by Carl Strang
April 24 brought the first cutleaf toothwort flowers to Mayslake Forest Preserve.
Elsewhere it had been flowering for days, but its only location at Mayslake seems to be the area that was cleared of brush over the winter. After being suppressed by the shade there for years, it’s no surprise that the toothwort is blooming late.
Other new plants on that same slope that flowered by April 27 were a single example of Dutchman’s breeches,
and an early buttercup.
A second individual of this species shows how variable their leaves can be.
Less welcome was a colony of periwinkle.
Non-natives, including invasive ones, nevertheless are beautiful and, for a moment at least, can be appreciated as such. Consider these two European weeds close up: penny cress
and winter cress.
Both started blooming at Mayslake last week.
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