Thursday, February 10, 2011

Nature's Valentines

Nature's Valentines bloom a bit late for the official day but are worth waiting for until mid-May.
These Bleeding Hearts (Dientra spectabilis) will bloom again then in my neighbor's yard.




They do have relatives that will be blooming in Wildwood in just a couple of months.
Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) will be in flower by mid-April.



Instead of being heart-shaped, these flowers look like tiny pantaloons that Hans Brinker might wear!
They cover a relatively large area of the West slope near the North Bridge
and are quite spectacular when in full bloom as seen from the middle trail. 

Both of these delicate flowers are members of the Poppy Family.
How many ways can you see that they are alike?  



1 comment:

  1. Oh boy, can't wait for the breeches!!!
    Similarities I notice right away are bilateral symmetry and a nectar source that might be hard to reach. These flowers hang down!

    By the way, Nancy, check out the post in the Blue Ridge Blog about Rowland Falls. My parents found a small colony of wild growing bleeding heart last year. It would make for a wonderful late May field trip (although I'll bet Wildwood will be keeping you good and busy this year)! (http://blueridgediscoveryproject.blogspot.com/2010/05/rowland-waterfall.html)

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