A walk on the wild side

By Thelma Dalmas
Published: March 25, 2008

On Saturday, the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society will sponsor a wildflower walk, led by Rich Crites, along Jennings Creek near Arcadia in Botetourt County.

This is one of our most beautiful areas for many of the plants known as the spring ephemerals, those small flowers that blossom early in the year before the canopy develops to shade the forest floor.

Last year, I went on this walk, and in spite of what turned out to be a misty day, saw more than 30 species in bloom. The most abundant flowering tree along the creek was serviceberry. A member of the rose family, it is known by a variety of names including shadbush, june-berry, saskatoon and sarvis. The delicate white flowers make a showy splash of color against the mostly bare trees of the deciduous woodland. They will produce clusters of ripe berries by late spring and are a favorite of birds.

Although not quite as noticeable as serviceberry, spicebush was also in full bloom. The tiny yellow flowers appear along the branches long before the leaves are visible. As the name implies, the plant has a very pleasant somewhat spicy aroma. Although I have never tried it, many people say that a tea made from the twigs is quite tasty.

The trout lilies bloomed early last year and although we found hundreds of plants with seed pods, we didn’t spot a single one still in flower. Here’s hoping for better luck on Saturday. The dainty yellow flowers against the softly mottled leaves are one of nature’s real treasures. If the season is on time, everyone should see a number of other spring specialties including bloodroot, toothwort, hepatica, trailing arbutus, wood anemone and, one of my favorites, gaywings.

The group will meet at 10 a.m. at the parking area along Jennings Creek. From U.S. 81, take the Arcadia Exit (south of Natural Bridge). Pass over the James River and through the village of Arcadia. After crossing the bridge over Jennings Creek, the parking area is on the right. Bring a picnic lunch and something to drink. For more information, call (540) 774-4518.

News and Notes
Mark Johnson reported a number of waterfowl from Mill Creek Lake in Amherst County on March 20. His sightings included a common loon in breeding plumage, a red-breasted merganser, eight bufflehead, two horned grebes, 53 ruddy ducks and 73 coots.

The Lynchburg Bird Club will sponsor a field trip to Augusta County on Saturday. This area is known for its wintering waterfowl, and we occasionally find cackling geese, the smaller version of the ubiquitous Canada goose. There have been recent reports of a barnacle goose that might still be in the area. Meet at 7 a.m. at the Amelon Shopping Center at the intersection of Virginia 130 and U.S. 29 north. We will stop at a fast food restaurant for lunch. This is an all-day field trip, and the group will return to Lynchburg in the late afternoon. For more information, call (434) 298-7773.