#dioscorea quaternata

[vandaliatraveler]

Although the spring ephemerals are all but gone now, I like to believe the end of one good thing is the beginning of another.  Mid-May to early August is orchid season in Appalachia, and a number of temperate varieties are as ostentatious and dramatic as their tropical cousins. One of the first orchids out of the gate in this area is pink lady's slipper (Cypripedium acaule), also known as moccasin flower. This showy perennial monocot is currently at peak bloom at Coopers Rock State Forest. The photos above are from a hike on Scott Run Trail this past Sunday.

From top: American cancer-root (Conopholis americana), a fully parasitic plant that attaches to the roots of oak trees; whorled wild yam (Dioscorea quaternata), also known as fourleaf yam, a twining, herbaceous vine with a long history of medicinal use by Native Americans and herbalists; perfoliate bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata); a sylphlike perennial that is for me the loveliest of all the bellworts in our local woods; deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum), whose large fruits are much sought after by local wildlife, including white-tailed deer; one of the last wood anemones (Anemone quinquefolia) still in bloom along the trail; and pink lady’s slipper orchid, whose bulbous pink flower is a highly-evolved bee lure and trap that aids in pollination.

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Plants I was so close to getting this year but are looking like I will have to wait until next year at least:

Amorpha canescens Blue lead plant (bought it but it died before it could be shipped; a couple of other nurseries carry it but it isn’t available) Chamaenerion angustifolium Fireweed (bought it but it was eaten by mice before it could be shipped; some other nurseries carry it but it isn’t available) Claytonia virginica Fairy spuds (bought it but it died before it could be shipped) Dioscorea villosa/quaternata Wild yam (bought it dormant, plant has not emerged yet and seems unlikely to; one other nursery carries it but it isn’t available) Laportea canadensis Canada nettle (bought it but it was eaten by mice before it could be shipped; nowhere else carries it that I can access) Lespedeza violacea (bought it dormant but it never emerged and seems unlikely to; nowhere else carries it that I can access) Linnaea borealis Twinflower (two of my go-to nurseries carried it but it died at the one and is still not listed as available at the other; nowhere else carries it that I can access) Lonicera involucrata Black twinberry (bought it but it died before it could be shipped; it’s carried at on other nursery but isn’t available) Thalictrum thalictroides Rue anemone (bought it but it died before it could be shipped; nowhere else carries it that I can access) Viburnum acerifolium Mapleleaf viburnum (bought it but it died before it could be shipped; nowhere else carries it that I can access)

*sigh*

I do still have a number of plants on the way that hopefully nothing goes wrong with and I have gained over 60 species so far, including some rare treasures, so it’s been a good spring. I just really want to fill in the bare spots in my planting space. I also sent my personal wishlist to a couple of the nurseries I’ve bought from every year for the last five years so hopefully my demand is met with supply next spring (y’know, the actual intended meaning for “the customer is always right”).

[frolicingintheforest]

Wild Yam (Dioscorea quaternata)

[frolicingintheforest]

Wild Yam (Dioscorea quaternata)