Maynard Biodiversity Talks: Spring in Maynard
It’s 42°F as I write this, but on the Assabet Riverbank, there is evidence of spring. I walked along the Blue-Green trail accessed from Colbert Street. It's wet underfoot, so if you plan on taking a walk, you'll need Wellingtons.
Skunk cabbage is found here, a true sign of wetland soils. This magical plant produces heat that allows it to emerge and bloom even when the ground is still frozen. The flower buds can warm up to 70°F, which melts the snow around the plant. Flowering red maples provide abundant early food for birds, and pollen is available to hungry insects as they come out of hibernation. Mosses and lichens are looking glossy. Some sedges are in flower. And if you are wondering about the difference between lichens, rushes, and grasses just remember: “Sedges have edges, rushes are round, grasses have nodes right down to the ground.”
Here are some photos of the plants I saw on my spring walk:
