~JULY 2011 Photo Contest~
 

Some more of the native flora to my state. They are Teucrium canadense var. virginicum (American Germander), Actaea racemosa (Black Cohosh), Passiflora lutea var. lutea (Yellow Passion-flower), Yucca filamentosa (Yucca)

Jumping the gun, firing the pistol, having an itchy trigger finger are we? ;)
Well you heard her gang..... The contest is now open! :smileyclap

Ooooo I LIKE that Passiflora lutea var. lutea (Yellow Passion-flower) It's so frail and dainty looking.

silverclaw,

The second photo [Actaea racemosa (Black Cohosh)]is quite beautiful. I've recently discovered that I want to add this one to my wishlist.

The photo of the yucca is very attractive too...even after learning that its native range stretches to the East coast, I still think of it as a landscaping plant. I'd love to stumble upon some of these natives in a natural setting. I find myself a little reluctant to plant some things like this that I've not seen in nature...same goes for the potentilla bushes sold in nurseries...I believe they are native to PA, but I've never seen them in the wild.

After checking one of my reference books, I see it is native farther south than me.

Anyway, beautiful photos. :)

Well, at least a lot of people grow the yucca around here, even though they probably do not know that it is a native in the state. I have seen it growing in both a methodically kept landscape and in the wild, particularly along Route 1, along the areas around the beaches. Not to mention the only cactus native to the east coast,
Opuntia humifusa var. humifusa (Eastern Prickly-pear Cactus).

I bet most people don't know...I didn't for a long time. As you describe the setting along the beaches, it seems to make more sense to me.

I have the prickly pear cactus here...it was planted by a previous owner in a flowerbed. That is one I'd like to see in a natural setting as well--I'd like to recreate the setting here...and see what companion plants grow with it.

On more question: Is the photo of the yucca taken outside of your state? The mountain in the background is beautiful and adds to the scene, but I remember Delaware being rather flat...at least near the coast.

It was taken in Shenandoah National Park, VA. So, yes, out of state, but native to the coastal plain.

~smile~ Does Delaware have any mountains at all?

I remember reading a book that espoused the beauty of Delmarva, and I even toyed with moving there some day. My partner and I went to Rehobeth beach *years* ago and went to some nature preserve as well. We enjoyed visintg and would like to go back...but I remember thinking it was too flat for me to live there.

Had we planned better, I'm sure we could've have found some beautiful natural areas. We're a bit closer now; maybe we'll get a chance to return. If we do, I'd love some suggestions of where to visit.

Yes, they are just confined to the area of the Delaware-Pennsylvania border. Places to visit, especially to enjoy nature in Delaware, I would say places like, Brandywine creek State Park, White Clay Creek State Park, maybe Fort Delaware, Redden State Forest, or Trap Pond that is east of the town I live near. Or there is mixing in visits to some of the towns and some historic places, like "The Green" in downtown Dover.