Category: Flowers

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/23 Observation Time: 6:25 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Common Blue Violet Scientific Name: Viola sororia Comments: These were growing along the driveway leading into the parking lot. Please do not dig up wildflowers. More information: The Botanical Hiker

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/23 Observation Time: 11:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Sand Violet (also known as Hookedspur Violet) Scientific Name: Viola adunca Comments: Sand violet grows where the soil has been disrupted and exposed. I saw this one in an eroded area beside a sloping trail. Sand violet is listed as a species of special concern in […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/27/23 Observation Time: 3:45 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Azure Bluet Scientific Name: Houstonia caerulea Comments: Azure bluets are also know as Quaker ladies. More Information: Wikipedia

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/27/23 Observation Time: 3:20 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) along dirt road under high tension wires Common Name: Wood Anemone Scientific Name: Anemone quinquefolia Comments: Also called wood windflower, wood anemone is one of the earliest blooming flowers in the rich, moist forests of New England. Look for showy white flowers poking above the dissected leaves, only 3 inches […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/25/23 Observation Time: 8:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (bluff overlook) Common Name: Virginia saxifrage Scientific Name: Micranthes virginiensis Comments: The characteristic features of saxifrage are consistent with its alpine provenance and consequent tenacity. A rosette of basal toothed leaves huddle on a rocky substrate to hold fast in the boreal winds that prevail in typical mountain habitats. […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/13/23 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Sharon Common Name: Narrow-leaved Spring Beauty Scientific Name: Claytonia virginica Comments: Its scientific name honors Colonial Virginia botanist John Clayton (1694–1773). Spring Beauty is an endangered species in Massachusetts. Please do not dig up any wildflowers you may find in Sharon. Please leave them for everyone to enjoy! More Information: Massachusetts Natural Heritage and […]

Observer: Susan Drisko Observation Date: 4/27/2022 Observation Time: 3:25 p.m.  Observation Location: Town-owned conservation land near Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Red Trillium Scientific Name: Trillium erectum Comments: Native to eastern North America, the red trillium (Trillium erectum) is found on forest floors. Its components surface in groups of three as pointed triple leaves, giving way to three-petalled flowers. Red trillium is mildly toxic to […]

Observer: Susan Drisko Observation Date: 4/27/2022 Observation Time: 1:45 p.m. Observation Location: headwaters of Beaver Brook Common Name: Marsh Marigold Scientific Name: Caltha palustris Comments: Caltha palustris, known as marsh-marigold and kingcup, is a small to medium size perennialherbaceousplant of the buttercup family, native to marshes, fens, ditches and wet woodlands in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It typically flowers between April and August. More […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/24/21 Observation Time: 3:55 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Tall Meadow Rue Scientific Name: Thalictrum pubescens Comments: Meadow rue flowers have no petals; the conspicuous part of the flower is the white filaments of the stamens. More Information: Connecticut Botanical Society

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 9/4/20 Observation Time: 2:30 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Late Purple Aster Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum patens Comments: Late purple aster looks similar to smooth aster — they both have purple rays and clasping leaves. Distinguish them by their stems — late purple aster has a rough, hairy stem; smooth aster has a smooth stem with a […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 9/4/20 Observation Time: 2:10 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Slender Bush-Clover Scientific Name: Lespedeza virginica Comments: Slender bush-clover is a member of the pea family. Like other bush-clovers, slender bush-clover is preferentially browsed by mammalian herbivores such as deer and rabbits, as well as quail and other ground birds. Slender bush-clover is often found in man-made or […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 9/4/20 Observation Time: 1:10 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (in the woods) Common Name: Whorled Wood Aster Scientific Name: Oclemena acuminata Comments: Whorled Wood Asters are among the relatively few woodland wildflowers that bloom in late summer and early fall. Note the pure gold-green sweat bee feeding on the blossoms. More information: Wildflowers of the Adirondacks

