There were several interesting aquatic species floating on the surface of the brook in a marshy area.
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Water-shield (Brasenia schreberi)
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Pondweed (Potamogeton sp.)
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Pond-lily (Nuphar sp.)
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I found the first turtlehead buds of the year along the brook!
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White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)
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They'll soon have goofy-looking white flowers that bees tunnel into for nectar, leaving their fuzzy bee butts sticking out. Here's a photo I took elsewhere a couple years ago.
On the theme of adorable fuzzy things, I love the funny, fuzzy purple lips of marsh skullcap. In this photo you can also see the odd little boxy fruits lower on the stem.
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Marsh Skullcap (Scutellaria galericulata)
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It's such a delight when I finally notice something that has been in front of me all along. I've walked past this Canadian yew any number of times but dismissed it as young hemlock. The needles are superficially similar enough to mistake when I'm not paying attention. But this is a new species for the Witchwood!
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Canadian Yew (Taxus canadensis)
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