I’m not super adept at ID of dogwoods (at least ones that aren’t SUPER distinct) but someone informed me that this tol boi is likely Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) the floral form (which btw SHOULD nOT BE FLOWERING IN SEPTEMBER) would give even more implication that it is so.
If it weren’t for this blackspot problems I’d probably take note of these specimens for future seed harvesting, but ah well. Still learned something.
The view on the way out; a view of the most impenetrable part of the woods. It is the north side of the forest.
A thicket of saplings, raspberry brambles, and dogwoods block the way in, but, I DID get some see some colouring up of some Sugar Maple foliage at the woodland’s edge.
Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) nestled around some rotted down fallen trees.
Almost got out of the woods at this point, but the wall of corn stopped that plan, leading to more photos as I struggled to get out of the woods (it would’ve taken longer to backtrack out of the woods)
Some unfamiliar lacey ferns. I have no idea what kind. It was quite a big lacey fern indeed.
A patch of Taxus canadensis. An untrained eye would see them as young canadian hemlock, but a few berries here and there along with other details (such as the fact that Canadian Hemlock has silver undersides for its needles) reveals what it actually is.
Interestingly its said that its rarer in deer heavy locales? (supposedly in Miichigan in particular) Despite being super-toxic to livestock, deer apparently like to browse on it, especially in winter.
One of the uprooted/ing trees happened to be a towering canadian hemlock. It may only be still holding on thanks to some younger trees rooted together with it.
IT WAS BIG.
BABIES! There were so many sapling Canadian Hemlocks! This isn’t even half of them I’m sure.
Also if anyone suggests digging these slow-growing babies up I’m gonna slap them.
I was very confused this fern especially when I discovered its identity (thanks to @geopsych); Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis).
I was not aware they could get SO BIG with such big fronds; some definitely almost reached waist high in height. Also weird; I don’t seem to have any uploaded pics of the MASSIVE colony of them which I saw in that forest…
A wild white aster colony in part of the forest. Would give a genus/species but… IDing native/wild asters was never my strongsuit. I honestly have no clue.
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