SUSQUEHANNA BLOOMIN’: MARYLAND’S WEST BANK

THE RIVERBANK IN MARYLAND’S SUSQUEHANNA STATE PARK IS  A FANTASTIC WATERSCAPE OF LOBELIA CARDINALIS AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE, FRAMED BY A FLUFFY BACKDROP OF JOE-PYE WEED; SANGUINE ROOT STAFF WRITER SEAN SOLOMON REJECTS PREVIOUSLY PLANNED TRAVEL ON INTERSTATE 95 AND INSTEAD SPENDS THE AFTERNOON WITH THESE FLOWERS IN THIS ASTOUNDING DISCOVERY.  

Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

Labor day weekend on I-95 between Washington D.C. and  Philadelphia is not a walk in the park. The traffic is very heavy and volatile.  An escape plan was hatched:  Ditch I-95 in favor of an enchanting and peaceful afternoon along the Susquehanna River.

Many years have passed with numerous trips over the Susquehanna River in Maryland.  What a beautiful place, with the grand river opening into the Chesapeake bay.

Pay attention to the road! Gotta pay that toll now.  Mind the aggressive amateur driver with New Jersey plates tailgating!  Don’t want to speed or go to slow either. Thats a big truck!

The Beautiful scenery of the Susquehanna River is lost in a flash in the East Coast rush to get somewhere else now, for whatever reason.

Not this time.  Google earth was looked at.  AAA maps collected over the years were also consulted.  The Susquehanna River is too beautiful to overlook. The Lower Susquehanna is noted for its rich ravines.  One of the most beautiful places in the world, Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve, is about 30 miles north of I-95 right on the Susquehanna River.  The Lower Susquehanna cannot be overlooked.

Traffic or flowers? That is what it boils down to.  Exit 89 will take you to Susquehanna State Park. Exit 89 in Maryland off of interstate 95 will liberate you from the stresses of society and will enlighten you to the beauty of nature. Exit 89 is the happy exit, where happy flowers bloom and where  joy can be found.

Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

A river passed over for so many years has been discovered.  Below the bridge is a beautiful world of ecosystems that have the potential to captivate our imaginations, and to lure us into a life of observation and science and give us meaning to our lives.

The Susquehanna River is that enchanting.

The flow and the color of the water. Its width and its sound. The flowers it produces, and the sunlight.  This is the place to be mesmerized by the beauty of nature.  We hear about the great rivers in our education and in the literature, the Nile, The Mississippi, the Yellow River, The Seine, the Amazon, Canisteo, The Liffey, The Hudson.   The Susquehanna is our river.  All of the literature and poetry inspired by all of the other rivers applies to this one as well.  The Susquehanna River belongs to all that makes a great river.

We not only admire the Susquehanna river, it has captured our hearts. It has a beauty we call home.  To live in Pennsylvania is to love the Susquehanna River.  It is the heartland of the  Mid-Atlantic east, flowing into the Chesapeake Bay, The Susquehanna River and its watershed is the life of the Mid-Atlantic region. A river is a river and a river.

Is there a river you love? Please comment about it and make the point clear!  The Columbia, The Rhine, The James, The Chemung, The Potomac, the Delaware, The Ohio, Connecticut, Savannah, St Johns… chime in please about your river!

Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

It has been a few years now that we have become interested in native plants, and this is a special occasion, to see Lobelia cardinalis, the red lobelia, just growing in its natural habitat!

Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

To be in this spot is special. Right in the water, with the flowers, along the river. This day has finally come, To see Lobelia cardinalis  just growing.

Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Vernonia noveboracensis, New York ironweed, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Vernonia noveboracensis, New York ironweed, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

The beauty of a river has no beginning or and end.  The writer that can capture that beauty is…(Comment please)

 Phlox, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Phlox, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

 

Tick trefoil, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Tick trefoil, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

 

Sunflower, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Sunflower, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

 

Sunflower, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Sunflower, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

 

Sunflower, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Sunflower, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

 

Joe-pye weed and Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Joe-pye weed and Red lobelia, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

 

Elephant's foot, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Elephant’s foot, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

Isabelle , I wish you were here to see the beauty of these flowers.

Impatiens pallida, Jewelweed, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland
Impatiens pallida, Jewelweed, Susquehanna State Park, Maryland

 

JEWELWEED IN CULTIVATION: THE GARDEN OF THE SANGUINE ROOT

ONE OF OUR FINEST  HORTICULTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE YEAR TWO-THOUSAND AND ELEVEN: JEWELWEED HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY CULTIVATED AND BROUGHT TO FLOWER AND SEED IN THE GARDEN OF THE SANGUINE ROOT.

 

Jewelweed, Impatiens pallida, blooms in the garden of the Sanguine Root, Overbrook, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jewelweed, Impatiens pallida, blooms in the garden of the Sanguine Root, Overbrook, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The yellow Jewelweed.  A few seeds collected from a trackside ditch, tossed into a moist area of the yard just one year ago.  Now there is a flower, blooming away with more to come.

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis blooms in the garden of the Sanguine Root, Overbrook, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis blooms in the garden of the Sanguine Root, Overbrook, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Another ditch-collected seed-planted Jewelweed specimen in our garden.  It doesnt get better than this.  Note how much red is in this flower.  Some flowers are more orange, with red dots. This Jewelweed flower has red veins. This plant, growing and now flowering in our yard is a special occasion. We cannot stop talking about this plant and our successful propagation!

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis and Impatiens pallida blooms in the garden of the Sanguine Root, Overbrook, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis and Impatiens pallida blooms in the garden of the Sanguine Root, Overbrook, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The plants blew down in Hurricane Irene.  They were staked up yesterday, and they just keep flowering as if there was never a problem. Flowers did fall off the plant, as can be viewed at the very bottom of the picture.

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!