In early May, Arethusa Falls still has a bit of ice on its shaded southern side. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A tiny trickle of an unnamed brook forms a pretty little waterfall as the snowbound forest thaws out. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A good-sized brook with no name that I am aware of flows through the thawing forest. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A good-sized brook with no name that I am aware of flows through the thawing forest. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. "My" ledge, the uppermost boulder on the right, is awash today. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

An eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) sits in a white birch (Betula papyrifera) on the lookout for insects. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A grove of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) across the narrow bay of the Mill Pond from my favorite sitting rock. The Mill Pond is free of ice, but the hardwood trees are still leafless and the ground cover is still brown. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

White pines (Pinus strobus) stand like green towers over the shore of the Mill Pond, while the hardwoods put on the first blush of spring buds. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Duckweed (Lemna minor) emerges from winter dormancy before the snow has melted completely. It is one of the first green things to appear in spring. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

A mayfly makes its final moult, transforming from aquatic larva to winged adult, at the surface of the pond. With no solid object to support it, it can only use the surface tension of the water to stand on as it pulls itself out of its old skin. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

Having shed its last larval skin but not yet able to fly, the mayfly uses its wings to motor along the surface of the Mill Pond and find a safe twig to climb out of the water before a fish is attracted by its struggles. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring flood. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. This is the place where I usually cross after climbing the cliff on the south side of the waterfall, then make my way down to the ledge on the north side. This point is just about opposite the little swamp. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls, looking upstream from the little swamp, about a hundred feet back from the waterfall. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking upstream from the ledge atop Arethusa Falls. This steep riffle, visible from Frankenstein Cliff, is technically part of the waterfall, though it is not vertical. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking down from the top of Arethusa Falls. I'm on the south side, before I head upstream to cross. The ledge where I usually kick back is the uppermost rock on the left. A sprig of swamp honeysuckle (Rhododendron viscosum) overhangs the waterfall from the right. It blooms almost a month later here than down in Nashua. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking down from the top of Arethusa Falls, from "my" ledge on the north side. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A little stream with no name that I'm aware of trickling among the boulders, flanked by blossoming hobblebush and other spring greenery. Spring, Arethusa-Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A little stream with no name that I'm aware of cascading down the cliff above before seeping across the trail. Spring, Arethusa-Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

This little seep dripping down a vertical rock face provides cool shade and moisture on a hot afternoon as you wend your way down the switchbacks from Frankenstein Cliff. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Floodwaters of spring thaw flow on top of the ice on Saco Lake. Across this narrow cove, you can see where a stream has carried a load of dirt, rocks, leaves, and logs out onto the ice. Spring, Saco Lake, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring thaw, flanked by the last of the winter ice in the sunshine of a spring morning. There's the hint of a rainbow in the spray, just below the midpoint of the waterfall. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring thaw, flanked by the last of the winter ice in the sunshine of a spring morning. There's the hint of a rainbow in the spray near the lower right corner of the picture. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls in spring thaw, seen from about halfway up the cliff on its south side. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking upstream from the ledge atop Arethusa Falls. This steep riffle, visible from Frankenstein Cliff, is technically part of the waterfall, though it is not vertical. The end-of-season snow on either side of the brook shows the dirt that has accumulated in it over the last few months. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Spring thaw floodwaters leap over the edge of Arethusa Falls while snow and ice linger in the shaded woods below. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Arethusa Falls is swollen in spring thaw, while ice lingers on the shady southern side of the cliff. Spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch State Park

Northern white violet (Viola pallens) growing in a mossy crack between two rocks, practically in the river. This is a moisture-loving species. Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

An American toad (Bufo americanus americanus) sits on a submerged rock. This is his chosen spot for the breeding season, and he occasionally sings to attract a female. Late spring, Saco Lake, Crawford Notch State Park

Myriad hatchling water striders (Gerris sp.) on the Mill Pond. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

A bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) lurking in the Mill Pond. The water is covered with a mat of spirogyra, which almost supports the frog's weight. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) lurking in the Mill Pond. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Two male bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) circle each other in a threat display after one got a little to close to the other's nest. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A pair of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) spawn in the shallows of the Mill Pond. The male swims on his side, fertilizing the eggs as the female lays them in his nest. Spring, Mine Falls Park

