Our destination today was motivated by the book, "Wildflower Safaris by Car" by Bennett & Sullivan.  They had referred  to this area as "Sanctuary".  It's the Sugar Loaf road 2.5 miles above Hwy. 61.  Past the loggers' metal gate, west side of the road.  They said we would see the Perfoliate Bellwort ( Uvularia perfoliata) but after we got home we felt that what we saw was Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora).  We won't know for sure unless we go back and check. There were just "tons" of the Bellwort, a real treat.  We also saw Marsh Marigolds, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Baneberry, Purple and Yellow Violets that we tried to identify but gave up.  When we turned on to the Cramer Road.  we saw a big patch of Purple Clematis, probably the biggest patch we have ever seen.

 "Yesterday was such a special day for me, with several firsts--my first sight of both Ginger and Bellwort in bloom and that tremendous Purple Virgin's Bower.  What a day!  " --member of the Wednesday wildflower group

On the previous Saturday we went on the Leveaux Mountain Trail, right next to Oberg Mountain.  We were looking for blooming Ginger.  We saw much the same flowers that we had seen on Oberg (except there was an area that had a foot-bridge and we saw Marsh-marigolds, as far as the eye could see) and were getting tired and hadn't yet found Wild Ginger until I tripped over a root and literally "fell into the Ginger"  and it was blooming.  My friend looked down at the small dark flower and said "is that what we came all this way to see?!!"  Spring is such a wonderful season!!

What we saw today:

 Anemone, Wood - Anemone quinquefolia
Baneberry, Red - Actaea rubra
Bellwort, Large-flowered - Uvularia grandiflora (we think)
Bluebell, (Tall Lungwort) - Mertensia paniculata
Blue-eyed Grass - Sisyrinchium
Clematis, Purple (Rock) - Clematis verticillari
Cress, Common Winter - Barbarea vulgaris
Dandelion, Common - Taraxacum officinale
Dutchman's-breeches - Dicentra cucullaria
Gaywings (Fringed Polygala) - Polygala paucifolia
Ginger, Wild - Asarum canadense
Goldthread - Coptis groenlandica
Jack-in-the-Pulpit - Arisaema atrorubens
Lily, Trout, Adder's-tongue - Erythronium americanum
Marsh-marigold - Caltha palustris
Mertensia - Mertinsia paniculata
Polygala, Fringed - Polygala paucifolia
Primrose, Bird's-eye - Primula mistassinica
Pussytoes, Field - Antennaria neglecta
Silverweed - Potentilla anserina
Spring-beauty - Claytonia caroliniana
Starflower - Trientalis borealis
Strawberry, Barren - Waldsteinia fragaarioides
Strawberry, Common - Fragaria virginiana such a lot!
Trillium, Nodding - Trillium cernuum
Violets - purple, yellow & white

Blooming Trees and Shrubs

Alder, Speckled - Alnus incana
Cherry, Pin - Prunus pennsylvanica
Currant Bristly - Ribes lacustre
Currant, Skunk - Ribes glandulosum
Dewberry - Rubus pubescens
Gooseberry - Ribes hirtellum                                                       Honeysuckle, American Fly -Lonicera canadensis
Juneberry - Amelanchier
Maple, Sugar - Acer saccharum the whole tree is full of drooping yellow flowers