What’s In Bloom?AT ADKINS ARBORETUM IN MAY

Euonymus americanus (yew-ON-ih-musa-mer-i-CAN-us) hearts-a-bustin’,strawberry bush—The stems are ever-green. In the spring, small clusters ofwaxy cream colored flowers appear heldtightly against the dark green leaves. Itprefers well-drained, humus rich soil onthe acid side, in dappled shade. Foundalong Blockston branch and manyother paths.

Rhododendron periclymenoides (roh-doh-DEN-dron payr-i-cly-men-OY-deez)pinxter bloom azalea—The cotton candypink to white flowers of this deciduousshrub open in mid spring as the foliageis expanding. The blossoms, which canbe slightly fragrant, measure 1- 11/2”across and they are held in clusters of 5-16 flowers. The stamens are morethan twice the length of the petals. Youcan find this native azalea along theUpland and Tuckahoe Creekside paths.

Liriodendron tulipifera (leer-ee-oh-DEN-dron tu-li-PIF-er-a) tulip tree—Allthroughout the Arboretum’s woodland,the straight trunks of the tulip treesreach for the sky. The tulip shapedflowers that measure 2-3 inches acrossare usually borne on the upper branchesof the tree and therefore rarely seenunless they fall to the ground. Thepetals are yellow-green and the inside ofthe flower is orange. The tulip shapedleaf is the Arboretum’s logo.

Prunus serotina (PROO-nuhs sayr-oh-TEE-nah) black cherry—Long, hangingclusters of small, white, 5-petaledflowers ornament the black cherry inspring. Many pollinators are attractedto the flowers and when the purplefruits mature birds and other animalswill feast on them. Cherries growaround the meadow edges and in theupland forests.

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Vaccinium stamineum (vak-SIN-ee-umstam-in-EE-um) deerberry—The white,bell-shaped flowers of deerberry differfrom the urn-shaped flowers of itsrelative, the blueberry. The deciduousleaves are egg-shaped, and distinctivelywhitish beneath. White-tailed deer eatthe leaves, twigs and berries, whichcontributes to the common name ofthis plant. It is common along theUpland path.

Kalmia latifolia ( KAL-mee-a lat-ih-FO-lee-a) mountain laurel—This large shrubwith a gnarly trunk and glossy darkevergreen leaves blooms from late Mayto early June at the Arboretum. Clustersof white to pink-rose blooms with darkpink markings are held above thebranches. Mountain laurel is long lived—on large plants 100 growth rings havebeen reported. It is prevalent alongTuckahoe Creekside path.

Adkins Arboretum, 12610 Eveland Road, P.O. Box 100, Ridgely, MD 21660, 410-634-2847, www.adkinsarboretum.org

What’s In Bloom?at Adkins Arboretum in May

Cypripedium acaule (sip-rih-PEED-ee-umah-CALL-eh) pink lady’s slipper—Themature plants usually have two large,deeply ribbed dark green leaves atground level and foot high stalks withone or two stately flowers at the end.The lip of the slipper-shaped flower isan inch or two in size and is split toaccommodate big bumblebees. Lookfor lady’s slippers in the acidic soilsunder the pines along the TuckahoeValley path and along the Upland Path.

Polygonatum biflorum (po-li-go-NAH-tum by-FLOR-um) Solomon’s seal—Along the Arboretum’s paths clumps ofgraceful stems are poking through thesoil. These arching stems of Solomon’sseal have alternate leaves and pairs ofbell-shaped flowers drooping from eachleaf axil. Solomon’s seal grows about 1to 2 feet tall. The name comes from animpression in the root that resemblesKing Solomon’s wax seal.

Smilacina racemosa (smy-la-SEEN-ahray-se-MO-sa) false Solomon's seal—This plant grows about 1-3’ tall andhas plumes of fluffy creamy white,scented flowers in the spring. Thecluster of flowers is located at the tipof the plant as opposed to trueSolomon’s seal where the flowersappear at each leaf junction. The leavesare bright green, with deep veins. It iscommon along Tuckahoe Creekside.

Medeola virginiana (med-ee-OH-la vir-jin-ee-AY-nah) Indian cucumber root—Two stacked sets of whorled leaves helpmake this a distinctive plant. Very smallyellow-green flowers with recurvedpetals hang from the smaller top set ofleaves. The cucumber part of the nameis from the taste of the root, not thepurple fruits. Found along the BlockstonBranch path.

Arisaema triphyllum (air-iss-EE-mah try-FY-lum) Jack-in-the-pulpit—Three to fiveleaflets emerge in spring and form acanopy over the hooded flower. This isfollowed by bright red-orange clustersof berries that attract wood thrush andturkey. The "pulpit" structure is calleda spathe and is 3-4 inches high. Preferslow, moist areas along BlockstonBranch and Tuckahoe Valley paths.

Geranium maculatum (jer-AY-nee-ummak-yew-LAY-tum) cranesbill—The wildgeranium has distinctive 11/2 inchlavender-pink, saucer shaped, upwardfacing flowers with yellow pistils andlarge, lobed leaves. It blooms for 6-7weeks and is considered semi-evergreen.The flowers attract butterflies. Foundalong the Tuckahoe Creekside path.