Plant Identification

Hi there - i forwarded your message to one of our partners at Cornell Cooperative Extension who is very good at woodland plant ID and here is her response:

"Ooo- This is a tricky one. I think there are parts of multiple plants in this photo which may confuse iNaturalist a bit, and perhaps us as well! I would guess that the blooms are on a spike with basal leaves, one of which we can see on the left- think of hyacinth leaves. The blue flowers have not yet fully opened so it’s hard to see the detail needed to really be sure who exactly this is. The round leaved creeping plant in the background on the left could definitely be a speedwell.
I was at first reminded of bluebells which use to be a member of the scilla family. After investigating the Scilla genus, I am thinking it is Siberian Scuilla or something closely related. An additional similarity is the red coloring in the flower spike. This is most likely an escapee from cultivation. Below is a photo of Siberian Scuilla for comparison."

Hi! What a beauty. I uploaded your photos to iNaturalist and it suggests it's Germander Speedwell in the Veronica genus. There are a number of similar looking plants in the Veronica genus so I'd poke around some more within that classification. Here's the link to that species info from iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/51610-Veronica-chamaedrys We have a blog about using iNaturalist for plant and animal IDing. It's my favorite tool! Check it out here: https://mywoodlot.com/item/using-the-inaturalist-app-to-almost-solve-a-mystery
Happy botanizing!
Tyler from the MyWoodlot Team

Hello, I was walking in the forest and found such a flower, there is an assumption, what is it called?
[attachment]flower-scilla-forest-flower-nature-forest-plant.jpg[/attachment]

Thanks, I found a solution to my problem in this discussion!

The color of flowers is very nice.

What a nice blue color! Looks like Veronica chamaedrys, aka germander speedwell.

Found this little flower (1/2" or less) 2 months ago. Any idea what it is?

I've always found these tough to identify. It looks like a bindweed, but I don't know which species. I'd guess the genus is either Fallopia or Polygonum. Keep an eye out for flowers or seeds - that'll help pick the species.

What vine is this?

The flower certainly looks like chamomile, but the leaves look more like a daisy. Chamomile leaves are thin and wispy, almost like dill.

Stay tuned because in a few weeks MyWoodlot is releasing a new activity on identifying wildflowers

Is this Chamomile?

Sure is! That has a great color. Aka Digitalis purpurea, and is originally from Europe.

Found this beauty in the road on our hill. I believe it is purple foxglove. Can anyone confirm?

It's called trout lily because the shape and blotchy pattern of the leaves looks kind of like a trout's body.

Trout lily, Erythronium americanum.

Hi Forest Experts !!

Can anyone tell me what type of flower this is? I was hiking the other afternoon in the woods and came across many of these. The bloom early I guess!
Thanks.

Question from a Columbia County landowner: What tree is this? Found it growing in a damp area along a small stream.



Our Answer: This is a hackberry, and is one of the more rare trees in our region. Usually found growing in wet areas.

Inquiry from a Putnam County landowner.

This is umbrella magnolia. Native to the mid-Appalachians, but now appearing more frequently in New York and New England.

Question from a Putnam County landowner: Is this tree of heaven?

Our Answer: This looks more like a sumac or mountain ash. Tree of heaven leaflets have smoother margins, while the leaflets in this photo are serrated.

Check out this video (skip to 4:19) to see tips on tree of heaven identification.

Hmm, could the wild lettuce leaves I shot just be their basal leaves? They look quite different from the leaves I'm used to seeing on the stem.

Ah, a rue! I thought originally narrowed it down to the Thalictrum genus, but then said "nah"....