The eye-catching and the overlooked

Even though the growing season for our region isn't technically underway, it seems as thought some plants are pushing ahead.

Traditional spring flowers like tulips are lighting up the spring stage.

One of my favorite tulips to photograph each spring is a yellow one with red strips inside. These tulips were planted by my grandmother and have bloomed every year in the 20-plus that we have lived here.

My mother had planted some light pink tulips in her yard last fall that flourished and other hues were springing up in my garden.

​Although, there promises to be more tulip colors in the days to come.

While it is hard to ignore the bright and brilliant colors of tulips and other non-native spring flowers, there are some smaller native species showing off as well.

Meanwhile in the yard and woodlands, many, many violets have opened up to the sun. Parts of the yard are almost all purple with their blooms. I actually set the mower a little higher so as to avoid chopping their heads off.

As I walked about, I noticed several different hues and kinds of violets.

However according to a post on midatlanticnature.blogspot.com, "The family Violaceae is an extremely large family with over 90 species found throughout the United States and Canada."
That's a of plants to choose from and try to identify

The blog on midatlanticnature.blogspot.com narrowed down the number to 34 species that grow from New York to North Carolina. Of those, according to the post, nine of those species have a white flower and only four have a yellow flower.

This is the only yellow violet I have found on my stomping grounds. I know where a few patches are and search for them every spring.

The even tinier and sometimes overlooked, two  kinds of lichen were displaying some color.

A little background on lichen was provided by the National Park Service on www.nps.gov.

"Not quite a plant, not just a fungus, lichen doesn’t fit easily into any one category. A lichen is a partnership between two or more living things, usually a species of fungi benefiting from one or more plant-like organisms such as green algae or cyanobacteria," the post said.

"The mystery of lichen lies in the details of this unique relationship. Lichen-forming fungi are rarely found surviving on their own. Fungi are well-known as decomposers, relying on other organisms as their source of food rather than producing energy through photosynthesis (in fact, fungi are considered more closely related to animals than the plant-like organisms they associate with to form lichen). On a microscopic scale, lichens have a protective fungal layer that prevents the algal layer from drying out--this allows the photosynthetic partner, or photobiont, to survive in drier conditions. In this way, the building blocks of a lichen form a composite organism that is greater than the sum of its parts," the post continued.
One of those lichen would be the pink earth lichen.

The best description I found for the lichen was on a BP Zoological Supply website where you can purchase some for $3.99.

"Pink Earth lichen is a slow growing lichen that prefers soil with a high clay content. It has a high light requirement, and can be allowed to dry out between waterings, though appreciates decent humidity," the post read.

However, I don't need to purchase any and will leave it growing right were it is.
After spotting the pink earth lichen, I notice one with red spots.

After research and a little help from a post on www.britannica.com, it was identified as British soldiers.

"British soldiers, (Cladonia cristatella), species of lichen with erect hollow branches that end in distinctive red fruiting bodies from which the popular name is derived. It is greener and redder in early spring then at other times. It occurs on the ground or on dead wood ...," the website stated.

Also on the small side, I spotted a duskywing butterfly. There are a few of these that call Venango County home.

Meanwhile, I was able to capture a shot of a hermit thrush who had returned to the area this spring.

They are not as colorful as some of the warblers that should be arriving shortly. However, they are still a welcome sight.

​Nonetheless, the bees were still buzzing the peach tree.

I was surprised and delighted that most of the plants seemed to survive a recent cold snap with little or no damage.

Petite leaves have appeared on the maple saplings and hawthorn branches.
​

​What looked like green leaves on the maple tree in the front yard were actually bright green catkins.

 This probably means that pollen, pollen and more pollen is on the way. It could make for a bad sneezing season.

 I'll just have to take a pill and head outside.

​That's just the nature of things 'round here.