The Many Faces of Sharp-lobed Hepatica

Your blogger decided to take full advantage of the sunny and warm afternoon mother nature bestowed upon southeastern Ohio today and laced up his walking shoes and strolled out to the bike path for a bit of exercise.  The long and cold winter certainly softened me up a bit and with prime hiking season nigh on arrival, I certainly could use the physical activity!

I'm very fortunate to have the Hockhocking Adena bikeway pass very close to my residence and I've used it countless times both on foot and on my road bike in the past.  The bike path runs along the Hocking River for a large majority of its 18 mile trek from Nelsonville to Athens and conveniently allows for a very scenic and stunning country ride at almost any time of the year.  However, I would be quick to vote spring as the prime time to set foot down its hardened asphalt stretches.  Few other spots in all of Athens county has the wildflower displays and species diversity as some select, well-known hillsides and ravines do!

As I headed down one of my favorite sections I found it hard to keep at a steady, fast pace as my eyes scanned the steep gradients and deep, sweeping hollows for signs of spring's influx of color.  I quickly noticed the prominence of sharp-lobed hepaticas (Anenome acutiloba) blooming en masse all throughout the woods and was surprised to see so much diversity in the different shades of color their sepals were portraying.  As I mentioned in my earlier post, this species of early spring ephemeral can range from white to pink, to purple and blue as it emerges from underneath the leaf litter and the bike path was certainly backing up that claim with a splendid performance. I decided to make use of my iPhone's camera and documented as many of the varying color shades as I could and figured it would make a fun, short post to share on here.  All six photographs below were taken along the two mile stretch of bike path I walked today and only increased my giddiness for the avalanche of wildflowers soon to break loose!

Classic white-colored form

The most commonly found and occurring of all the hepatica's color schemes is the classic off-white.  It's not at all rare to see some pinkish hues as they first break bud but that quickly disappears and is replaced with a brilliant snow white radiance.

Blue-purple hue

Majestic lavender form

There's a hundred and one different shades of purple to try and discern from with the hepaticas and I'm not one to be picky on how you want to go about it.  Other than white, I think the most commonly seen color pattern seems to be the purplish-blue mixture as seen on the left.  You can also have one of my personal favorites in the perfectly saturated majestic hues of the lavender specimen on the right!

Lovely deep pink coloration

Crowd-pleasing white and light purple/blue hue

Every once in a while I would see a few small clumps of a lovely deep pink coloration hiding in the shade of the towering trees overhead.  They were wonderfully accompanied by the bi-coloration of some specimens exhibiting a white and bluish-purple mixture.  I've observed before other hepaticas showing off the same pattern but in varying shades of pink and purple instead of blue.

Brilliant, rich deep blue heptaticas

It's only appropriate I save the best for last in the royal, deep blue hued hepatica clumps.  You have to catch these early on before their colors fade to a softer blue/purple in my experience and I was certainly pleased to be lucky enough to have my timing just right.

Dozens of other spring ephemerals were just beginning to break bud and sprout along my walk and it won't be long before the bike path is set ablaze with their seasonal beauty and splotches of color.  I'm sure I'll be back again soon to share the Hockhocking's priceless spring fireworks show!

Early Bloomers at Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve

I think it's safe to say spring has finally arrived after thoroughly taking its sweet time all through the month of March.  It's quite a breath of fresh air to read the expanded weather forecast and see highs in the upper 50's and 60's for the foreseeable future.  Those seemingly endless weeks of chilled temperatures and spotty snow showers have finally come to an end.

This past weekend saw your blogger return home to west-central Ohio from the hills and hollers of the southeast to spend the Easter holiday with family.  In typical fashion I spent some of my free time taking advantage of the nearby botanical attractions.  I knew with the newly minted warmer temperatures and weather the flora was sure to still be a bit lethargic in waking up but some early bloomers could still be expected breaking through the thawed soil.

Little Miami River flowing through the deep limestone gorges at Clifton Gorge

One of the best stations for early wildflower viewing accompanied with a healthy dose of impressive geologic formations is Clifton Gorge state nature preserve just outside Yellow Springs.  The state and national scenic Little Miami River flows through a stunning stretch of deep dolomite limestone gorge cut during the waning periods of the last glacial epoch and creates some spectacular views.