The silver maple (Acer saccharinum) turns white, showing the underside of its leaves, right before a thunderstorm. This is not some mystical power of the silver maple, but a consequence of its normal growth. Its leaves are angled to be stable in the prevailing winds, but an unusual wind, such as the gusts preceding a thunderstorm, makes the leaves flutter or turn over completely, revaling their silvery undersides. Spring, Mine Falls Park

The western bank of the Nashua Canal is carpeted with violets (Viola sororia) and alpine bluets (Houstonia caerulea var. Faxonorum) peeking out from the grass. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) swimming in the Beaver Pond. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) resting on the bottom of the Beaver Pond. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) resting on the bottom of the Beaver Pond. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Whirligig beetles (family Gyrinidae) milling about on the Beaver Pond. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A whirligig beetle (family Gyrinidae) and the ripples he makes cast shadows on the muddy bottom of the Beaver Pond. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Whirligig beetles (family Gyrinidae) milling about on the Beaver Pond. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Unknown "swamp violet" (Viola sp.). The flower and structural features of the plant look like the common blue violet (V. papilionacea), but the plant is very tall. Its 18 inch height is nearly triple that of the common blue violet. It is growing on very muddy ground on the shore of a swamp. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Unknown "swamp violet" (Viola sp.). The flower and structural features of the plant look like the common blue violet (V. papilionacea), but the plant is very tall. Its 18 inch height is nearly triple that of the common blue violet. It is growing on very muddy ground on the shore of a swamp. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Unknown "swamp violet" (Viola sp.). The flower and structural features of the plant look like the common blue violet (V. papilionacea), but the plant is very tall. Its 18 inch height is nearly triple that of the common blue violet. It is growing on very muddy ground on the shore of a swamp. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Moss-covered boulder on the edge of the Mill Pond surrounded by budding spring. I photographed this same boulder shortly after the pond froze the previous fall to make a nice set of contrasting pictures. Spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 26 Times.

A red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) in a swampy corner of the Beaver Pond. A few large individuals like this one, perhaps seven inches long, appear in mid-spring. Later in the year, the pond is swarming with smaller newts, about five inches long, which I take to be the year's crop of new adults. They spend their "adolescence" as land-dwelling salamanders called red efts. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Ripley Falls in spring thaw. I've never seen more water in Ripley Falls than this, but I don't go there very often in spring or fall flood seasons. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park Downloaded 31 Times.

Avalanche Brook, swollen in spring thaw, as seen from the railroad bridge on the Ripley Falls Trail. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A sizeable stream flows across the Ripley Falls Trail. I usually go there in late summer, and I had referred to this little watercourse as a "seep." Now in spring thaw season, it is a good-sized brook, and you must walk along in the stream for a good twenty feet as you follow the trail. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park Downloaded 27 Times.

A small cascade above the Ripley Falls Trail might be considered a hundred-foot waterfall, but it's seasonal. In late summer, when I usually hike the Ripley Falls trail, this little brook is just a few damp rocks. Now in spring thaw season, it is a good-sized brook. Spring, Ripley Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park Downloaded 33 Times.

Looking like a small tree beside the still-brown stand of cattails (Typha latifolia), this young swamp honeysuckle (Rhododendron viscosum) will eventually become a bush. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Blossoming boughs of swamp honeysuckle (Rhododendron viscosum) overhang the Mill Pond. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Blossoming boughs of swamp honeysuckle (Rhododendron viscosum) overhang the Mill Pond. Spring, Mine Falls Park

While the first fiddleheads of fern emerge from the leaf litter on the shore, the first duckweeds (Lemna minor) appear on the surface of the Mill Pond. They will soon blanket every still, shallow cove. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Fiddleheads of fern and other spring plants grow on a shaky, muddy hummock on the edge of the Mill Pond. This hummock is all that remains of a log that fell into the pond many years ago. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Whirligig beetle (family Gyrinidae) sitting uncharacteristically still. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Round clusters of white eggs, which I think are probably those of a mole salamader (genus Ambystoma), likley the eastern tiger salamander (A. tigrinum). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH Downloaded 57 Times.

Green frog (Rana clamitans melanota). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH Downloaded 41 Times.

