The blooms in the woods have slowed considerably, but this first one is one of my absolute favorites. Here are five photographed recently from the forested area where New York, Vermont and Massachusetts meet. Enjoy.

Monotropa uniflora or Indian Pipe. You'd think this flower is a fungus, but it is a flower without chlorophyll so it does not depend on sunshine. It grows in rich woods and gets its food through fungi from the photosynthesis of trees. I'd never seen these plants until moving here. I've had a hard time getting a decent photo because there is so little contrast in the flower for my automatic focus. 

Impatiens capensis or Spotted Touch-me-not or Jewelweed. Another beauty. This plant has fungicidal properties. Its sap can relieve itching from nettles where it often grows alongside. Another photo of this flower follows.

A second view of the Spotted Touch-me-not, so you can better see the orange spots. 

Laportea canadensis or Wood Nettle. One of the nettles referred to above. This nettle likes to grow on stream banks, which is where I found this one. It burns like Stinging Nettle. 

Agrimonia gryposepala or Agrimony. The flowers are very small, no larger than 1/4".

Fruit of the Arisaema triphyllum or Jack-in-the-pulpit. These berries will turn red. In an earlier post, I showed you the bloom of this flower, which doesn't grow west of the Great Plains.

All photos taken by Sheba Marx. Copyright. 

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