White cedars growing directly out of the gorge's limestone cliff walls

The resulting geologic features have created a microclimate able to sustain the cool, moist conditons needed for many of the rare and unusual disjunct northern plant species that still reside within the canyon walls.  A walk along the river during the winter and early spring months easily shows off the many evergreen eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) and northern white cedars (Thuja occidentalis) that grace the limestone cliff faces and lower slopes.  Other interesting northern species such as red baneberry (Actaea rubra), Canada yew (Taxus canadensis), and mountain maple (Acer spicatum) persist in the unique climate as well.

Maidenhair spleenwort fern

Carex plantaginea sending up flowering culms

The tiny, delicate fronds of the maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) is rather out of place in this area of the state but is right at home on its favored habitat of moss-covered limestone boulders and rock slumps in the shadows of the gorge.  Another 'evergreen' plant not typical of west-central Ohio is the conspicuous clumps of plantain-leaved sedge (Carex plantaginea) persisting alongside the maidenhair spleenwort fern on the cool, moist, soil-covered rocks.  Many of them were welcoming the more spring-like temperatures by sending up their flowering culms; ensuring their presence in the limestone chasm would continue on in the next generation.

Harbinger-of-spring (Erigenia bulbosa) in full, albeit tiny bloom

One of the surest signs of spring's arrival is the diminutive appearance of the aptly-named harbinger-of-spring (Erigenia bulbosa).  Bravely facing the frost-prone mornings, this dainty wonder proudly displays its charming flowers for the season's first insects.  It can also go by the common name of salt-and-pepper for its contrasting white petals and purple-turning black anthers.  It's certainly an easy wildflower to pass over but those with a keen eye can take pleasure in its early-spring charisma.

Sessile trillium just about to break bud

Sharp-lobed hepatica (Anenome americana)

It wouldn't truly be spring here in the Midwest without the abundance of sharp-lobed hepatica (Anenome americana) breaking bud and painting over winter's browns and greys with their endless shades of white, pink, purple, and blue.  The attractive mottled leaves of the sessile trillium (Trillium sessile) accompanied the surrounding hepaticas but were still a few days away from breaking bud.  I've always admired them more for their leaves than flowers anyway; which is not something that can really be said for any other species of Ohio trillium.

Red and white cedars precariously clinging to the cliff's edges

Much like the white and red cedars of Adams county fame, Clifton gorge has its own accompaniment of trees clinging precariously to the limestone cliff's edges and sheer walls.  Growing right out of crevices and gaps in the rock, the white (Thuja occidentalis) and red cedars (Juniperus virginiana) grow excruciatingly slow and are much older than their size would suggest.  This nearly-stagnant growth pattern also allows them to attain unique, gnarled forms of a strangely artistic appearance.

Snow trillium (Trillium nivale)

One of the gorge's most hallowed and anticipated of wildflower denizens are those ever-so-popular and beloved snow trillium (Trillium nivale).  The shallow, limestone gravel-derived soils at the base of the cliff faces are the perfect set up for this early bloomer to thrive in.

How many trillium can you see?

Snow trillium (Trillium nivale)

I shared their awakening in the similarly-situated limestone gorge of Fort Hill in my last post but I don't think anyone could ever truly tire of seeing these floral wonders.  There's just something to be admired and said about the year's first showy and magnificent wildflower.  All those chills and long months of winter instantly melt away from your heart and soul at the very sight of these as they peak out their heads from the decaying leaf litter.

Snow trillium (Trillium nivale)

It's a bit bittersweet for me to have one of my absolute favorite wildflowers be one of the very first out the gate each season.  I can't think of a more anticipated and welcoming sign that spring is here once again and the avalanche of blooming wildflowers has only just begun, but at the same time it's sad to know it will be another year before I get to sit down and catch up with these close acquaintances.  In a weird way it makes me question and ponder my own mortality.  How many more chances will I have to spend time in their presence before its time to return my bones back to the earth?  It certainly gives every waking moment with them and in the great outdoors in general a great deal of value.  Why I always encourage everyone to get outside and breath in the fresh air as much as they can.  Sure, the natural world will always be there to enjoy but unfortunately the same cannot be said for our mortal selves.

White cedars lining a long-fallen limestone boulder along the banks of the Little Miami River

Once through the narrow limestone gauntlet of the gorge, the water slows itself to a much more calm pace and slowly meanders its way downstream.  Without the protection of the precipitous canyon walls the microclimate quickly dissipates and with it goes the unusual plant species/communities.  I'm very thankful for the souls who had the wisdom and mind for conservation to protect this incredible place early on from the stain and reckless behavior of mankind.  It's a great deal of comfort to me knowing that whenever I want to experience arguably the finest inter/post-glacial limestone gorge in the entire state it's always there with open arms.