Arkansas Orchids: Lady Slipper, Showy Orchis, & Spring Coralroot
1 comments Posted by John Gardner at 2:35 PMIf you are a plant geek, you're going to love these rare beauties...
The Spring Coralroot is a very interesting orchid. It is a nonphotosynthesizing orchid. It is able to take up nutrition from mycorrhizal fungus. Pretty cool, huh? Also back in the good ol' days, this plant was used to assist in breaking high fever and used as a mild sedative. But do not go out looking for this plant for that reason. Corallorrhiza is a rare plant and its habitat should be left alone!
Are you a fan of Pawpaw trees? If not, you should be. These trees are not only aesthetically pleasing but also wonderful to eat. Many people compare the taste to banana. I admit, it does have a tropical essence; however, it has more of a Papaya and Mango combination with some banana mixed in. 
Add one of these trees to your landscape not only for your personal gain but also for the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly. This is the only plant that the Zebra Swallowtail will use as a host.
Most Pawpaws are not well pollinated. This can be for several reasons. First pollinators like the flies, beetles and ants do not pick up the faint smell of the flowers. Some people can boost pollination by attracting the insects using rotten food or your neighbors dead "yip-yip" dog should work fine. If you are able to endure the smell, expect delicious fruits in the late summer. Second, cross pollination between trees will boost the yield. So be sure and plant several Pawpaw trees. These trees tend to form in thickets, so expect more to pop up as the years go by.
I was enjoying a nice visit with my family the moment I received a telephone call from my dear friend Amanda. She reminded me of a time last year when she discovered morels outside of her apartment (click to view photos). There was a moment of silence over the line. Of course, she found more at her new apartment! Fungus seems to follow her where ever she goes - I'm not so sure that's a good thing. However, Silvia and I were invited to a wonderful morel pasta dinner.
After the first bite, I quizzed my taste buds searching for something that would blow my mind. But however delicious the fungus is, I will have to agree with my father's words, "A mushroom is a mushroom." Now that I think about it, I do remember a particular fungus that passed through John Gardner years ago. The fungus was called black fungus. The black jelly like fungus was revealed to me at an Asian restaurant in Ptuj, Slovenia. If I recall, it is tasty but the texture is bizarre and the black stains the teeth.
Here are some nice spring flowers I simply wanted to share with you. These flowers you will not typically find in the neighbors garden. You'll have better luck finding these on the trail. Good luck!
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