May 9, 2011 Heavily Used Dam Woods

(Please note: If you click on the photos they will enlarge)

Goshen Dam at back; Ohio Buckeye in bloom in front

Shoup-Parsons Woods, adjacent to the Goshen Dam,  is heavily used, in stark contrast to Bendix Woods (May 8 post).  In the one hour I walked Shoup-Parsons today I saw bikers, hikers, a dog-walker, a woman writing, a fisherman, and a mother and her three children, who explored the woods with all their senses.

Smelling Redbud, Cercis canadensis, Pea Family

Redbud up close

Lifting up Solomon's Seal to see tiny green flowers

Solmon's Seal, Polygonatum pubescens, up close

The small woods is crossed by heavily used foot paths and bike paths.  Nonetheless, a surprising variety of native plants grow there.  Today twenty native plants were in bloom.  On my last visit, two weeks ago, twelve species were blooming (see April 26 post).  Many of the wildflowers pictured in today's post were blooming April 26.

Bike trail through a patch of False Rue Anemone

Close-up of False Rue Anemone, Enemion biternatum

Cream Violet Viola striata

Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum

Blue Phlox, Phlox divaricata

Buttercup, Ranunculus species

Wildflowers in bloom today, but not pictured above, are listed below.
Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia
Yellow Violet , Viola pubescens
Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense
Gooseberry, Ribes species
Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum
Spring Beauty, Claytonia virginica
Golden Ragwort, Senecio aureus
Cleavers, Galium aparine
Toad Trillium, Trillium sessile
Prairie Trillium,  Trillium recurvatum