Spicebush and Fans

Spicebush. I like the name. It takes me back to being 19.  As I recieved training to be a camp counselor, we had an outside leader come in to take us trainees on a walk through the woods to learn some identification tricks.   It was the last week of May and the spicebush was leafed out.  Our leader crushed a leaf for us and let us smell it then taste it.  I remembered that when my children were young.  I let them gather some leaves from the spicebush to put in a salad, the same salad that contained debugged daisies.  What fun that was.

I also see that squirrel corn has spread to the top of our hill.  I've been worried about the plants through the years as cattle trod over them and the woods mature and fall without being replaced. exposing the squirrel corn to sunlight which works like Kryptonite, quickly killing them. I haven't had any luck transplanting any of the delicate plant.  There is very little root system and the leaves are easily destroyed. This was a new place for me to find the plant and I am relieved.  I'll keep returning so that I can photograph some of the blooms.

I'll leave you today with a beautiful find.  I call the photos, Japanese Fan One and Japanese Fan Two  The length of the stem is about the same as the first two joints of my index finger.