Green frog (Rana clamitans melanota) nearly invisible in the beaver pond, with only his eyes and nostrils above the water. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH Downloaded 37 Times.

A painted turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) basking on the first warm day of the year. Spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 35 Times.

A pair of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) feeding along the edge of the Mill Pond. In early spring, the males are hungry and feed voraciously, but the females, with their growing eggs to nourish, are in a feeding frenzy. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Swollen with meltwater and choked with snow and leaf litter, a tiny stream spreads out into what might be called a vernal pool. Only it's not spring, this is just an unusually warm day after an unusually warm week in January. Winter, Pack Monadnock Downloaded 42 Times.

In an unseasonably warm January, meltwater seeps from the moss and down the face of a granite boulder, winter, Pack Monadnock Downloaded 43 Times.

This dripping wet monolith offers cool shade and dampness on a hot summer afternoon as you descend Frankenstein Cliff. Spring, Crawford Notch State Park Downloaded 92 Times.

Water spider (family Cybaeidae), mid-spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 51 Times.

Question mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis), early spring, Crawford Notch Downloaded 38 Times.

Painted turtles (Chrysemys picta picta) basking on a log, mid-spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 66 Times.

Bemis Falls, spring, Crawford Notch Downloaded 38 Times.

Coliseum Falls along Bemis Brook, spring, Crawford Notch Downloaded 50 Times.

Another view of Coliseum Falls along Bemis Brook, spring, Crawford Notch Downloaded 45 Times.

Small waterfall with a pink granite boulder, mid-spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch Downloaded 47 Times.

Arethusa Falls, late spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch Downloaded 47 Times.

Eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), early summer, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 35 Times.

A pair of young mute swans, (Cygnus olor) just about the last time I saw them on the Mill Pond, late spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 29 Times.

Eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), late spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 30 Times.

Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) swims with his body almost completely submerged, late spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 36 Times.

The double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) basks to dry out his non-waterproof feathers, late spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 40 Times.

A mute swan (Cygnus olor) preening in the rain, mid-spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 44 Times.

A barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) dips in front of a mute swan (Cygnus olor). If there were more than one swallow, it might make a summer. Mid-spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 40 Times.

Three mute swans, (Cygnus olor) late spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 27 Times.

Mute swan, (Cygnus olor) mid-spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 36 Times.

A pair of eastern kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus), mid-spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 34 Times.

Mute swan, (Cygnus olor) early spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 25 Times.

The male mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) keeps his eye to the sky, looking for hawks, while the female watches the shore, looking for nesting sites, early spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 46 Times.

Male mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) in winter/breeding plumage, early spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 48 Times.

Purple trillium (Trillium erectum) in bud. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A dead tree, covered with at least three different kinds of fungus, emerges from the melting snow. As the weather grows warmer and the sunlight grows stronger, snow melts away first from around trees, even dead ones, where the sun's warming effect is strongest. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium) emerges from the melting snow. Just as the snow melts away first from around standing trees, it also melts quickly where a twig touches its surface, leaving a clear impression of the horizontal branches of the hobblebush. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Mountain cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) barely rises above the mosses in the big meadow north of Crawford Notch. It has been green under the snow all winter long, like the mosses. Early spring, White Mountain National Forest

Mats of mountain cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) and mosses are liberated by the melting snow. They will soon be overshadowed by taller herbaceous plants that will dominate the meadow north of Crawford Notch. Early spring, White Mountain National Forest

The buds of the hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium) have been open this far since last fall. Now, they're about to leaf out before the snow melts away. Early spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The ground cedar clubmoss (Lycopodium complanatum) has been green under the snow all winter. As the snow begins to melt, it enjoys the unfettered spring sunshine with other, less hardy plants. Early spring, White Mountain National Forest

An eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) sits in a white birch (Betula papyrifera) on the lookout for insects. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Pink ladys slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule) almost ready to bloom, surrounded by budding Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense). Spring, Mine Falls Park

Pink ladys slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule) almost ready to bloom, surrounded by budding Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense). These orchids are rather rare in Mine Falls Park. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Painted trillium (Trillium undulatum). Notice the rippled leaves and petals that give this plant is scientific name. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Purple trillium (Trillium erectum). Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A grove of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) across the narrow bay of the Mill Pond from my favorite sitting rock. The Mill Pond is free of ice, but the hardwood trees are still leafless and the ground cover is still brown. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

