Day 181: In my yard, only the leaves of the Fawn Lilies (Erythronium oregonum) are showing, but on the off chance that they were in bloom at lower elevations, I took a short hike on an obscure trail yesterday. I was delighted to see the usual patch in full bloom, and was even more excited to discover them further along the trail in several places I had not noticed them previously. This raises a question in my mind: why do they not occur in other locations nearby? I have only observed them at this one site, and in a friend's yard where I suspect they were deliberately planted. Even more puzzling is the fact that this particular area has yielded up at least half a dozen plant species I have not observed elsewhere. It is hardly an undisturbed ecology, having been logged at some point in its history. Some combination of soil type, pH, exposure, hydrology and/or other factors make the spot unique. In fact, I stumbled across another new-to-me species yesterday. More on that in a coming post, and after I've taken better photos of it.
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