The day of nineteen Purple Fringed Orchids!

A fun day in July 2015, in Michigan.  Marie and I visited some wet and muddy woods in search of the Purple Fringed Orchid.  We walked through the woods about 20 feet apart from each other and soon started to find this orchid. 
So what is it about walking through mud and woods - filled with mosquitoes that are hungry for new blood - that is so fun?  I'm not exactly sure, but it has something to do with the discovery of all the things we find. 
This time we counted nineteen individual plants of Purple Fringed Orchid!

We went to some new places on this outing finding more interesting things.  Here is what else we saw that day in July.



 

 

 

 Buttonbush
 

 Swamp Rose
 

 Indian Pipe
  
 

 

Kalm's St. Johnswort

After identifying some plants we realized that this place was special.  Most likely one of the Coastal Plain Marshes here in Michigan.  Look here to learn more about coastal plain marshes, http://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/communities/community.cfm?id=10670
 

 Maryland Meadow Beauty
We saw hundreds of these!
 

 Hyssop Hedge Nettle with bee

 

 

 Lizard's Tail

  

 

             Just a pretty leaf Mike shared with me.

That about wraps up the month of July as far as wildflowering.  Thanks for stopping by.