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Botany Ramblings:
March 1 to April 28, 2001
James P. Goltz
Reprinted from the N.B. Naturalist
Non-native Species
Cecil and Doris Johnston were delighted to find a single bright yellow bloom and four swelling buds of Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) on March 15 on a south-facing embankment at Dipper Harbour. For many years, Cecil has been New Brunswick's veritable Aearly bird@ of wildflowers by spotting the first Coltsfoot blooms of the season. Imagine his chagrin this year, when he learned through the Telegraph Journal that Brigitte and Peter Ledermann had discovered Coltsfoot in bloom at Hampton on March 7. Better luck next year, Cec! Margaret Gallant Doyle found Coltsfoot in flower near the hospital at Campbellton on April 1. In most years, there would be many more reports of this species from southern New Brunswick before they showed up in the north, but this year its flowering throughout much of the province was delayed by an unusually slow spring melt, sustained deep snow cover and multiple heavy spring snowfalls. While waiting for the first spring wildflowers, botany enthusiasts no doubt shared Margaret's opinion that it would be Anice to see a colour other than white@. Additional reports of Coltsfoot in bloom included April 17 on a steep west-facing slope at Riverside-Albert (David Christie), April 17 near the boardwalk at the Fraser Marina by the Madawaska River (Pierrette Mercier), one on April 20 on a south-facing embankment near the Experimental Farm at Fredericton (JPG), many on April 23 at multiple sites along Wilsey Road at Fredericton (JPG), and April 23 along the road in St.-Gabriel (LeB).
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) was found in bloom on April 20, along the basement wall of a house in St.-Maurice (LeB). A single plant of this species was seen in bloom on April 24 in the crack between a paved parking lot and the wall of a building at the Experimental Farm at Fredericton (JPG).
Woody Plants
Pussy Willows (Salix discolor) were already conspicuous at Welch Cove by March 18 (JPG, SS), were Ain full force@ at St. Gabriel by March 19 (LeB), had appeared in a swampy area at St. Andrews by March 23 (Tracey Dean) and were out at Deer Island on March 27 (Katherine Landry). Like many of our Aspring@ birds that overwinter, Pussy Willows are not always a sure sign of spring since, in some years, they may show up in the fall and linger throughout the winter. However, after the old-fashioned winter of 2000-2001, our fuzzy friends were most welcome harbingers of spring. A few Pussy Willows (3 male plants, 1 female plant) were found in bloom, with well-differentiated stamens and pistils, on April 24 along the St. John River at Fredericton, and many plants of this species were seen in bloom near St. Andrews on April 25 (JPG).
By April 4 at Fredericton, the developing catkins (also called >aments=) on a few Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) had reached the stage at which they resembled large Pussy Willows (JPG), attesting to the close taxonomic relationship between poplars and willows. At least one tree of this species had elongate male flowers in bloom along Wilsey Road at Fredericton by April 23, while many were already in bloom near St. Andrews and several were flowering near Prince William on April 25 (JPG).
On a few plants of Speckled Alder (Alnus incana), the male catkins had already elongated by April 11 at Fredericton, but they did not start to shed pollen until April 16 (JPG, SS).
After weeks of monitoring the swollen buds of Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum), a number of trees of this species were found in bloom on April 16 along the St. John River between Fredericton and Sheffield (JPG, SS).
Gart Bishop found female flowers of Beaked Hazel (Corylus cornuta) in bloom under a powerline just north of Sussex on April 16, but the male catkins had not yet elongated or begun to shed pollen. At Fredericton, a few male catkins had already begun to elongate by April 18, but there was no sign of pollen shedding or female flowers there until April 23 (JPG). Take time to check the Beaked Hazel in your area for its inconspicuous female blooms with bright red-purple Atentacle-like styles@.
A few plants of American Elm (Ulmus americana) were in flower by April 27 at Fredericton (JPG).
Native Non-Woody Plants
Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) continues to thrive at Upper Cape (near Port Elgin), its easternmost known location in New Brunswick. On April 14, the Chignecto Naturalists= Club and a few Moncton area naturalists saw the Alobster claw@-like blooms of this rare species in columnar holes in the snow, even though the snow was 1.5 feet deep! Skunk Cabbage is well known to generate heat and help speed up the spring thaw, and apparently had first emerged in that area almost three weeks previously (Helen Lines).
A few speckled leaves of Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) were seen at two sites off Wilsey Road in Fredericton on April 16 (JPG).
Jessica Robinson saw many Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana) and a few Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) in bloom on Keswick Ridge on April 24.
By April 27, many leaves and tight green buds of Red Trillium (Trillium erectum) were found near the Experimental Farm at Fredericton (JPG).
Peter and Theresa Pearce found the first Round-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica americana) bloom of the season on Currie Mountain on April 28.
Summary
Phenological records indicate that botanical events for the Fredericton area in late winter and early spring of 2001 were about two to three weeks behind the previous year, but were almost on schedule for an average year (JPG). These things can change quickly and dramatically if periods of unusually warm or cool weather ensue.
Abbreviations: LeB Mike and Bern LeBlanc, JPG James P. Goltz, SS Shirley Sloat
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