In the thick of things

What can be found in a thick tangle of brush like this? Well, there is water, and a few rays of sunlight filtering through the trees, and the green things of the wilderness will find and use both, and as you push your way through the foliage, interesting things appear.

Blue Elderberry ~ Sambuscus caerulea

Pathfinder

Clustered Thistle ~ Cirsium brevistylum

Great Mullein~ Verbascum thapsus

Devil’s Club ~ Oplopanax horridus

Enchanter’s Nightshade ~ Circaea alpina

Clustered Thistle

A short hike on USFS trail 223 ~ July 11, 2017

Sometimes it’s nice to begin a hike with a pleasant scene.

USFS trail 223 starts along the river at an elevation of about 2,400 feet, climbs up and over a small hill then proceeds up the river for another 7 or 8 miles. In their seasons, wildflowers along it are diverse and plentiful. Those included in this post are the late-season ones.

Evening Primrose (Oenothera villosa): the first one I had seen this year.

These bluebells are everywhere this time of year and I can seldom pass up a chance to photograph them.

As the trail enters the lower and most dense part of the forest, the color is intense.

The shade-loving Three-leaf Foamflower ~ Tiarella trifoliata 

The berries of the Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus) are just beginning to turn red.

I did mention that I love these bluebells, didn’t I?

Slender Hawkweed ~ Hieracium triste

The seed head of the Blue Clematis, (Clematis occidentalis)

I love the steeper parts of this trail: there is a small stream below.

Another flower which grows at just about all elevations, Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea).

These are the fruit of the Clasping Twisted-stalk (Streptopus amplexifolius) which is a plant that I have seen in only two locations. It is interesting because the flowers and fruit appear on the underside of the leaves.

White Sweet-clover ~ Melilotus albus

End of June flowers (well, almost)

Deptford pink ~ Dianthus armeria

Bluebell-of-Scotland, Harebell ~ Campanula rotundifolia

Mock Orange ~ Philadelphus lewisii

Birch-leaved Spiraea ~ Spiraea betulifolia

Devil’s Club ~ Oplopanax horridus

(It is these spines that give the Devil’s Club its name)

Brewer’s mitrewort, feathery bishop’s-cap ~ Pectiantia breweri

Harsh Indian Paintbrush ~ Castilleja hispida

Fringed Loosestrife ~ Lysimachia ciliata

Tiling’s monkey-flower, large mountain monkey-flower~ Erythranthe tilingii

Sulphur Cinquefoil ~ Potentilla recta

Meadow Buttercup ~ Ranunculus acris

In a cedar forest

The very large leaves in these photos belong to a plant aptly called “Devil’s Club”, Oplopanax horridus; note the large sharp spines. It grows up to 9 feet tall and the leaves get up to 14 inches across. A flower bud is visible in the first photo: it will turn into white blossoms followed by bright red fruit. I will try to remember to follow up with photos of both later in the summer. I found there is a reason for the species name horridus after having accidentally making contact with some of the spines.

“horridus”?

Devil’s Club ~ Oplopanax horridus

Every time I see the species name of this plant it occurs to me that the person who named it probably came into contact with its spines. The stems and even the underside of the leaves are heavily armed with large spines which readily break off when one comes in contact with them and the resulting wound soon festers if the spine stays embedded in the skin.

Devil’s Club is a member of the ginseng family, growing up to ten feet tall with leaves over 14 inches across and various parts of it have been used by native peoples to treat a large array of ailments. It is found in Canada in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and in the Yukon, and in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon and Michigan (where it is listed as “threatened”).

These photos were taken in Spring Creek Canyon, where the plant is plentiful. This year I missed the blossoms which are small and white and grow in dense clusters at the ends of the stems. The bright red berries are not edible.

Center stage

Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus) turning to Autumn yellow in Spring Creek canyon.