Spring Blossoms

~ Woodland Plant ~

Oregon Grape

Insect Habitat

These photos were taken on Thursday morning, after a heavy rainfall the night before. It has been a wet and cool month for us, with some "below average" temperatures.

On this particular bright sunny morning, I was digging over the compost when I spotted a butterfly fluttering nearby. I had seen it a couple of times before, and once in my garden. I guess it was my lucky day as the butterfly was still in the same area when I came back with my camera.

After I found out its name, I thought, "How appropriate." It really does have a commanding presence.

I've only seen one of the Admiral butterflies in the yard so far, but that may be because the males are very territorial. From my bug book, Garden Bugs of British Columbia, Elmhirst, Fry, Macaulay: "Each one surveys his territory from his high perch and will swoop down to fight and drive off any other male who wanders in."

It first landed here

White Admiral (L. arthemis)

and then moved to this sunlit spot.

White Admiral on Oregon Grape

A little later, while walking around, I saw the Damselfly.

Bluet Damselfly

Awakening Time

It's wonderful to see some of the woodland plants being revealed as the snow continues to shrink. I made these early spring discoveries a few days ago in areas where the sun's rays have quickly melted the snow around.

Oregon Grape

Mahonia aquifolium
Family: Berberidaceae

Location: east side of driveway, near road -This evergreen shrub is low growing here and gets the full afternoon sun which gives some of its leaves a reddish coloration. Another name for this plant is holly leaved barberry.

The Oregon Grape was one of the 178 new plant species documented by explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. It was first seen as they journeyed down the Columbia River in 1805 in present-day Washington State.

Wild Strawberry

Fragaria virginiana
Family: Rosaceae

Location: woods, adjacent to the forest trail close to a decaying tree stump surrounded by moss.

straw - Old English streaw

The "straw" in strawberry has its origin in the verb "to strew" and refers to the vines with which the strawberry covers the ground.