All,
Five years ago today while Bob and I were canoeing, Bob discovered for the first time a Pine Barren Death Camas (zigadenus leimanthoides). This is an endangered plant in NJ. It was starting to bloom and so we returned the next weekend with Mike Baker to hopefully see it fully bloomed. This photo show the plant in full bloom 5 years ago.
Every year since then at this time of year I have returned to discover the plant is not there. One year it appears it was damaged by foot travel when a blockage on the river was causing individuals to carry their kayaks across the plant. And last year it was so flooded the week before the water overflowed it's banks and apparently damaged it. This photo shows that.
This morning Jessica and I paid a visit and was pleasantly surprised to see there now are two of them. Unfortunately, the ground is so dry they are not nearly as nice as the first year we found it. They are much shorter with many less flowers and the lower ones have already fallen off while the upper have not yet bloomed. I believe this is the direct result of the dry weather. The ground around it is parched not allowing the plant to flourish. But the fact remains, it still is there. To help it along if possible, I watered the plant and hopefully next week it will look better.I doubt it but I still will be stopping in with Rob from work to check it out. I spoke with Bob about it and he says it also may have not tolerated the heat well.
This photo was taken today. Compare the size and look of the plant in this photo with the top photo taken in 2007.
Then
And Now
Guy
Five years ago today while Bob and I were canoeing, Bob discovered for the first time a Pine Barren Death Camas (zigadenus leimanthoides). This is an endangered plant in NJ. It was starting to bloom and so we returned the next weekend with Mike Baker to hopefully see it fully bloomed. This photo show the plant in full bloom 5 years ago.
Every year since then at this time of year I have returned to discover the plant is not there. One year it appears it was damaged by foot travel when a blockage on the river was causing individuals to carry their kayaks across the plant. And last year it was so flooded the week before the water overflowed it's banks and apparently damaged it. This photo shows that.
This morning Jessica and I paid a visit and was pleasantly surprised to see there now are two of them. Unfortunately, the ground is so dry they are not nearly as nice as the first year we found it. They are much shorter with many less flowers and the lower ones have already fallen off while the upper have not yet bloomed. I believe this is the direct result of the dry weather. The ground around it is parched not allowing the plant to flourish. But the fact remains, it still is there. To help it along if possible, I watered the plant and hopefully next week it will look better.I doubt it but I still will be stopping in with Rob from work to check it out. I spoke with Bob about it and he says it also may have not tolerated the heat well.
This photo was taken today. Compare the size and look of the plant in this photo with the top photo taken in 2007.
Then
And Now
Guy
