Monday, June 20, 2016

Along the Shores of Lake Huron

I have had previous posts about the wild flowers along Lake Huron, but usually showing flowers that bloom later in the season.

Here are photos of some of the most attractive plants that were in bloom a few days ago. Because of the abundance of extreme habitats, our area has a high number of rare species and is considered one of the more botanically significant parts of Ontario.

Iris versicolor which is usually found in ditches




Castilleja coccinea, a plant usually associated with the West rather than the East of North America

The Castilleja were more numerous this year than I have ever seen them
Coreopsis lanceolata - a common garden plant. However the plant above is no garden escape,
 but the unimproved original native.

Hedyotis longifolia and Sisyrinchium mucronatus (the blue one) both growing straight on the alvar


Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium) can be very dense on the road embankment


Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris) - grows in wet rocky places


Cypripedium parviflorum - actually common in this area

In the shade, Polygala paucifolia

The wild blackberry (Rubus occidentalis)

To end with, a small carnivorous sundew.
Drosera linearis

Dorcas Bay on Lake Huron where most of these pictures were taken

8 comments:

  1. Those Lady's Slippers - so beautiful. I'm very surprised to see so many Indian Paintbrush so far east and north - what a striking plant!

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  2. Beautiful to see so many wild flowers in their true environment, these places are so special and must be preserved for future generations.

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  3. Awesome photos. I used an Iris Versicolor homeopathic on Matilda (our 14-year old wheaton cross) for her pancreas. After 5 days, she started running and playing like a 5 year old terrier (that has it's good and bad points :-) and she lasted for another 4 years. I have been looking for the plant ever since and had no idea it grew in our area.

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  4. Amazing how many different, for us unusual, plants there are at lake Huron. That field of Castilleja coccinea, the Cypripedium parviflora, wonderful. The blue Sisyrinchium you see here only occasionally in gardens.

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  5. Such a treat to see so many wild flowers growing happily. We have some very small Sisyrinchiums growing in a purple pads. One is blue with a bright yellow I on the other is yellow. They are only grow to a few inches in height.

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  6. Wow, the Lady Slipper Orchid, growing wild, in its habitat, it's such an unusual, eye-catching and rare plant that it seems very odd to see a clump of them, just sat there, growing in a patch.

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  7. Wonderful to see plants in the wild some of which can be quite sought after for the garden here in the UK.

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  8. How many wild plants are preserved in your area, Alain. I've seen Cypripedium parviflorum, it's the oldest and most primitive genus of orchids. Cypripedium ventricosumin grows in the temperate zones of the European part of Russia, Siberia, the Far East.

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