Wild Flowers in Maine (Westbrook, Gorham: live, garden, associations)

[elston]

In another thread there has begun a discussion of wild flowers and plants that folks love and associate with Maine. These aren't plants that are necessarily limited to Maine but wild flowers and ornamentals that folks are remembering and seeing growing wild in Maine.

We have already heard a mention of Lady Slippers, native bittersweet (not the invasive asian bittersweet) and trillium. In an old family journal my Great Great Aunt describes gathering trailing arbutus (May Flowers) in Stevens Plains (Westbrook) for May baskets.

I would love to hear about your favorite wild flowers and specifically about sightings this year. Give a discription of the flower, the general location, and any associations and thoughts about the flower. If there are varieties of the flower such as "pink lady slipper" and "yellow lady slipper" "scarlet trillium" etc add that to your post. The return of the flowers, much as the return of birds, is a rite of spring.

I have been admiring scarlet trillium growing in Gorham in the root notches of old and even decaying trees. Trillium has three brilliant green leaves that make it stand out against the dark forest floor, it has a three petaled flower and is a beautiful crimson shade of red. Its a beauty!

I also saw little "bluets" growing in the old cemetery in Gorham town center. These little beauties are also known as "**** the beds" or "pis au lit" for some reason unknown to me. When I was little it seemed so liberating to get away with saying their common name....but I see the censor is stricter than my ministerial father was. lol

Thats a start......what have you seen?

[7th generation]

Not too sure what this bush is, but it came later in the spring, with red berries.

Blackeyed Susan:

Lupine:

Somewhere I have a file with many more, but am unable to locate them.

[msina]

Lupine

[elston]

Originally Posted by msina

Lupine

My mother used to love the wild lupine in Maine and would collect the seeds pods and scatter them to help spread beauty in the world; she lived up in Eastport at that time. Has anyone seen lupine yet, either sprouting or flowering? I don't know its timing.

[Maine Writer]

7th, maybe elderberry? That's a WAG.

Originally Posted by elston

My mother used to love the wild lupine in Maine and would collect the seeds pods and scatter them to help spread beauty in the world; she lived up in Eastport at that time. Has anyone seen lupine yet, either sprouting or flowering? I don't know its timing.

From the perennial garden I need to tear up and replant one of these years. Growing but not blooming yet. It needs at least another month. Did you know lupine is an invasive species? I love it anyway!

[Elcarim]

Oh, wonderful thread! LOVE the photos. The Lupin remind me a great deal of our Texas Bluebonnets. I can't wait to see those blooming in mass production! Beautiful!!

[elston]

MaineWriter: are all the lupine invasive? I thought the little blue ones, not the hybreds were native to the north east. NO? (They must be native somewhere......where is their rightful place?

Of course when Mom was scattering seed....there wasnt much known about invasive plants.....she did know that purple loose strife was invasive however...I remember that she knew amd lamented that fact.

[corgis]

I love seeing the fields of lupine in Eastport - they may be invasive but they are so beautiful.

[moughie]

Peonies are also a wonderful flower for Maine, as long as you have the correct exposure.
Such lovely, lush and fragrant blossoms- utterly, totally femine!

Another great flower is clematis, esp if you have a light post or mail box they can spiral around.

Another favorite is nasturtiams: colorful blossoms, lovely leaves and edible too! We had a big old whisky barrel full of them, growing near the garage.

Elston, I do agree- trillium is so heavenly!

This thread is making me long for East Coast vegetation!

[Maineah]

We have violets and lilly of the valley all over the place here. I don't know how native or wild it is but I know we didn't plant any of it and we've been here 22 years now.
I like the indian paint brushes. I don't know exactly their real name but they grow in the field and have a furry stem. There are yellow ones, orange ones and some mixed ones that look like light orange. In our field we get the indian paint brushes,a zillion buttercups, brown eyed susans, daisies,a low purple flower that looks like little lupines ( they're not) straw berry blossoms,some kind of yellow star flower,jewell weed,(cures poison ivy) milk weed which have a pretty bloom, some kind of wild sun flower that grows up to six feet tall and lots more that I won't remember until I see them again.