Sunday, June 7th 2026

Top left: Eastern white pine nursery; Bottom left: Jack-in-the-pulpit growing at the edge of a stream; Right: Canada mayflower

Today was rainy, with showers coming and going, and very breezy in the afternoon. Temps mid to high 60s (degrees F). Took a mid-day walk through the woods to the northeast of our house. Made the following observations:

• Black cherry (Prunus serotina) trees are in almost full bloom.

• Maple-leaved viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) has buds but has not begun to flower.

• Forest ferns are all fully leafed out, including New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis), Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), Cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), Interrupted fern (Osmunda claytoniana), and Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), fertile fronds of the Cinnamon and Interrupted ferns are well established.

• Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) has berries developing but they are still very small and green. This red elderberry specimen is interesting in that it is growing out the top of the tipped-up root plate of a big oak that fell over.

• Checked on the Blue flag iris (Iris versicolor) they have the beginnings of buds forming but have a ways to go before the flowers open.

• Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense) are abundant and in full flower.

• Jack-in-the-pulpit continue to flower - all the ones I observe in this area along the stream have no purple on their spathes, they are just white and green.

• There are many blue violets flowering in very wet (standing water) areas and I wonder if they are Marsh blue violet (Viola cucullata) due to the wet habitat?

• Northern bayberry (Morella pensylvanica) hasn’t fully leafed-out yet

Forest floor covered in New York ferns