What's Out In Kentucky?

[alpines]

It's seems an eternity since we last posted on here....but then it seems an eternity since we saw anything worth posting.
Two weeks ago we took a trip around the county and saw only one plant in flower. This weekend there had been such an explosion of flowers that even the Hepaticas had gone over. I guess four days on the 80s and yesterday which broke all records with an 86 in April brought the wildflowers back into the limelight, so we'd like to share with you (or should that be y'all) what we found in Rockcastle and Madison Counties.
Hope you enjoy them, always providing I can remember how to upload.
1.  Alan and camera. NB. That is a Tripod NOT a Zimmer frame !!
2.  Erythronium albidum
3.  Anemonella thalictroides
4.  Cardamine concatenata
5.  Claytonia virginica
6.  Dicentra cucullaria
7.  Dicentra canadensis
8.  Epigaea repens
9.  Erythronium americanum
10.Erigenia bulbosa
 

[alpines]

....and batch two

1.  Houstonia caerulea
2.  Polemonium reptans
3.  Phlox divaricata
4.  Trillium sessile on the roadside
5.  Sanguinaria canadensis
6.  Trillium sessile
7.  Stylophorum diphyllum
8. Trillium erectum (Red)
9. Trillium erectum (Cream)

....that's all folks. Enjoy !!

[TheOnionMan]

Alan, superb photos chronicling your delicious wildflower buffet.  What a difference it can make when using a professional grade camera, and of course there's the skill and eye of the photographer.  I get so frustrated with sharing my daugter's entry level Nikon Coolpix, the camera is pathetic with light color flowers.

Recently, a number of Cardamine species are showing up in the SRGC forum, but I haven't seen nor heard of C. concatenata before (I wonder what it is concatenating to warrant the species epithet?), then lo and behold it is not just a southeastern specialty, but native to the entire eastern USA (including Massachusetts where I live) and eastern Canadian provinces.  I've never encountered it.  And look at those whimsical common names:

Cardamine concatenata
The Cutleaf Toothwort, Crow's Toes, Pepper Root, Purple-flowered Toothwort
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamine_concatenata

Range:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CACO26

I see my favorite little friend, Houstonia caerulea.  Are they always a fairly strong blue in your area?  Here there are most often white or a faint bluish color, although I have seen strong blue forms in Western Massachusetts.

By the way, it hit 86 F (30 C) here yesterday too, we're 2-3 weeks earlier this spring than any spring season in memory.

[alpines]

Hi Mark...glad you enjoyed the photographs but I've got to let you into a secret. Some of the shots were taken by Sherba with her 'entry level' Olympus. This is her second Olympus and it is incredibly useful in low light situations where we often find ourselves.The 'red' erectum and the celandine poppy were both taken by Sherba.
The Cardamine used to be Dentaria laciniata, and in some references, still is. Personally I prefer the latter epithet. (See photo of leaf).
The Houstonia is rarely this deep blue. The vast majority we see are a pale blue to white but these were growing in very deep shade so maybe that was the reason. Similarly the Claytonia is not always this nice cerise color. It too varies to almost white.

[ranunculus]

Welcome back folks ... beautiful images of delightful plants. The epigaea is gorgeous.
You look younger Alan ... hair implants?   

[Maggi Young]

By jove.... you pair have been quiet for so long I thought you'd abanadoned us altogether and got into horses or some such! great to welcome you back.... and with such great pix of such a wide selection of plants.... a revelation to some of us, I'm sure, from your lovely State.
Goodhealth  to you both from us in Aberdeen! 

[alpines]

Hair implants? Look closely !!!!! If I hadn't been in the shade, the sun on the bald spot would have precluded the necessity for flash photography.
The epigaea is indeed beautiful although the flowers had just started to go over on some of them. Sherba (as always) found this colony. The photo of me was taken photographing them lying in crevices on the rock in deep shade. I'll post a photo of the habitat. They were growing under this ledge.
Good luck for your USA tour buddy. See you soon

[alpines]

Thanks Maggi. Long story but we are (almost) back in the thick of things. Will post more as we find them.
Say 'Hi" to Ian and the gang.

[indigo]

Super pictures  Particulary love the Dicentra canadensis which I initially thought looked like a white Bleeding Heart, but I've educated myself with the help of google.  Stunning flower anyway.

I lived in Louisville for 3 years, lovely to see some flowers from near that part of the world.

Which entry level Olympus?  I'm needing to replace and would like one that takes decent pics in low light plus action shots of my dog.

[alpines]

D.canadensis is a beautiful plant, locally known as Squirrel corn. It has very similar foliage to the bleeding heart and can easily be mistaken when not in flower.

The camera Sherba uses is an Olympus-12.0-Megapixel Digital Camera-Model FE-4010. $130-90 from Best Buy. It really is a superb little pocket camera for the money...and 12 megapixels too. Her previous camera was (I think) 6 megapixels and equally as good in low light conditions. In fact the exposures in the woods (if you'll pardon the expression) is far superior to my DSLR. It has very impressive macro and a nice wide angle. I'd recommend it for casual photography.

[indigo]

Thanks for that , had a look and unfortunately it doesn't have a viewfinder.

[TheOnionMan]

Thanks for that , had a look and unfortunately it doesn't have a viewfinder.

Almost none of the lower end digital cameras have viewfinders anymore; trying to view through the LCD screen in bright light is useless

[alpines]

Almost none of the lower end digital cameras have viewfinders anymore; trying to view through the LCD screen in bright light is useless

Mark is quite correct. The majority don't have viewfinders. It really is horses for courses with  a camera. There are alternatives though. I thought at first that Muriel was in the USA until I saw her profile with a UK e-mail address that's why I mentioned Best Buy.  Delkin make a universal pop-up screen shade for compact cameras which retails for 20 GBP and is available from Jessops. Might be worth a try. Good luck in finding a suitable camera.

[Lesley Cox]

It's great to have you both back, Sherba and Alan. Stay with us.

I love the pink Epigaea repens. My big one (bought locally) is white but some strong seedlings from Krystl Walek may show some pink, I'm hoping. The fragrance is great too. I'm surprised at the very open and dry-looking habitat though.

[alpines]

Hi Lesley....and thanks for that very special welcome.
The Epigaea is indeed beautiful. There were also white and cream forms in the same locality but you are quite right....the habitat was surprising. But there were plants in open sunny places and plants in the deepest shade. Obviously it was in acid soil (pines and rhododendrons) which is unusual for Kentucky. Most of the area is limestone around us. We found it about 15 miles from home, so I've already had orders from Cliff for seed. Just have to hope I can find them again.