The July hike for the Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the North Country Trail Association was from 9-Mile Bridge out and back to whatever distance people wanted. Most of us went 3 miles out, for a six-mile hike total.
The color of the day was orange. Dan led the group. His orange shirt is a nice contrast to the green woods.
There aren't nearly so many orange flowers in the wild as the other colors. My edition of Peterson's Field Guide (to flowers in Northeastern and North-Central US) has four pages of orange flowers. In contrast, there are 94 pages of white, 102 yellow, 98 red/pink, 48 blue/violet, and 26 green/brown. The orange color comes from carotinoids. Perhaps the orange color is more common in hotter climates. Wikipedia says carotinoids help protect plants from photooxidative damage. So maybe with less sun here in the north fewer plants have exploited the carotinoids. It's an interesting question, and one I could not quickly find an answer to.
But in July, here, the Butterfly Weed (a milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa) is brightening the roadsides.
Here was the best find, and I did not spot it! I was talking with someone and didn't even see it. But I was sure glad that someone else did. This is a Wood Lily, Lilium philadelphicum. It's not particularly rare in Michigan, but I've sure never seen it in Mason County before. The Michigan Herbarium reports it being found in approximately the same location in 1958.
Orange I glad I went on this hike? Yes.
 | See June SPW Hike
See Wood Lily in Antrim County |
1 comment:
Charlee: "How is it possible that the color of the day was orange and our Dada wasn't there wearing one of his many, many, many orange shirts?"
Lulu: "They're pretty far away from California there."
Charlee: "I know, but still! Orange!"
Lulu: "You do make a good point ..."
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