We are roughly one month into spring, with the spring ephemerals surviving despite the snow flurries and low temperatures yesterday. We have a patch of trout lilies, a little wilted but hanging in there:
This week board members walked the trail with a representative from the Catskills Forest Association and found out that we have several serviceberry trees on the trail, including one in bloom.
We found one ironwood with hanging catkins:
We have knotweed and honeysuckle in abundance. Both these species can be harvested with impunity. They are invasive species and endanger the understory by crowding it out and depriving it of light. Knotweed is best harvested and eaten as short, early shoots, when they are most tender:
We are so lucky to have a diversity of trees on the trail: willow, dogwood, sumac, ironwood (hornbeam), red oak, birch, maple, elder, black cherry, pin (fire) cherry, white ash, shrub willow, butternut, quaking aspen and several species of crab apple, like this one below:
And last, but not least, we have found several patches of angelica and several more ancient grape vines wrapped around trees.
The advantage of trail inspections and foraging in the winter and early spring seasons is that you can get a good look at the understory. You can get under the shrubs and bushes before they leaf and flower.
See you on the trail!
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