Another Lupine Season Begins; Forgotten Plants Flagged

 Another Scrub Lupine season has begun at the preserve this week, about on schedule.

The first seedlings typically appear in mid to late January and continue emerging into February.

The first three seedings I detected were outside the main planting areas along the edge of the heavily impacted east-west trail that is annually mowed even though it has never been overgrown in the 20 years or so I've been on the site.

In recent years the lupines growing along this path have had to have been clearly marked to avoid  being destroyed by mechanical onslaught.

I also flagged a three more lupines that apparently emerged last year, and either were never flagged or the flags was removed or destroyed.  

In a search earlier this week I also discovered a previous planting area that I had missed when I was asked by Bok's Cheryl Peterson last October  to remove cages around the plants to prevent the Eastern Cottontail Rabbits that live on this site from consuming them.

The lupines for the most part appear healthy and as I've noticed regularly some plants have growth with more vigor than others.

So far I have not found any seedlings in the southern planting area, which still has some surviving seedlings from last year's emergence.

The norther planting area contains plants of various ages.

  

Maybe A New Sign Someday

 

The sign at the southeast corner of the preserve's north tract is showing its age and the inevitable effects of having a southern exposure even though there is some shade to moderate the effects on the suns's rays.

I was wondering whether a new sign might be considered in a future budget to make the place look a little less neglected.

I was out documenting a couple of patches of  mistletoe, checking to see whether lupine seedlings had begun popping up--they had not--though I moved some of the existing flags to be near unflagged surviving plants from last year's crop in the southern planting area.

I also checked a section of the south tract for Ghost Pipes, but found nothing but an old shoe and an older beer can and some spots along the fire lane for further excavation. 

I also found a place where someone may be setting up camp along the fence line in the south tract.