A Walk In the Woods

 

Swamp azaleas are blooming in damp places in South Jersey right now. I saw these while talking a walk in the spring woods at Rancocas Nature Center in Westhampton, NJ, today. Click to enlarge.

Mayapples are blooming, too! The first part you see of a mayapple is the big umbrella leaf. The plant is also called American mandrake or wild mandrake.

You have to poke around under the big leaves to find the downward-facing flowers. Mayapple plants are famously poisonous.

Then there were long lovely branches of blooming barberry bells.

And sweetgum tree saplings just leafing out.

A lot of the little sweetgums had this kind of corky bark. Check out the protrusions and spikes. I've been told that this deters deer from eating the branches.

It was cool, quiet, and breezy in the woods.

Found a fallen branch with woodpecker holes.

Crossed a stream.

Made it down to the Rancocas Creek.

And found our way back home.