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Pulsatilla patens

Discussion in 'Pets and Wildlife' started by xmpraedicta, Apr 13, 2015.

  1. xmpraedicta

    xmpraedicta Prairie angraecoid nut Supporting Member

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    After moving to Saskatchewan, I've decided to try and find as many prairie flowers as I can during the 5 years that I am here. I sort of squandered my time in Ontario, and I need to make up for it. I've also never lived in the prairies, so the habitats are very different and quite interesting. Pulsatilla patens is a widespread species across N. America, Europe and Asia, and grows in undisturbed land, which is becoming rare. After searching through three different parks, hiking around for hours, getting soaked in flooded creeks or tangled in wild rose thorns and nearly giving up, I finally found these little plants...and it was all worth it. After 8 months of winter, seeing these dainty flowers amongst the still-brown grass was an incredible feeling.


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    wpinnix and RadioFreeKirkwood like this.
  2. KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

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    Beautiful. That is the kind of thing I like to do, too. Some people just don't understand :cool:. If there is a Native Plant Society in your area it may be worth your time to attend a meeting and perhaps join. Enjoy your Spring.
     
  3. xmpraedicta

    xmpraedicta Prairie angraecoid nut Supporting Member

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    Thanks Kelly!
     
  4. naoki

    naoki Well-Known Member

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    Very nice, Calvin. I like the first photo with nice light, and appropriate amount of blur in the background! We have pasque flower in the interior alaska (Zone 2). I wasn't sure if it is the same species, so I looked it up and it appears to be the same species (and you are right that it has amazingly wide distribution). Ours superficially look a bit different, and the habitat is somewhat different. We find this species only in steep south facing bluff (flora in bluff is quite different from the surrounding area because of longer growing season). It is one of the first species blooming in the spring (excluding willow etc). I could grow them in our garden, but it died after relocating it. We managed to start them from seeds this year.
     
  5. xmpraedicta

    xmpraedicta Prairie angraecoid nut Supporting Member

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    Naoki I would definitely agree - most of the specimens I found were growing on bluffs and slopes, although I don't remember the orientation. The first two sites I was searching around in were more marsh / wet meadow / aspen parkland, and I didn't find any. Here's a blurry pic of a few growing together. Are they coming up in your neck of the woods yet?
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    PS - I *finally* wired one of my Vero 29 LEDS...those things are BRIGHT!
     
  6. naoki

    naoki Well-Known Member

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    We are still covered with a little bit of snow, but it seems that the snow may be gone by this week end. I think they flower around the end of April or early May (I know only one population around here).

    Cool that you got Vero 29 going! I'm supposed to be assembling a brand-new Cree CXB3070 for my local friend. Maybe this weekend. I'm looking forward to testing it out and comparing it against older CXA3070.