The meadows at Fort Hill on Cape Cod are abundant with beautiful white Queen Anne’s Lace wildflowers. Last month was pink with Beach Pea wildflowers and all you can see now is Queen Anne’s Lace.
Queen Anne’s Lace reminds me of my Mom who showed me the wildflower when I was a little girl and told me that it got its name because it looked just like a delicate piece of lace.
Queen Anne’s Lace grows to about 4′ tall. It is a flat, lacy flower with 4″ clusters of tiny white flowers.
One thing I did not know is that it is poisonous and may irritate the skin. It blooms from June to September in fields and roadsides.
When the tides get low, you can see Fiddler Crabs swarming the little ponds at the salt marshes on Cape Cod. I was walking home the other day when I saw hundreds of Fiddler Crabs coming out of their little holes in the salt marsh.
“Fiddler crabs are found along sea beaches and brackish inter-tidal mud flats, lagoons and swamps. Fiddler crabs are most well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males’ major claw is much larger than the minor claw while the females’ claws are both the same size.
Like all crabs, fiddler crabs shed their shells as they grow. If they have lost legs or claws during their present growth cycle, a new one will be present when they molt.”
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?
It was a picture perfect day for hiking and taking photographs at Fort Hill in Eastham on the National Seashore on Cape Cod. This was one of the trails that goes right down to Nauset Marsh.
The wildflowers at Fort Hill in Eastham on the National Seashore on Cape Cod are breathtaking! Everywhere you turn there are colorful wildflowers.
I went for a walk there a few days ago and the wildflowers were amazing. Today, there are more than 6 varieties of wildflowers that were not out a few days ago. I just happily clicked away!
Don’t miss Fort Hill on the National Seashore if you are on Cape Cod this summer. It is spectacular!
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
