I've been getting reports and photos of early spring wildflowers (even though it's still officially winter) from friends at lower elevations, and I figured it was time to go out looking in earnest at 3,500', plus or minus a few hundred. The above photo looks like a lawn when you walk over it rapidly without looking down at the details. Easy to overlook the tiny white flowers, Chickweed, a native of Europe. It's a pretty little member of the Pink Family (Carnations, etc.), Caryophyllaceae. You can get a closer look by clicking on the photo. But, I'll go you one better. I picked one and held it in front of the trunk of a large White Alder tree.
I then moved in still closer.
I was excited to photograph my first blooming wildflower, even though I've been posting a few photos of cultivated flowers in the neighborhood that always come out earlier. Daffodils, Crocuses, and the like. While wandering around my favorite photo spots in the Quincy vicinity, I saw lots of sprouts of the wildflowers that will be blooming soon.
I was so excited about finding the Chickweed, that I decided to "google" it. Among the first 20 hits, there was a pretty good Wikipedia article on the plant and 19 websites of purveyors of herbicides.
You see, despite its beauty, its nutritional value, and its medicinal properties, it is a WEED, and we must hate weeds, musn't we? So, let the springtime rants begin. Writing again in defense of weeds, I am also excited that most likely tonight my blog will reach 90,000 page views! I love round numbers, and I love knowing that there have been 90,000 visits. There's nothing to sell here, either. Just sharing the excitement of wandering and communing with nature. I also love receiving questions and having people share their photos and observations.
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