White pines (Pinus strobus) stand like green towers over the shore of the Mill Pond, while the hardwoods put on the first blush of spring buds. Spring, Mine Falls Park

The annual greening of the forest floor begins with unfurling fern fiddleheads, Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) leaves, and other plants that survive the winter as underground rhizomes. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Duckweed (Lemna minor) emerges from winter dormancy before the snow has melted completely. It is one of the first green things to appear in spring. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

A mayfly makes its final moult, transforming from aquatic larva to winged adult, at the surface of the pond. With no solid object to support it, it can only use the surface tension of the water to stand on as it pulls itself out of its old skin. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

Having shed its last larval skin but not yet able to fly, the mayfly uses its wings to motor along the surface of the Mill Pond and find a safe twig to climb out of the water before a fish is attracted by its struggles. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

Pink ladys slipper orchids (Cypripedium acaule) beginning to bloom, surrounded by fallen twigs of red spruce (Picea rubens). Many spruce twigs litter the ground in the spring, but I don't quite know why. Spring, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Ferns unfurling among boulders and flood detritus, with wood sorrel (Oxalis montana) around their stems. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The little swamp on the south side of Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The little swamp on the south side of Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

The little swamp on the south side of Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking south along the cliff from the top of Arethusa Falls. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southwest from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail toward Arethusa Falls and Mount Bemis, framed by a couple of pine trees (Pinus strobus). The hardwoods below, mostly American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and white birch (Betula papyrifera) carpet the mountain with the pale greens of spring. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southwest from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail toward Arethusa Falls and Mount Bemis, framed by a flowering maple tree (Acer sp.). Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking south from the Frankenstein Cliff Trail across the valley of Bemis Brook. Notice how hardwoods predominate on the sunny areas, and evergreens on the shaded slopes. Spring, Frankenstein Cliff Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Buds of American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) swelling against the blue sky of a spring evening. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana). Late spring, White Mountain National Forest

Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana). Late spring, White Mountain National Forest

Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana). Late spring, White Mountain National Forest

Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense). Here in the shade, it grows a little less densely than usual, and you can see by the nearly straight-line arrangement of these plants that it is actually a single plant consisting of a perennial underground rhizome that puts up annual shoots of flowers and leaves. Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Close-up view of the flower cluster of the Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum). Notice how it curves rather abruptly in a 90-degree angle. The nearly vertical part of the stem has no leaves, and the nearly horizontal part has pairs of large leaves. Pairs of green flowers, like little bells, hang below the stem, one pair of flowers for each pair of leaves. In the background, near the tree, is a very similar false Solomon's seal (Smilacina racemosa). It's kind of unusual to see them both growing together. Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum). In this view from beneath, you can see the pairs of flowers hanging below each pair of leaves (and the whole thing dripping with rain, which fell constantly in the early part of my camping trip). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum). Viewing the plant from above, you can see the alternating pattern of the leaves and the parallel veins in each leaf. You can also see that the leaves nearer the end of the plant (lower right) are slightly curved toward the end of the plant, a subtle effect that differentiates this plant from the false Solomon's seal (Smilacina racemosa). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum) standing above a bed of smooth yellow violets (Viola pensylvanica). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

False Solomon's seal (Smilacina racemosa). This plant is very similar to smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum) except that it bears its flowers in a large cluster at the end of the stalk rather than hanging below the stalk. Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

False Solomon's seal (Smilacina racemosa). This plant is very similar to smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum) except that it bears its flowers in a large cluster at the end of the stalk rather than hanging below the stalk. Other, more subtle differences show in this picture, such as the less abrupt right-angle bend to the stalk. Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

False Solomon's seal (Smilacina racemosa). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Close-up of the flower cluster of false Solomon's seal (Smilacina racemosa), with a black beetle on it. Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

In early June, one corner of my campsite was awash in smooth yellow violets (Viola pensylvanica). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Smooth yellow violet (Viola pensylvanica). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Smooth yellow violet (Viola pensylvanica). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Smooth yellow violet (Viola pensylvanica). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) beside the road near the Crawford Path trail head. Late spring, White Mountain National Forest

