Seminary Woods last Week

So I guess I just need to accept that I have about a week lag time between what I want to blog about, and actually getting the post together and putting it up here. Last Thursday Henry and I took some time to go and explore a great section of maple/beech woods near Lake Michigan just south of Milwaukee. Seminary Woods has some of the most incredible tracts of Showy Trillium and other spring ephemerals. It was a beautiful day, and the spring show was breathtaking. Thanks to Henry for his great photographs.

Here's Jack, hanging out in his Pulpit! (Arisaema triphyllum) Yay for native Arums!

Pollination in action on a Showy Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

My new species id for the year. I'm next to positive that this is Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides). 

Early meadow rue (Thalictrum dioicum) is a fun plant because each plant is either male or female. See the yellow pollen tipped stamens on this one? Its a boy!! 

I love how Jack in the Pulpits come out of the ground, they look so prehistoric.

See, I told you at the beginning of the post that the Trillium at this place was breathtaking. There were HUGE patches of solid Trillium. It was just a carpet of white. Incredible. 

My other new id for the year, I think this is wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa)

Daffodils in their native habitat? :D This one was funny because it was so in the middle of the woods. It must have been brought in by a bird or something?

Cross off another favorite that I needed to see in the woods this spring off my list. Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) looking just beautiful. 

We found a springy log and our inner 5 year olds came out. Jumping off it and taking pictures of ourselves in the air entertained us for a good fifteen minutes. I kind of feel like I look like I have no legs in this picture though. 

Cross another one off the list, a fern glade! I didn't try to id the ferns though. Maybe I'll bring the field guide out later in summer. Id'ing ferns intimidates me. 

Wasn't expecting these, so I didn't even have them on my list, but it was really fun to see them growing in the wild, False Lily of the Valley (Maianthemum canadense)