Mayapple

I spent a couple of hours in the woods this morning, looking for Mayapple and pulling several non-native invasive plants.  Mayapple is a native forest plant.  In Sligo Creek Park, there has been concern about the impact of deer overpopulation and non-native plants.

When I found mayapple, I recorded the number of mayapple shoots and the location on my iPhone.  I pulled invasives - wineberry, honeysuckle, bittersweet, and garlic mustard - that I came across, not making any attempt at a comprehensive eradication.  A few times I pulled invasives and found little mayapples underneath.

The morning was pleasantly warm, sun streaming through the trees, the woods filled with the sounds of birds singing, hammering, and rustling in the underbrush.   Doing this work makes me feel good.  I never know what I will discover.  I feel myself tuning in to the subtleties of shape, color and texture that distinguish one plant from another.  I have to be open, perceptive, and accept that I see only a tiny bit of the detail that is spread before me with each step.