Painted trillium (Trillium undulatum) usually grows in shady forests, but here it is in the sunny bog between Mount Pierce and Mount Jackson. Late spring, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Goldenthread (Coptis groenlandica) is very common in the sunny bogs on the shoulder between Mount Pierce and Mount Jackson. It is also very common in drier, shady lowland forests in New Hamphsire. Late spring, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Goldenthread (Coptis groenlandica) is very common in the sunny bogs on the shoulder between Mount Pierce and Mount Jackson. It is also very common in drier, shady lowland forests in New Hamphsire. Late spring, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Purple trillium (Trillium erectum). This one has unusually large leaves, though the flower is not unusually large and the plant is not unusually tall. Late spring, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest

Purple trillium (Trillium erectum) with unusually large leaves, and my hand in the picture for scale. Late spring, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest

Purple trillium (Trillium erectum) with normal-sized leaves, and my hand in the picture for scale. Late spring, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest

Three painted trillium (Trillium undulatum) in a dense bed of goldenthread (Coptis groenlandica). Late spring, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest

Painted trillium (Trillium undulatum). Sometimes the petals are so thin they are translucent and have a bluish appearance. Late spring, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest

Northern white violet (Viola pallens). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Northern white violet (Viola pallens) growing in a mossy crack between two rocks, practically in the river. This is a moisture-loving species. Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Northern white violet (Viola pallens). Late spring, Dry River Campground, Crawford Notch State Park

Blue-bead lily (Clintonia borealis). Late spring, Saco Lake, Crawford Notch State Park

Wild ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) growing on a shelf of rock right at the shore of Saco Lake. Late spring, Saco Lake, Crawford Notch State Park

Wild ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) growing on a shelf of rock right at the shore of Saco Lake. Late spring, Saco Lake, Crawford Notch State Park

Wild ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) growing on a shelf of rock right at the shore of Saco Lake. Late spring, Saco Lake, Crawford Notch State Park

Strawberry fields forever. Wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana) blanket a meadow near Elephant Head. Late spring, Crawford Notch State Park

Blueberry fields forever. Low-bush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) blanket a meadow near the Crawford Path trail head. Late spring, White Mountain National Forest

Bunchberry fields forever. Bunchberries (Cornus canadensis) blanket the roadside near the Crawford Path trail head. It's a bit unusual to see bunchberries growing out in the open like this. They usually grow in shady forests. And I don't think I've ever seen such a wide patch of them. (I know you're really enjoying this joke, but I'm afraid I'm all out of berry blossom pictures for now.) Late spring, White Mountain National Forest

Blue flag (Iris versicolor). There are many stands of "feral" iris, escaped from cultivation and reverting to a wild state, throughout Mine Falls Park, but this is the true ancestral wild form. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

Blue flag (Iris versicolor). There are many stands of "feral" iris, escaped from cultivation and reverting to a wild state, throughout Mine Falls Park, but this is the true ancestral wild form. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

Blue flag (Iris versicolor). There are many stands of "feral" iris, escaped from cultivation and reverting to a wild state, throughout Mine Falls Park, but this is the true ancestral wild form. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

Myriad hatchling water striders (Gerris sp.) on the Mill Pond. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

In the middle of a whorl of leaves, a fern raises its spore-bearing stalk. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Tiny new leaves on the new spring growth of the red maple (Acer rubrum). Spring, Mine Falls Park

The silver maple (Acer saccharinum) turns white, showing the underside of its leaves, right before a thunderstorm. This is not some mystical power of the silver maple, but a consequence of its normal growth. Its leaves are angled to be stable in the prevailing winds, but an unusual wind, such as the gusts preceding a thunderstorm, makes the leaves flutter or turn over completely, revaling their silvery undersides. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense) beside the trail. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense) beside the trail. Spring, Mine Falls Park

High-bush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) blossoms overhanging the trail. They are rather uncommon in Mine Falls Park. Spring, Mine Falls Park

