I found this lovely flowering bush near the Dinosaur Footprints on the Connecticut River in Massachusetts, and immediately thought of you. So I left Evelyn marking tracks and snapped a few quick pics.
Mystery Flower I
My basic first thought was, “Thank fuck it’s not a fruit tree!” I love fruit trees, I do, but I’m a little tired of them. Luckily, other things are beginning to bloom.
Mystery Flower II
There’s a full view for ye. These were dainty but tall bushes, and reminded me a bit of honeysuckle, although they smelled nothing like it. I don’t recall any particular scent at all, actually.
Mystery Flower III
There was this picturesque culvert, with these flowering bushes on both sides, and although all of this ran right alongside a fairly busy highway, it felt all peaceful and rural. I saw this and thought Cujo would like it. There were several times when I felt a bit guilty about not dragging him along. Then there were times when I was glad I hadn’t, namely during trips through airport security and stuffed on planes. But right here was one of those places I like to take him, because it has a little of everything.
Mystery Flower IV
And there was this little stream dashing down the tilted sedimentary beds. Evelyn and I are still working on determining what they are. The website swears it’s sandstone, but it seemed too fine-grained. I chewed on a bit, but I’m not adept yet at geology-by-taste-test, so I’m not sure what I should be looking for. I’ll report back in a few days with more definitive results and slightly smoother teeth.
Mystery Flower V
I can report it’s slippery when wet. Nearly broke me neck walking round looking for any dinosaur tracks along that streambed. But I’m very good now at regaining my footing in streambeds. Have to be, living in Seattle and doing geology. And it was worth it just for the chance to see these lovely bushes overhanging the water.
So there you are: a mystery flower that isn’t northwest-centric. Enjoy! I’m going to go back to missing Evelyn now. Sigh.
5 comments
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Lockwood
May 10, 2012 at 4:28 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
If it’s gritty between the teeth, it’s siltstone; if not it’s mudstone. These two sed types have dominant particles to small to resolve with the naked eye or hand lens. If you can see the particles in a field setting, it’s a sandstone. Probably best not to try the “bite test.” :)
Stephanie Zvan
May 10, 2012 at 5:13 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
It’s one of the shrub honeysuckles, but I’m not sure which one. Bush honeysuckle is invasive in woody undergrowth, so it’s the most likely bet.
Trebuchet
May 10, 2012 at 6:13 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
It’s a shrubbery.
chezjake
May 10, 2012 at 10:34 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Morrow’s honeysuckle — an invasive species that’s very common here in the northeast, including my backyard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonicera_morrowii
Trebuchet
May 11, 2012 at 5:17 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Wow! That article has the probably the worst photo in the history of Wikipedia!