One of my favorite native wildflowers that grow here in the Madison Indiana area. The blue of a fresh blooming bluebell is one of the most beautifully striking colors in nature and one that must be seen close up. Adding in the lovely contrasting purple colors make this an extremely lovely sight to behold.
So if you get a chance try hiking thru some of the amazing gorges and hillsdies that line the Ohio River here in Southern Indiana and take a closer look at this little gem !!
Changing up a bit here and I think I will start posting images from what is my favorite subject to photograph and that is wildflowers. And I will share them from one of my favorite spots to photograph at Clifty Falls State Park near Madison Indiana.
Clifty has an incredibly diverse amount of wildflowers and some of the finest displays in the midwest. If you get a chance to visit in mid to late April I would definitely make the trip I don’t think you would be disappointed not only are the wildflowers worth the trip but hiking in the park is second to none.
The subject I am sharing today is also one of my favorites and that is the Virginia Bluebell.
That is the detailed description which I am too lazy to come up with myself and I will share one of my original images I captured earlier this spring.
Hope you enjoy the info and image and thanks for taking the time to stop by and take a look.
Sorry for the absence on posting wildflowers this spring but I am right in the middle of a stretch of weddings that is keeping me busy. So this morning I have a minute and thought I might share some images of one of my favorite wildflowers from here in Southern Indiana and that is the Virginia Bluebell.
The Virginia Bluebell is a erect plant with smooth gray-green foliage and nodding clusters of pink buds that open into light blue trumpet-shaped flowers. The 1-2 ft. branched and arching stems of Virginia bluebells bear large drooping, terminal clusters of lavender-blue, bell-shaped flowers. Large, gray-green, oval leaves line the stems of this perennial.
When it grows in masses, this species makes a spectacular show, especially in the Midwest. I tend to find them growing along stream banks and steep hillsides here in Southern Indiana.
I have found colonies of this plant that covered entire hillsides in some of the gorges that line the Ohio River near Madison Indiana, I especially enjoy photographing one colony that grows at Clifty Falls State Park.
Virginia Bluebells are one of the most amazing wildflowers to view and photograph and I could never imagine a wildflower season without taking the time to stop and enjoy this wonderful little wildflower. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look and I hope you enjoy the pics I have included with this post !!
Here is another example of a really cool little wildflower that grows at Clifty Falls State Park, and it is Squirrel Corn, very unique structure in this little gem and it makes for some really great photography.
According to the Kentucky Native Plant Association..
The foliage of this early spring wildflower is easily mistaken with the foliage of its close cousin, Dutchman’s Breeches (D. cucullaria). The easiest way to tell the plants apart is via the flowers, but the leaves of squirrel corn are typically shorter and there is one compound leaf per flowering stem compared to Dutchman’s breeches which has longer leaves and there are typically two leaves per flowering stem. In addition, squirrel corn leaves have a tendency to have a more “open” appearance. Like many members of the fumitory family, these plants are highly toxic and make for good garden plants because mammals, even deer, do not like to graze on them. The leaves appear early in the growing season and completely disappear by mid-May but they can form dense colonies when established in the garden. The plants are typically about 6″ tall and squirrel corn gets its common name from the underground food storage structures that look like corn kernels. The flowers are quite distinctive and look like small hearts and the plant is named Dicentra which refers to the two spurs on the flowers and canadensis means from Canada.
This plant is easy to grow in the garden and it is one of those species that must be inter-planted with ferns or later blooming species because it is so ephemeral in nature. Squirrel corn had great significance as a Love Charm to the Mennominee Indians and a young man would throw the flowers to his intended love or chew the roots which gave a perfumed smell in the face of the woman causing her to follow him from that time forward. The Onondaga called this plant the “Ghost corn” believing it was “food for the spirits.” Like trilliums, the seed of this group is dispersed by ants because the seeds contain a fatty substance called elaisome, which is highly relished by ants. At the nest the elaisomes are eaten and the seeds are left to germinate. The plants are primarily pollinated by bumblebees. Historically the plant was used as a tonic and for use in treating syphilis.
So there is really good description of the wildflower and now for a couple of images. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look !!
A light at the end of the tunnel looks like this is the last really cold night and temps here in Madison are supposed to start rising into the 60-70 degree mark the next week..it’s time !!
Bernie Kasper Photography 