The western bank of the Nashua Canal is carpeted with violets (Viola sororia) and alpine bluets (Houstonia caerulea var. Faxonorum) peeking out from the grass. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Maple-leaved viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) just about to bloom. It blooms later than hobblebush (V. alnifolium) and is more common at lower elevations. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Great laurel (Rhododendron maximum) just about to bloom. This may be the most common understory shrub in the vicinity of the Mill Pond, and is the same species as the rhododendrons you may have in your garden. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Great laurel (Rhododendron maximum) just about to bloom. Notice the fresh, pale green leaves of the plant's new growth, replacing the deep green leaves of last year, tattered and bruised from the past winter. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowi). Spring, Mine Falls Park

Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowi) losing its blossoms in late spring. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) typically has three spherical clusters of tiny flowers. Anywhere from none to four would not be unusual, but this plant with six flower clusters is extraordinary. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) forms broad blankets of green and white throughout Mine Falls Park from late spring until near the end of summer. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) basking beside the trail. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) basking beside the trail. The thick body suggests that this is probably a female, but it is small, probably just one year old and not yet breeding. Adult females this time of year are usually heavily pregnant. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Canadian dwarf cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis). Spring, Elkins Road, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Dog violet (Viola conpersa). Spring, Elkins Road, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Alpine bluets (Houstonia caerulea var. Faxonorum). These are rather unusual. Everywhere in New Hampshire, the only bluets I see are the alpine variety, with white petals, instead of the main variety, with blue petals. This one bunch is pale blue, maybe halfway between the main variety and the usual alpine variety. Is this just a pale bluet? An unusually blue alpine bluet? A hybrid of the two varieties? Where are the other main-variety bluets? How come I only see this one bunch of five bluish bluets among uncountable millions of white bluets in New Hampshire? When you open your eyes to observe nature, you never run out of questions. Spring, Elkins Road, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Unknown "swamp violet" (Viola sp.). The flower and structural features of the plant look like the common blue violet (V. papilionacea), but the plant is very tall. Its 18 inch height is nearly triple that of the common blue violet. It is growing on very muddy ground on the shore of a swamp. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Unknown "swamp violet" (Viola sp.). The flower and structural features of the plant look like the common blue violet (V. papilionacea), but the plant is very tall. Its 18 inch height is nearly triple that of the common blue violet. It is growing on very muddy ground on the shore of a swamp. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Unknown "swamp violet" (Viola sp.). The flower and structural features of the plant look like the common blue violet (V. papilionacea), but the plant is very tall. Its 18 inch height is nearly triple that of the common blue violet. It is growing on very muddy ground on the shore of a swamp. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A rather dense cluster of bunchberry (Cornus canadensis). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

An unused dirt road is carpeted with Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense), on its way to reverting to forest. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Pink lady's slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule). Though some of these "pink" orchids are very pale, even white, this one is very pink. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Three lady's slipper orchids (Cypripedium acaule). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Three lady's slipper orchids (Cypripedium acaule). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A rather dense colleciton of lady's slipper orchids (Cypripedium acaule) in a clearing blanketed with starflowers (Trientalis borealis). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Fringed polygala (Polygala panicifolia) is surprisingly common in Beaver Brook. Though it looks like an orchid, this plant is actually a type of milkwort, somewhat related to the pea family. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Fringed polygala (Polygala panicifolia) frequently has two flowers per plant. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Starflower (Trientalis borealis) and fringed polygala (Polygala panicifolia). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

The Beaver Brook area has more thoroughly mixed groundcover than most places I know. Instead of a wide swath of one plant here and another there, all types of plants are everywhere! In this picture, we see New Hampshire's ubiquitous Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), Beaver Brook's equally ubiquitous partridge berry (Mitchella repens), numerous fringed polygala (Polygala panicifolia), and quite a few other small plants. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH Downloaded 48 Times.

