My first Jack of the year. He was poking out of a mass of wild geranium leaves, the geraniums not in flower yet, and I almost missed him. Jack in the Pulpits are a favorite of mine.

And I found a huge field of May Apples just emerging. They should be in full bloom in less than a week, though what I love most about this plant is its foliage as it unfolds. Like a giant yawn when you have to throw your arms out wide, and stretch, too. A white five-petaled flower will tuck itself under the umbrella to complete the show.

One of my readers, Uphilldowndale from northern England, asked about the fruit. I rather forgot it has that fruit-y word, “apple”, in its moniker. For the record, it does have a soft, yellowy kind of fruit which can be eaten, mostly in marmalades, jams, pies, etc., though I’m not personally recommending it for I’ve never tasted it. Supposedly it is sweet and mildly acidic, though one source called it “peculiar”. Has anyone ever had a bite of a May Apple?

[where: Owen Conservation Park]