Blood Root in bloom in Missouri

This bloodroot picture was taken with a telephoto lens from across the road.

Hepatica is in bloom

One of Missouri's earliest wildflowers is in bloom now. This is the beginning of the opening of 100s of varieties across the Ozarks.

Crocus in bloom in Kirkwood

Happy March 8th everyone; temperature on its way to the upper sixties. These beautiful crocus have been in bloom for 7 days in Kirkwood, MO. Although not a native wildflower, they DO show spring is approaching fast.

Sulphur butterfly on clover

This photo was taken in the ROLF main field on May 24, 2009.

The spectacular Dogwoods of April

The drive into River of Life Farm is one of the most spectacular roads for viewing early April to mid-April dogwoods. I some locations on that road, it appears the woods is covered in snow. Once you have seen it, it is very hard to get out of your mind; and makes you dream the Aprils to come. These pictures are from this April 17th, 2009.

Indian Paintbrush in the glades at Caney Mountain

About 20 minutes from ROLF. Definitely, worth the drive.

First two wildflowers of this Spring 2009

I found a small patch of Hepatica and a few Witch Hazels in bloom on Sunday March, 9, 2009.

Poison Ivy starting to pick up color and Goldenrod

8/6/08 - early Poison Ivy coloration and some very early Goldenrod.

June 28th - Status of Nuts and Fruits

by the end of June the Paw Paw's, Black Walnuts, and Blackberries are in good shape as shown by these photos from ROLF.

Ouch !! Sting Weed

More commonly known as Stinging nettle is painful when you drag your leg across it. I just did it yesterday in a garden with a mature plant I did not see. They are not dangerous; do not contain  poison, they just seem to reach out and hurt your legs when you least expect it. In fact, the leaves are highly edible (tastes like spinach), and the roots are use in many beneficial drugs. Just Ouch !!

Watercress

Missouri’s Ozark trout streams have patches of bright green plants growing in the spring branches or along isolated gravel bars.   That plant is Watercress, the same herb you can sometimes buy at the local grocery store.

Nasturtium officinale that is now widely distributed in cool spring fed streams.  Watercress is part of the mustard family and has a pungent peppery taste that makes a nice addition to a salad or as a garnish.

Trout, Goat Cheese, and Watercress Spread
	skinned trout fillet cut into 1 inch cubes – salt to taste two small shallots juice of quarter lemon Lemon zest 1 tablespoon butter Sufficient white wine, of your choice, to poach salmon 4 oz goat cheese 1 cup chopped and loosely packed watercress.
Rinse watercress several times in clean water.  Pick over carefully to remove any remaining  sowbugs or scuds and snails.  Chop coarsely. Melt butter in pan and sauté finely chopped shallots.  Add cubed trout, lemon juice and wine.  Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.   Remove from pan and let cool. Flake the trout and add the goat cheese and chopped watercress and mix gently to blend ingredients.  Add lemon zest and correct seasoning as needed.

Queen Anne's Lace

Starting in mid-late June and running through July this member of the carrot family covers most fields near the North Fork and ROLF. It is always a harbinger of warmer weather to come. Common in fields at ROLF.

Invasive Honeysuckle versus the Whip Poor Will

This plant has overspread eastern Missouri during the past 10-15 years. Used a chainsaw to cut it down a year ago April (2007), and it is back and bigger than ever choking out all native bushes and covering partly sunny areas with complete shade; thereby causing native part sun loving wildflowers to die off.

The Japanese honeysuckle is spreading across Missouri destroying the understory of oak-hickory, pine forests; changing the natural environment. For instance,  the Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferus) of favorite birds in in decline in Missouri largely due to invasive honeysuckle. Whip-poor-will's nest on leafy forest floors; clear of understory. They are quickly disappearing across eastern Missouri; and headed west. He lives up to his latin name "vociferous" as anyone who has been outside at night in the summer in the Ozark hills knows. John Burroughs once counted 1007 whip-poor-WILL calls, then a one minute resting period then another 790.

For more information on protection and damage;

Honeysuckle-Whippoorwill

Wild Geranium

This native perennial plant is 1-2½' tall, consisting of a loose cluster of basal leaves and flowering stems that develop directly from the creeping rootstock. On the lower portion of each flowering stem, there is a pair of opposite leaves. Both the basal leaves and the lower opposite leaves of the flowering stems have a similar appearance. 

They are up to 5" long and across, and palmately cleft with 5 deep lobes. Each of these lobes is wedge-shaped at the base. The leaf margins have a few secondary lobes and coarse teeth. Each leaf has long petioles with coarse white hairs, while its upper surface has fine white hairs. The flowering stems are covered with coarse white hairs and more or less erect. The upper pairs of leaves on the flowering stems are like the lower leaves, except they are smaller in size and usually have only 3 primary lobes.

Common at ROLF in May to early June.

Goldenrod

About 100 perennial species make up the genus Solidago, most being found in the meadows and pastures, along roads, ditches and waste areas in North America. There are a handful of species from each of Mexico, South America, and Eurasia.^[1] Some American species have also been introduced into Europe some 250 years ago.

Many species are difficult to distinguish. Probably due to their bright, golden yellow flower heads blooming in late summer, the goldenrod is often unfairly blamed for causing hay fever in humans. The pollen causing these allergy problems is mainly produced by Ragweed (Ambrosia sp.), blooming at the same time as the goldenrod, but is wind-pollinated. Goldenrod pollenis too heavy and sticky to be blown far from the flowers, and is thus mainly pollinated by insects.

Goldenrods are easily recognized by their golden inflorescence with hundreds of small capitula, but some are spike-like and other have auxiliary racemes.

Plentiful in the fall at ROLF.

Wild Ginger

Common on the spring branch path in the spring. Un-mistakable leaves. Native Americans used the root to flavor foods much as real ginger is used (This plant is not related to the ginger you can find in the produce department of your local grocery). In addition it was thought to protect those who ate spoiled meat or food that might be poisoned or have some sort of a spell cast on it from the types of sickness one might expect from eating such food. The accounts of it being used to prevent sickness from eating questionable meat are so numerous as to give the use some credence.

Spatterdock (Nuphar lutea)

Spatterdock is found in a few places of the North Fork; these about one mile above Rainbow Spring. Sometimes called pond lillies in Missouri.

Indian Paintbrush

Occurs in Ozark County but is not common. There is a great stand of native Indian Paintbrush in the Gladetop Trail southwest of Ava.

Missouri Primrose

Common in June across Southern Missouri. Easily to see on any drive around Ozark County in June. Gorgeous flower.

Blazing Star

Common prairie flower of Missouri, common in the western part of the state but can be found here and there in southern Missouri and at ROFL. Showy !!