Pokeweed is a very distinctive, succulent plant here on Cape Cod. Its 1/4″ flowers are racemes with 5 white to pinkish round waxy sepals and green centers. Its leaves are large and egg-shaped. The stems turn red with age and the berries turn a dark blue.
It is a large plant which grows from 4-10 feet and blooms from July to September in open woods and fields. I saw these Pokeweeds at Fort Hill in Eastham along the side of the trail by the Nauset Marsh.
In the first photograph you can see the buds before they bloom to the left and as they bloom on the right. In the 2nd photograph you can see the dark blue berries that hang from the plant and look like grapes.
After reading one of the comments, I realized that Pokeweeds are very toxic plants, both the berries and the stem. Stay far away!
The Common Milkweed wildflowers look like a ball of little flowers which you can find all over Cape Cod this summer.
Common Milkweed wildflowers have tiny purplish to pink flowers which grow in 2″ round clusters . They bloom from June to August in fields and roadsides. I saw these Common Milkweed on the side of the trail while hiking at Fort Hill in Eastham.
The first photograph shows a fully bloomed cluster and the second photograph shows one that is just blooming.
I was taking a hike at Fort Hill the other evening when I saw this little bit of purple out of the corner of my eye. It was on the side of the trail at Fort Hill and pretty hidden in the climbing vines.
But, I was able to take a photograph of it and then look it up in my wildflower book when I got home. It is a Climbing Nightshade wildflower and very delicate and pretty. Its flowers almost look like the Shooting Star wildflowers that I used to see out in Colorado.
The Climbing Nightshade is a climbing vine with purple shooting star shaped flowers with 5 petals which grow in clusters at the end of long stems. The flowers are just 1/2″ to 1″ and bloom from June to August.
This is my first Climbing Nightshade. Have you ever seen one?
I was taking a walk the other day when I saw this pretty little Spotted Wintergreen wildflower. I did not know what it was until I got home and could look in my wildflower book.
The white, waxy flowers grow facing downward ( as seen in the second photograph) and then when they bloom they face upward toward the sun.
Have you ever seen a Spotted Wintergreen? So pretty!
Looking out across Nauset Marsh to Nauset Break from Fort Hill in Eastham on Cape Cod is just gorgeous! You can see the kayakers and boaters and beautiful beaches.
What an amazing view!
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
