Friday, July 19, 2024

A Vividly Brilliantly Colorful "PALE" Plant

While paddling the Hudson River this past week, I was delighted to see the shiny, vividly red seed pods of Pale St. John's Wort (Hypericum ellipticum), one more stage of colorful beauty for this native wetland wildflower. 



Just a couple of weeks ago, every stretch of shallow river shoreline was filled with masses of this lovely bright-yellow flower that sometimes grows right out into the water.  




Before they open into yellow blooms, the buds of Pale St. John's Wort are colored a vivid orange.


 How oddly misnamed, calling it a "pale" species,  this Pale St. John's Wort, with its bright orange flower buds, its brilliant yellow blooms, and finally its ruby-red seedpods. There's nothing pale about this flower at all!

I often think, how much beauty I would miss if I didn't have my little lightweight solo canoe that allows me to mosey close along the Hudson River shoreline.

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