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Buck Creek Area Late Spring 2026 - Orchids & More |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2026) |
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Buck Creek Area Late Spring 2026 - Orchids & More |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2026) |
| 1 - Mid May 2026 As mentioned in an earlier album, due to presentations, group walks, field trips and scouting for same this spring, I missed visiting many of my usual spring hot spots. I wanted to see some more Yellow Lady's Slippers (YLSs), but with everything blooming early this year, I was afraid I might be too late. Thinking about my historical YLS finds, I didn't want a long drive or hike, in case they were bloomed out. I picked what I thought would be the most easily accessible and likely-to-still-be-blooming location and headed out. Fortunately, I had success. Although many of the flowers were past peak and fading, I found enough still in nice flower to make it worthwhile. In fact, I expanded by prior search zone and found some spots that I had never seen. A sampling of the Yellow Lady's Slippers and a few other species follows. (Note: There was a mix of the Large- and Small-flower YLS varieties here but I didn't label the varieties in the captions). |
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| Some Crisped Bunchflower (Melanthium hybridum), on my way in. They were still a couple of months before bloom. I'd found these a few years ago, which is how I knew which species it is. |
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| Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) |
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| Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) |
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| I found quite a few more flowers than I had the previous year. |
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| Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) |
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| Unlike some areas where I've seen them, the plants don't seem to clump here, growing instead as singles or occasionally pairs. |
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| Yellow Lady's Slipper |
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| Yellow Lady's Slipper |
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| Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) |
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| Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) |
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| Mayapple - flower |
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| Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata) |
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| Four-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) |
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| Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) and a few Buttercups (Ranunculus species) |
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| Buttercups (Ranunculus species) |
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| Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) |
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| Mountain Phlox (Phlox ovata) |
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| Mountain Phlox |
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| Eastern Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea) |
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| Eastern Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea) |
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| Eastern Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea) |