely gone within a year. Conifer needles take much longer, up to seven years. The nutrients in the leaf are passed on to the soil, either directly or via the detritivores.

One of the more visible aspects of this process are the mushrooms that pop up during this time. Generally speaking, the main visible parts of fungi (mushroom stem and cap) are agents of reproduction. They produce spores and/or create bud-like growths that become new fungi. The visible mushroom portion is of course what the culinary world is most interested in; as are we nature photographers. The subtle colors and fine texture of these organisms make for good subjects. You just need to be prepared to get down low with your gear.

Our climate, soil, and geography in western Oregon make for prime mushroom habitat. With that in mind, it's not uncommon to find fungi any time of the year. However, fall is the prime time for a good mushroom show, before snow and freezing weather arrive. As a side note, the term "mushroom" has been in use since at least 1400 A.D. Its actual origin is unclear but some scholars believe it may have come from the French word "mousse" (moss), because some mushrooms grow in or near moss.

Next time you are out for a walk on the dirt, just be mindful of all that heroic activity going on underfoot! It's always a "work in progress!"

Champoeg State Park in Early November

Shute Park in Mid November

Rood Bridge Park in Late November

October Oddities

Vine Maple

Around here October is generally an enjoyable transition month. If you are a kid, it means pumpkin patch visits, corn mazes, and probably loads of candy. For us adults it's pumpkin spice lattes and colorful trees and leaves. The weather can be nasty or nice, so you don't get stuck in a climate rut!

In most years, late October is also when our fall leaf color makes its best showing here in the lowlands. The native Oregon Ash, Big Leaf Maples, and Vine Maples put on a good show as well as numerous non-native horticultural plantings in yards and parks.

Big Leaf Maple at left and
Oregon Ash at right.

Although we won't spot any wildflowers after this month, there are many curious organic things of interest. In this post we'll cover just a couple: the familiar tree "conks" and the not so familiar Robin's Pincushion.

Robin's Pincushion (Diplolepis rosae)

You've probably noticed that many of our local non-woodland nature trails have quite a few wild rose bushes growing in exposed areas. These plants are extremely hardy and produce ample flowers and seed fruits (hips) to ensure propagation. The fruits are very colorful and in particular the Dog Rose hips are bright red.

On a recent walk we noticed what appeared to be a ball of moss on one of the rose branches. Oddly though, it was not the right color for moss. About the size of a golf ball, this curious mass piqued our interest. After researching it a bit back at home, we learned this was a Robin's Pincushion Gall, also called a Moss Gall.

   

It is created when a particular female gall wasp lays up to 60 eggs into a wild rose leaf bud. About a week later the eggs hatch and the wasp larvae begin to eat the leaf. This action stimulates the growth of extra mutated leaf cells that form the hairy ball that looks like the moss. The larvae stops growing around the end of October and becomes pre-pupal for the winter. In May the adults emerge from the gall.

Shelf Fungus, a.k.a Bracket Fungus 

Anyone who has walked or hiked around just about any forest in western Oregon has seen Shelf Fungus. This is because it thrives on dead or dying tree trunks or stumps.  The name actually encompasses a large group of fungi called polypores, common throughout the world. The familiar portion of the fungus that is visible on the outside of the bark is known as a conk. The Artist's Bracket (Ganoderma applanatum) fungus is a common Bracket Fungus in our area - you can typically see dozens on a modest forest hike.

The larger ones resemble a dinner plate cut in half and stuck onto a tree. The top portion is light to dark brown, while the bottom is slightly yellow or white. Some have thin, colorful lines near the outer edges, making a striking display and fun to photograph.

In the photos here you can see the subtle colors and fascinating structure of these odd fungi. They are woody with a tough leather-like surface. The smooth undersurface has been used as a canvas of sorts for artists who carve or draw designs on them after removal - hence the name artist's bracket.

     

     

Bug's eye view. Twelve inches wide!

Cone shaped conk - also about 12 in. wide.

Close up view of the above conk.

These polypore fungi can contribute to the death of a tree as well as grow and obtain nutrients from dead trees or fallen, decomposing trunks and branches. They are usually considered part of a healthy, diverse forest because they are basically organic recyclers. In Europe they are used as indicator species in some old-growth forests. A declining population of polypores would indicate an unhealthy forest over time. 

Shelf fungus can be found all year in most of our heavily treed forests. However, in Fall they tend to be easier to spot as the surrounding plants loose their leaves. So keep your eyes peeled on your next outing and you might get "conked."