“A dead hydrangea is as intricate and lovely as one in bloom. Bleak sky is as seductive as sunshine, miniature orange trees without blossom or fruit are not defective; they are that.” ― Toni Morrison, Tar Baby
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Back at Kezar Lake in Sutton, NH, again, on one of the warmest days in May, with a high temperature of 80 and a low of 60. The sky was stormy and we did get a little rain, less than a tenth of an inch, but not while we were walking. I love a stormy sky in every season, but not always when I’m walking as far as 1.5 miles in any direction from the car. This may have been the day we brought two cars and parked each halfway to shorten our run in the case of lightning or a downpour to a maximum of 3/4 mile.
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The excitement that day was of the trillium variety, Trillium erectum (red), with their big floppy leaves, and the more dainty T. undulatum (painted), to be exact.
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Other plants noticed that day were hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides), the start of a lady’s slipper, what I think it red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), dwarf ginseng (Panax trifolius) and what I think is white baneberry (Actaea pachypoda), aka doll’s-eyes, a very poisonous plant.
Hobblebush:
Lady’s Slipper:
Red elderberry:
White baneberry:
Dwarf ginseng:
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Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) over the lake.
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Featured image: lake view
This is one in a series of posts revisiting field trips taken from January to June 2019, as described here.