Fringed polygala (Polygala panicifolia). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Fringed polygala (Polygala panicifolia) is an underground creeper that puts up leaves and flowers here and there. This is clearly seen in this picture, where five plants appear in nearly a straight line. In fact, they are all one plant. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Fringed polygala (Polygala panicifolia). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Starflower (Trientalis borealis) is very common along the Beaver Brook Trail, and plants with two flowers seem to be more common here than in most places where I see this plant. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Common winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris), an alien weed, is uncommon in the wooded areas of Mine Falls Park, but it is the first flower to brighten the highway medians in much of New England. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Wood anemone (Anemone quinquifolia) going to seed. In late May, when spring is just getting underway for most flowers, wood anemone is reaching its autumn. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowi) grows all around the Mill Pond, especially on the sunny northern shore. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowi) grows all around the Mill Pond, especially on the sunny northern shore. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowi) grows all around the Mill Pond, especially on the sunny northern shore. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) has odd spherical clusters of tiny greenish-whitish flowers. Three clusters on one plant is pretty typical. Some have two or one cluster, and quite a few have none. I guess the younger plants might produce fewer flowers. The flower and leaf stalks regrow every year, but the plant is a perennial, living as an underground rhizome for many years. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) leaves fade from purple to green as they grow and spread, eventualy nearly concealing the clusters of flowers. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) carpets much of Mine Falls Park in spring and early summer, here beside the trail on the south side of the Mill Pond. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Black chokecherry (Pyrus melanocarpa). Spring, Mine Falls Park

Celandine (Chelidonium majus), an ugly, spindly weed with pretty flowers on top. This European native is growing on the bank of the canal beside the abutment to the bridge near the high school. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) just about to bloom. The spherical clusters of greenish flowers emerge at about the same time as the umbrella of compound leaves, which will soon hide the blossoms. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) leaves just beginning to open. "(Nature's) early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour." (Nothing Gold Can Stay, Robert Frost) Spring, Mine Falls Park

Close-up of a starflower (Trientalis borealis). Spring, Mine Falls Park

Cluster of dandelions (Taraxacum sp.). I'm usually not interested in invasive, exotic, or cultivated plants, but after walking past hundreds of dandelions, I figured, why not? Spring, Mine Falls Park

Close-up of a dandelion (Taraxacum sp.). I've heard the quote many times, "If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be welcome on any lawn," and I suppose it's true enough. (I found a few sources that attribute that quote to Andrew V. Mason. My cousin the dentist tells me that Mason was a surgeon from the Boston area. Upon further research, I found that he is retired, and he is a source of a good many quotes on many subjects other than surgery.) Spring, Mine Falls Park

Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) with its cluster of flower buds just about to open. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A carpet of Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) covers most of the shady to moderately sunny parts of Mine Falls Park from spring to fall. Spring, Mine Falls Park Downloaded 25 Times.

Close-up of the cluster of tiny flowers of the Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense). Spring, Mine Falls Park

A flowering bough of maleberry bush (Lyonia ligustrina) overhanging the Mill Pond. Spring, Mine Falls Park

The tiny, bell-shaped flowers of the maleberry bush (Lyonia ligustrina) are pinkish when they first open, but then become white. Spring, Mine Falls Park

The tiny, bell-shaped flowers of the maleberry bush (Lyonia ligustrina) hang in dense clusters under the leafy branches. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A dense carpet of alpine bluets (Houstonia caerulea var. Faxonorum) in a sunny clearing, with a couple of dandelions (Taraxacum sp.) and a few violets (Viola sororia) in the mix. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Wood anemone (Anemone quinquifolia). Spring, Mine Falls Park

A carpet of Violets (Viola sororia) in a sunny spot. Most of the greenery here is Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), and not the leaves of the violets. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Close-up of a Violet (Viola sororia). Spring, Mine Falls Park

Violets (Viola sororia) often take on this odd double-flower appearance with no petals projecting to the sides. I don't know whether this is a mutant form, or if it is the result of an injury or what. These mishapen flowers occur among stands of normal flowers. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Here we clearly see the leaves of the violet (Viola sororia) with just a couple of flowers beside the plant. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A blanket of mixed violets (Viola sororia) and alpine bluets (Houstonia caerulea var. Faxonorum) on the sunny western bank of the Nashua Canal. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Close-up of alpine bluets (Houstonia caerulea var. Faxonorum). Spring, Mine Falls Park

A blanket of wood anemone (Anemone quinquifolia) beside the trail, with poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) creeping in among them. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Close-up of wood anemone (Anemone quinquifolia). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Partridge berry (Mitchella repens) creeping over a boulder beside a tiny stream. Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Goldenthread (Coptis groenlandica). This plant can be difficult to identify. Most of the plant is a bright yellow underground runner (whence the name), which puts up a flower here, a stalk of leaves there, etc. Thus, the flower can be far removed from the leaves. Most of the leaves around this one are those of partridge berry (Mitchella repens). Spring, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH