Middle Run Natural Area
The Middle Run Natural Area is New Castle County parkland between the Possum Hill and Judge Morris Estate
areas of
White Clay Creek State Park.
Like most parkland in New Castle County, it is overrun with deer and invasive alien plants,
but it is the only place in Delaware where
Trillium erectum is known to grow wild.
Five of us walked a loop north of the Possum Hollow Road parking lot.
Here are some things we saw, in the order we saw them, more or less.
(I was leading the walk, and didn't take many pictures, so mostly I have links to older pictures on this page.)
Podophyllum peltatum, Mayapple
Arisaema triphyllum subsp. triphyllum, Swamp Jack-in-the-pulpit
Erythronium americanum subsp. americanum, Yellow Trout-lily (past bloom)
Viburnum acerifolium, Mapleleaf Viburnum (in bud)
Actaea racemosa, Black Cohosh (just leaves)
Viola pubescens var. pubescens, Downy Yellow Violet
Viola sororia, Woolly Blue Violet
Veratrum viride, American False Hellebore (just leaves)
Geranium maculatum, Wild Geranium (a single flower)
Mertensia virginica, Virginia Bluebells
Polygonatum biflorum var. biflorum, Solomon's-seal (a few in bud)
Anemone quinquefolia var. quinquefolia, Wood Anemone
Floerkea proserpinacoides, False Mermaidweed
Two of us then went on a loop to the south and saw some other things:
Anemone americana, Roundlobed Hepatica (past bloom)
Thalictrum thalictroides, Rue Anemone
Viola rotundifolia, Roundleaf Violet (past bloom)
Thamnophis sirtalis, Common garter snake
(We saw a snake on the first loop too, but it did not pose for a portrait.)
Tipularia discolor, Cranefly Orchid (last year's leaves)
Mitchella repens, Partridge-berry (just leaves)
Uvularia perfoliata, Perfoliate Bellwort
Medeola virginiana, Indian Cucumber-root (in bud)
Thanks to everyone who came, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Delaware Wildflowers main page
