Midsummer Along the Powerline

This Common St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) bloomed right on time:  on the Feast of St. John the Baptist (June 24), a date that also relates to the Summer Solstice, the beginning of summer. Because this European-native wildflower's peak bloomtime coincides so closely with both events, it has historically been celebrated across many cultures, with bonfires and festivals and the gathering of garlands to honor beneficial spirits while keeping evil spirits away. Well, my friend Sue Pierce and I have a Summer Solstice tradition all our own, for the blooming of Common St. John's Wort tells us it's time to go look for some other flowers that grow along a familiar powerline above Mud Pond at Moreau Lake State Park.  It's Wood Lily Time Along the Line!

And we were not disappointed!  As soon as we entered the powerline from a small parking area off Spier Falls Road, this cluster of bright-orange blooms met our delighted eyes. The Wood Lily (Lilium philadelphicum) is the native wildflower that truly announces the start of summer for us. And this powerline is where we go each year, in hopes we will find them blooming.

Nearby was another cherished find:  a tangle of native American Climbing Bittersweet vines (Celastrus scandens) that for years had only spread across the ground has produced a vine that has found a trunk to climb on.  Since the non-native invasive species of bittersweet has supplanted most of our native bittersweet, it has become more and more difficult to find this native species anywhere. I have been observing this patch of our native species for over 10 years, but this is the first year I've seen it finally achieving some height. I hope this bodes well for its future. The vines did have terminal clusters of flowers this year, but I fear a late frost might have caused them to fall before they could produce fruit.

Surrounding the mass of bittersweet vines was an abundant patch of Whorled Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadrifolia), each plant bearing whorls of four small yellow flowers in the tiers of four whorled leaves.

As we proceeded down the sandy path that follows the powerline, we were delighted to find a large population of Green Rock Cress (Borodinia missouriensis) along the way.  Although the plants were past blooming, we could easily identify this state-listed Threatened species by its distinctively arching narrow seed pods.

The presence of Green Rock Cress and several other rare and otherwise protected plants along this powerline convinced the management staff of Moreau Lake State Park to request that the power company cease applying herbicide under this limited section of lines, with the park assuming responsibility for the necessary removal of trees that could grow tall and interfere with the lines (See this blogpost from 2022). This has been wonderful for the many native plants that thrive in just this kind of sun-drenched, sandy-soiled habitat, as is now evident by how the woody plants have burgeoned.  As Sue and I continued our way along the path, we sometimes had to push through abundant growths of American Hazelnut shrubs (Corylus americana) that crowded in from both sides.

The hazelnut shrubs were hung with abundant clusters of ripening nuts, their ruffly green bracts sparkling with water droplets left over from the preceding night's rains.

Such sparkling drops of water transformed even the weediest-looking plants into marvels of beauty. (I believe this plant with its whorls of spiky leaves was a species of some kind of lettuce.)

The entire underside of a Spreading Dogbane leaf glittered with crystalline droplets.

The candy-striped Spreading Dogbane flowers (Apocynum androsaemifolium) did not need any sparkling droplets to enhance their beauty.

As the bur-laden stems of Sweet Fern (Comptonia peregrina) brushed against our legs, they released their delightful fragrance.

Descending from the powerline to the shore of Mud Pond, we were amazed to see how low the water had fallen, unusual for this early in summer. The beavers who live in this pond had created wide troughs of deeper water that allowed them to swim around the pond.

Flowering shrubs, such as this Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis), adorned the shore of Mud Pond.

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)  bore clusters of small white four-petaled flowers.

Returning to the powerline path, we were greeted by this colorful cluster of Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa).  What a punch of brilliant orange! And not even yet fully in bloom!

After ascending a rise to reach a wide meadow-like area, I was struck by a large patch of these strictly upright sporestalks of Running Clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum).

And here was another large patch of plants, and we were certainly delighted to find them.

A whole big bunch of Lowbush Blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium), just loaded with sweet ripe fruit! Time for a little snack. A nice big handful, in fact. Rainwashed and ready to eat. Yum!

These tiny black beetles with pointy rears were enjoying their own rainwashed snack, some nectar and/or pollen of New Jersey Tea flowers (Ceanothus americanus).  Searching Google for "small black bugs that dine on New Jersey Tea flowers," the most likely name that came up was Tumbling Ragdoll Beetles, a species of the Mordella genus. I tested the "tumbling" part of their name by reaching my hand into the blooms, and sure enough, the little beetles did tumble off instead of flying aloft.  Here's a LINK to a wonderful article about such tumbling beetles.

As we neared the road that marked the end of this stretch of powerline, we were sad to not find the numerous Wood Lilies that used to thrive in this flat open area. But since this once-open area is now crowded with oak and pine saplings, it seems the lilies no longer favor it.  Nor will most other sun-loving wildflowers if the woody plants are allowed to grow.  They're not tall enough yet to interfere with the powerlines, but they are well on the way to creating a forested habitat that the very wildflower species we'd hoped to protect from herbicide applications would not favor either. I decided to stop by the park office to raise my concerns. Perhaps a brushhog could mow the area after frost. Or a boyscout troop with saws could be enlisted. I, personally, would be happy to help, too.

I WAS happy to find this plant we always have found here, the unusual species of milkweed called Bluntleaf Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis). Although it, too, was being crowded by sapling pines, and we found fewer plants than in the past.

Here's a closer look at its opening florets.

And yay!  We did find ONE Wood Lily in this area where we once found dozens. I sure hope this won't be the last one we ever find here.

There was one more little treat in store for me today.  We simply crossed Spier Falls Road to where the same powerline continued east, and in the hottest, dryest, sandiest stretch of baked dirt, this charming little flower was blooming away. It's called Dwarf Dandelion (Krigia virginica), but unlike that similarly named lawn weed, this is a native wildflower.  Adoringly cute.  I love it.

It's very hard to get the whole plant of Dwarf Dandelion in one photo.  But I did have this nearly successful one in my photos files, and I'm posting it here: