Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)
Wild Flowers of Sleepy Hollow Lake - A Photo Journal

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Wild Flowers of Sleepy Hollow Lake
Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)
aka Canadian May-lily, False Lily-of-the-valley, and Canadian Lily-of-the-valley

(Canada Mayflower - 01) Canada mayflower is a native to the sub-boreal conifer forests in Canada and the northern United States, from Yukon and British Columbia east to Newfoundland and south to Nebraska and Pennsylvania, and also in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. Including the bloom, it grows to heights of from 3 to 9 inches and has 1 to 3 leaves.
(Canada Mayflower - 01a) By zooming in on these tiny 1/8 inch Canada mayflowers, we can see that each one has 4 petals, 4 stamens, and 1 pistil.
(Canada Mayflower - 02) In this photo, we can see other Canada mayflowers with only one leaf. They begin to bloom in May (hence their name), and can bloom as late as July.
(Canada Mayflower - 03) The Canada mayflower has a flowering single stem from which the broadly heart-shaped to oval or pointed leaves grow. There can be between 12-25 starry shaped flowers on the flowering stem, which will also have 2-3 leaves. The single leafed plants do not have a flowering stem.
(Canada Mayflower - 04) This is another view of the Canada mayflower. In in background, we can see poison ivy growing on the tree.
(Canada Mayflower - 04a) In this close up photo, we can see the buds of the Canada mayflower in progressive stages of development from top to bottom of the flowering stem.
(Canada Mayflower - 05) This is another look at the flowering stem of the Canada mayflower.
(Canada Mayflower - 06) This is another view of the Canada mayflower.
(Canada Mayflower - 07) This is another look at the Canada mayflower.
(Canada Mayflower - 08) This is a closer look at some of the tiny 1/8 inch flowers of the Canada mayflower.
(Canada Mayflower - 08a) This is a bee's eye view of one of the tiny 1/8 inch flowers of the Canada mayflower. In this extreme close up, we can see why these tiny flowers are referred to as being star-shaped: note that the 4 petals of the flowers fold back away from the ovary, instead of cupping around it or above it, which makes the 4 stamens with their pollen grains, and the open ended pistil show predominately, and looking somewhat like a starburst.
(Canada Mayflower - 09) In the center of this photo is a newly budding Canada mayflower with 3 leaves, and to the sides, we can see single leaved plants that will not bloom.
(Canada Mayflower - 09a) As we zoomed in on this Canada mayflower, we could clearly see that the three leaves grow alternately along the stem below the bloom. It is also interesting to view the tiny hairs growing along the veins on the underside of the leaves, which can be seen in the top leaf which is still partially wrapped around the budding bloom at the top of the stem.
(Canada Mayflower - 10) This is another look at the budding Canada Mayflower.
(Canada Mayflower - 11) In this photo are three Canada mayflower plants: two single leaved non-blooming plants, and one three-leaved blooming plant.
(Canada Mayflower - 11a) This is a closer look at one of the non-blooming, single-leaved Canada mayflowers.
(Canada Mayflower - 11b) This is another single-leaved, non-blooming Canada mayflower.
(Canada Mayflower - 12) This is another look at Canada mayflowers growing on the woodland floor.
(Canada Mayflower - 13) This is another look at the budding Canada mayflower.
(Canada Mayflower - 14) This is another look at the Canada mayflowers.
(Canada Mayflower - 15) In this photo, we begin to see the buds on the blooming stem of the Canada mayflower began to expand and separate from bottom to top.
(Canada Mayflower - 15a) This is a closer look at the blooming stem of the Canada mayflower as the buds begin to expand and separate.
(Canada Mayflower - 16) This is another look at a budding Canada Mayflower.
(Canada Mayflower - 17) This is another look at the budding Canada mayflower.
(Canada Mayflower - 18) This is look at the developing buds of the Canada mayflower.
(Canada Mayflower - 19) This is another view of the developing buds on the blooming stem of the Canada mayflower.

| Wild Flowers of SHL: Photo Identification, Common Name, Scientific Name | Art and Photos |

Presented here are just a few of the countless components of God's creation.  Just as we cannot have human and animal life without water and plants, neither can we have lasting peace without love and compassion.  It is our hope and prayer that this series will motivate people to live and act in a cruelty-free manner; that we would no longer hurt or destroy each other, the animals or our environment.

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