I have seen a lot of Smooth Sumac growing along the sides of the trails by the National Seashore. I wasn’t sure what it was until I did a little research.
Smooth Sumac is a large shrub which grows to about 10 feet with large, 12″ leaves. The bark is smooth and brown; the twigs are grey or red. The flowers are yellowish and bloom in June and July. The berries, which you can see in the photographs, are tiny, red, hairy, sticky and about 8″ upright. They grow in dense, conical clusters.
I also learned that it is not poisonous, like Poison Sumac.
The gardens at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary have been totally done over this summer and they are gorgeous! There are little paths that you can walk along to see the wildflowers and butterflies close-up and get those treasured macros.
The yellow Coneflowers were blooming and were gorgeous as they stood over 6 feet tall. They remind me of Colorado as there were many growing along the trails in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Mouse-Ear Hawkweed windflowers are growing all over Cape Cod. They are a dandelion-like flower with 1-4 heads. The flowers are small, just 1/2 ‘ to 1″ while the plant grows from 3-30 inches from May through September.
Sweet Pepperbush is a tall, leafy shrub which grows near coastal wetlands or swamps, which is why I’ve seen it on the Red Maple Swamp Trail at Fort Hill and the Spring Loop Trail at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. It is powerfully scented, so you can’t miss it!
The white flowers are 1/3″ with 5 petals and 10 long stamens on 8″ upright spikes. You can see a close-up of the spikes and a photograph of the entire shrub in the 2 blog photographs.
They are really pretty. Have you ever seen a Sweet Pepperbush?
Spotted Knapweed wildflowers, a member of the Aster Family, are growing profusely here on Cape Cod. Even though they are a pretty and unique wildflower, they are considered invasive in some states.
Spotted Knapweed has a 1″ thistle-like head with forked outer rays and black-tipped bracts. Their many-branched stems are hairy and wiry. They grow in July and August along fields and roadsides. I took this photograph along one of the trail at Fort Hill.
Have you ever seen a Spotted Knapweed?
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
