A peek at a few places - Ottawa County and Muskegon County

Muskegon State Park is where we found Cross-Leaved Milkwort in 2010 so we thought we might find this plant blooming again.  And we did.  It is a very small plant, as you can see compared to the cranberry in the background.

Cross-Leaved Milkwort (Polygala cruciata aquilonia) Milkwort family

Lost Lake at Muskegon State Park - September 27, 2016

  We hiked through the dunes near Lake Michigan, it was windy, cloudy, and sunny.

Lake Michigan

We have been to Bass Recreation Area in Ottawa County to check on the Bottle Gentian and Nodding Ladies' Tresses.

 This is the white variety of Bottle Gentian we find at Bass, the photo above was taken on August 23, 2016. 
And the photo below was taken on September 13, 2016.

The more common color of the Bottle Gentian is a beautiful purplish blue like in the photos below.  These plants were also found at Bass, only in a different area.

Can you see all of the Bottled Gentian blooming in the photo?  We find this cluster of Bottled Gentian near a place at Bass that we call Cardinal Flower lane. 
Below is Cardinal Flower Lane in bloom August 23, 2016.

At Bass we also find many Nodding Ladies' Tresses which are in the orchid family.

The orchid book is 8 inches tall, so this plant was about a foot tall.

One of the many ponds to explore at Bass Recreation Area in Ottawa County, Michigan.