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 8/18/20 Observation Time: 11:50 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (formerly the Kendall Estate) Common Name: White Vervain Scientific Name: Verbena urticifolia Comments: I initially identified this plant using a cool app called Seek. Normally white vervain has green leaves, so I sent my photo of this red-leaved specimen to a botanist, who verified that it is indeed white vervain. The […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 8/18/20 Observation Time: 11:35 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (formerly the Kendall Estate) Common Name: New York Ironweed Scientific Name: Vernonia noveboracensis Comments: New York ironweed is a tall, perennial wildflower that produces small purple blossoms in August and September. This specimen is approximately 8 feet tall. More Information: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Observer: Rita Corey Observation Date: 8/13/20 Observation Time: 3:15 p.m. Observation Location: Morse St. Common Name: Cardinal Flower Scientific Name: Lobelia cardinalis Comments: Cardinal flowers are typically found near water. These were growing in a dry streambed. Since most insects find it difficult to navigate the long tubular flowers, cardinal flowers depend on hummingbirds, which feed on the nectar, for pollination. Its common name alludes to the […]

Observer: Rita Corey Observation Date: 8/13/20 Observation Time: 2:00 p.m. Observation Location: Rattlesnake Hill Common Name: American burnweed (a.k.a. fireweed) Scientific Name: Erechtites hieraciifolius Comments: Burnweed is a native annual in the daisy family, Asteraceae. American Burnweed is an underrated and unappreciated wild edible. Although Burnweed has no history as a food source here in America, everywhere else in the world where it grows it is eaten. […]

Observer: Rita Corey Observation Date: 8/13/20 Observation Time: 1:55 p.m. Observation Location: Mountain St. Common Name: Spotted Wintergreen Scientific Name: Chimaphila maculata Comments: Spotted wintergreen is a highly recognizable understory species having variegated leaves with pale green veins. It is endangered in Maine. More Information: Go Botany

Observer: Rita Corey Observation Date: 8/13/20 Observation Time: 1:40 p.m. Observation Location: Rattlesnake Hill Common Name: Downy Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid Scientific Name: Goodyera pubescens Comments: Please don’t dig up wildflowers. More Information: Virginia Native Plant Society

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 7/12/20 Observation Time: 7:00 p.m. Observation Location: along Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Spotted Knapweed Scientific Name: Centaurea maculosa Comments: Spotted knapweed is not native to North America (it came from Europe). It is poisonous to other plants, creating barren areas where only knapweed grows. It can be a skin irritant. More Information: namethatplant.net

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 7/12/20 Observation Time: 6:55 p.m. Observation Location: along Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Lanceleaf Tickseed Scientific Name: Coreopsis lanceolata Comments: This native perennial wildflower thrives in poor, sandy or rocky soils with good drainage. It is tolerant of heat, humidity and drought. Lanceleaf tickseed features solitary, yellow, daisy-like flowers (1-2″ diameter) with eight yellow rays (toothed at the tips) and flat […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 7/12/20 Observation Time: 6:50 p.m. Observation Location: along Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Black-eyed Susan Scientific Name: Rudbeckia hirta Comments: Related to cone flowers, this native biennial forms a rosette of leaves the first year, followed by flowers the second year. It is covered with hairs that give it a slightly rough texture. More Information: USDA and wildflower.org

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 7/12/20 Observation Time: 6:40 p.m. Observation Location: along Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Canada Wild Lettuce Scientific Name: Lactuca canadensis Comments: This edible plant can grow to over six feet tall. It has leaves that are shaped like those of a dandelion, and produces dandelion-like yellow flowers. More Information: Wikipedia and iNaturalist

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 7/11/20 Observation Time: 3:10 p.m. Observation Location: somewhere in Sharon. Please do not dig up wildflowers! Common Name: Small Green Wood Orchid Scientific Name: Platanthera clavellata Comments: Platanthera is a large genus – about 200 species – in the large Orchidaceae (Orchid) Family. Over 30 of the Platanthera species are found in North America. Platanthera clavellata is protected in at least four states […]

Observer: Rita Corey and Larry Myatt Observation Date: 7/9/20 Observation Time: 9:18 a.m. Observation Location: Mountain Street, near entrance to Rattlesnake Hill Common Name: Shinleaf (a.k.a. White Wintergreen) Scientific Name: Pyrola elliptica Comments: Its common name, shinleaf, comes from the medicinal use of the plant, which produces a drug similar to aspirin.  This drug has been reported to have analgesic properties and was used on bruised shins and other […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/20 Observation Time: 4:30 p.m. Observation Location: Along Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Sheep’s bit Scientific Name: Jasione montana Comments: Sheep’s bit is an annual or biennial, native to Europe and Russia and introduced to North America’s east and west coasts. It was introduced through being grown as a garden ornamental, and is spreading westward from sandy sites in southern New England. More Information: Go Botany