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THE HAPPY PLACE: JEWELWEED REACHES PEAK BLOOM IN FAIRMOUNT PARK

BLOOMING JEWELWEED HAS BECOME THE MAIN ATTRACTION FOR A VARIETY OF SPECIES IN THE HORTICULTURAL CENTER IN WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK. THESE SPECIES ARE  A-BUZZ  OVER THE JEWELWEED.  SOME HAVE FLOWN THOUSANDS OF MILES. THE JEWELWEED HAPPY PLACE IS THE PLACE TO BEE.   

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, reaches peak bloom in Fairmount Park's Horticultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, reaches peak bloom in Fairmount Park's Horticultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

An ant has taken interest in the capensis flower. There were a variety of insects buzzing about, bees of various sizes, a grasshopper and a Spicebush swallowtail butterfly.   The trip to the Horticultural Center was made specifically to visit this large and memorable colony of Jewelweed.

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, reaches peak bloom in Fairmount Park's Horticultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, reaches peak bloom in Fairmount Park's Horticultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The day has finally come.  The flowering has peaked, with thousands of flowers, as far as the eye can see. The nature of the plant, with its delicate stems and rapid growth are reminiscent of a spring wildflower, such as Mertensia virginiana, the Virginia Bluebells.  This plant is as impressive and it conjures the same fascination. The shape of the flower is truly elegant, and this elegance is further enhanced by the way it hangs from such a thin, wiry stem.

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, reaches peak bloom in Fairmount Park's Horticultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, reaches peak bloom in Fairmount Park's Horticultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The colors are very attractive.  The red dots are most likely the selling point for the Hummingbirds. There was a bumblebee tearing through the flowers, however there was a dog on a leash by the name of Keeba, pulling very hard on one arm of staff photographer Sean Solomon, making it very difficult to get the few photographs that were obtained.  Keeba was very interested in squirrels and had no interest in the Jewelweed .  However she did eat some Japanese stiltgrass, a nasty invasive exotic grass that is everywhere. Good Keeba.

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, reaches peak bloom in Fairmount Park's Horticultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, reaches peak bloom in Fairmount Park's Horticultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Here one can perceive the amount of effort this plant goes to create a beautiful flower. This plant is very popular among many species.  How come this was not taught in school?  If any readers were taught about this plant in any formal setting, or for that matter, informally, please chime in with comments.

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, reaches peak bloom in Fairmount Park's Horticultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, reaches peak bloom in Fairmount Park's Horticultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a botanical world that should not be missed, overlooked or dismissed. This is the real deal, a native flower, one that has lived here for thousands of years, an ancient plant, one of exquisite beauty and habit, right in our midst!  To enjoy and appreciate this plant is to enjoy the entire months of July, August and September.  If you have ever wondered what Pennsylvania looked like 5000 years ago, along a stream, somewhere in Fairmount Park, or any moist, partly  or mostly shaded location in our fair state, this is it. This flower is our own history, growing before our eyes!

 

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THE BLOOMING STARS OF MORRIS PARK

  Starry campion (Silene stellata) blooms in Morris Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Starry campion (Silene stellata) blooms in Morris Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Â
Silene stellata
This flower has been blooming for weeks now.  This is great for the middle of the summer. Its still flowering even while producing seed, as can be noted just above the flower.  An elegant plant with a whorl of leaves on a straight stem, not too tall, about 15 inches high.  Bloom bloom bloom.  This plant is in the business of blooming.  
It is picky too. It likes upland sites that are not disturbed and full of sun-blocking invasives.  It likes the light of tall oaks, a filtered sun.   It fits right in at the Lookout at the end of the Morris Park Road trail. This is a section of high-quality forest with a great species diversity, Mature trees and various native shrubs.
Every day this August this plant  has been blooming, now on both sides of the path. There is a nice patch growing at the foot of a Red Maple tree. Even the leaves are starting to get beaten up, and yet it continues to bloom.
 
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RARE AND VULNERABLE CRANE-FLY ORCHID BLOOMS IN FAIRMOUNT PARK

Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tipularia discolor

Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is what it looks like passing by . Its about 20 inches tall, a slender purple stem, almost invisible.  It blends into the forest, to be hardly noticed.  That’s right, this plant is not sold in garden centers. Even if it was, it would most likely die, being that it is so specific about its habitat it only grows under specialized conditions.   It requires a mycorrhizal fungus to grow along its roots symbiotically in order to survive.

Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We had found this plant in March, when all that was visible was its one leaf, which had survived the winter.  The distinctive leaf was also hardly visible on the forest floor.  The leaf grows after the flower blooms.  The leaf , produced in the fall, holds on all winter, capturing the sunlight needed to flower.  The leaf is distinctive for its purple underside. The leaf we found in March was dead and gone by June.  Then in late July, the flower, all by itself, emerges from the Earth.

Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The flower carries the purple color up its stem .  The  light green parts of the flower contrast nicely with the purple.

Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Finding the flowering Cranefly Orchid was an adventure.  We had created an elaborate secret code to remember its exact location.  (A snag, a shadow, dead branches  mark the spot, an arrangement of sticks…)

Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The flower stalk growing individually, without leaves, is reminiscent of the Naked-Flowered Tick-trefoil we featured in our last post.  The blooming Cranefly Orchid turned out to be a great discovery on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon in the park.