by Keith Garrett

As I write this, the snowdrops are flowering in the yard, the greenhouse is ready to go, my greenhouse bog garden is showing signs of life—hints of early spring are appearing around us. Many of my nights over this last winter were spent scouring herbarium records, LIDAR, geological bedrock maps, and forest types in preparation for many weekends of exploration this coming spring and summer. Don’t mind the black jeep parked off the side of the road, I am probably crouched down searching for tiny plants in the ditch, avoiding poison ivy and sumac, or maybe I have bushwhacked a few miles into the woods looking for an area like “Knox Oaks,” or am thigh deep in one of our many swamps looking for a few of our native orchid species. If there were an award for most deer tick bites in a season, I would be in the running.

As of this writing, there are 1,675 records listed for Tamworth on the Consortium of Northeastern Herbaria (https://portal.neherbaria.org), consisting of around 750 documented species, two thirds of which are from Frederick Steele. There is something addictive about choosing a plant to find, researching its habitat and distribution, choosing a spot to search for it, and many times even finding it! Some like to hike to summits, but I would rather be trying to figure out how to get farther into a swamp while remaining dry to find a new location for a rare plant, or locating an area mentioned in a 70- to 100 year-old record.

The official state list of endangered plants by town has only 12 species listed for Tamworth. All but two are listed officially as “historical” (not documented in the last 25 years). By finding again three plants listed as “historical,” and documenting two more new populations in Tamworth, I have increased that number to five, and have also added a few other undocumented rare species to our local list.

I wish to introduce to you some of my favorite plants that can either be found in Tamworth, or should be findable if one looks in the right places. My hope is that many of you will slow down when walking your favorite trail, or exploring a wetland edge. Stop, look down, take photos of plants you have not seen before, try to identify what you are seeing. I have a rule when I am out exploring: If you don’t know what it is, don’t step on it.

A Few of our May and June Plants

[Click on any of the images to enlarge them.]

Arethusa Bulbosa—Dragon’s Mouth orchid (S1—Endangered)

*Arethusa Bulbosa*—Dragon’s Mouth orchid. *Photo: Keith Garrett*

Stunning flowers, listed as S1 in New Hampshire (Endangered). These can be found along the edges of bogs and fens in many of our wetlands. I have seen it in Tuftonboro, Madison, and Moultonboro. Look for it around the boggy edges of wetlands, generally in full sun. The best time to look is the first two weeks of June, after which it quickly becomes nearly impossible to find. 4-6 inches tall. This should be somewhere in the open swamp north of Scott Road (Moose Meadows).

Corallorhiza trifida—Early coralroot (not a listed species)

*Corallorhiza trifida*—Early coralroot. *Photo: Keith Garrett*

One of our most common springtime orchids, these can be found in many wet woodlands and muddy areas around Tamworth and the Chocorua Lake Basin. Appearing in mid to late May, they flower in late May through early June. They can be found in seed until late August (or later). Usually found in clusters of a few dozen plants. If you spot one, stop, you will see more! Common in the wooded wetlands around Chocorua Lake. 6-12 inches tall.

Adiantum pedatum—Northern Maidenhair Fern or Five-fingered Fern (not a listed species)

*Adiantum pedatum*—Northern Maidenhair Fern or Five-fingered Fern. *Photo: Keith Garrett*

While not rare statewide, this is what I use as an “indicator species.” I only know of one location for it locally, near Tamworth Village. This species indicates higher levels of calcium in the soil than is common in our area. The natural community this is generally associated with is Rich Mesic Forest, consisting of Basswood and Sugar Maple trees. When you come across the beautiful fern, stop! It’s time to look more closely at the rest of the plants in the area. Growth starts in early May, but plants are harder to spot until late May when the fronds unfurl. Healthy plants can be nearly two feet tall. Notice the plant in the rear of the image below—White Baneberry, Actaea pachypoda, another indicator plant of richer soils.

Panax quinquefolius—American Ginseng (S2—Threatened)

*Panax quinquefolius*—American Ginseng. *Photo: Keith Garrett*

An example of a plant that can be found in areas where Maidenhair fern grows.

These are easiest to find earlier in the year, right around the end of May, before the wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) completely leafs out. I have seen American Ginseng in one location in Tamworth. The few plants growing there are surrounded by Maidenhair fern and wild columbine. Unfortunately, this area was logged in the last few years, and I am uncertain if these two species will survive.

If you are lucky enough to find this, don’t pick them! The roots take decades to grow.

Note: In the photo, the ginseng is the plant on the right, while the others in the photo are sarsaparilla. On sarsaparilla, the leaves do not all originate from the same node, as they do with ginseng.

Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens—Yellow Lady's Slipper (S2—Threatened)

*Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens*—Yellow Lady's Slipper. *Photo: Keith Garrett*

One of my personal favorites! When I find these, I just stop, sit, and relax. Currently quite rare in our area, but historically there were several populations. These can grow in both Rich Mesic Forest and wetlands. Both populations that I have read about were near the edges of Chocorua Lake. I have searched quite a bit for them, and think that I have determined the rough locations where they were, but have yet to find them. Both populations were documented by Frederick Steele in the 1940s. I have seen them in Tuftonboro and Moultonboro, but have not re-discovered them in Tamworth—YET. Growing up to two feet tall, the best time to look for them is the last two weeks of May. They generally flower around the end of the third week of May in more exposed locations. From what I can determine from the records, one population was in a forested locale, and the other was in forested swampland.

*Neottia cordata*—Heart-leaved Twayblade or Lesser Twayblade. *Photo: Keith Garrett*

Neottia cordata—Heart-leaved Twayblade or Lesser Twayblade (S2—Threatened)

The first time I saw this tiny orchid, I was knee deep in mud in northern New Hampshire. I had picked a spot using satellite and topographic imagery just to look for this species. It was a great feeling to go out looking specifically for a plant and finding it in an undocumented location. There is one small population about a mile or so from Chocorua Lake in Madison that I discovered two years ago, and one historical record from Hemenway State Forest. I think that it can be found in the wetlands around Chocorua Lake.

These can be found as early as the second week of May, but are easiest to recognize in the last two weeks of May before they are overcome by the rest of the wetland vegetation. Usually found in thick sphagnum moss under cinnamon fern, in old, undisturbed forested wetlands. They can grow up to 10 inches tall; however, most that I find are two to three inches in height.

*Cynoglossum virginianum*—wild hound’s-tongue or Wild Comfrey. *Photo: Keith Garrett*

Cynoglossum virginianum—wild hound’s-tongue or Wild Comfrey (S1—Endangered)

Flowering at the same time as the yellow lady's slipper, this plant is usually found on rocky and steep hillsides under hardwood forested canopies. I say usually—but this plant has become very rare, and I have only seen it one time. This would be a fantastic find if anyone could locate it again. Tamworth has one historical record (which may also be in Albany) on Scott Road north of Chocorua Lake, on the lower section of the Hammond Trail. These grow to be about two feet in height. I would also check the lake-facing slope of Bickford Heights. Let me know if you find one or think you have seen this plant!

Ophioglossum pusillum—adder’s tongue fern (S1—Endangered)

*Ophioglossum pusillum*—adder’s tongue fern. Photo: Keith Garrett

This species may be as difficult to spot as Neottia cordata, and is probably much more rare. There was one historical record for Tamworth; interestingly enough the locale is noted as “sphagnum boggy part of meadow near Flaccus’s.” This is another plant that can be found in both swamps on mossy hummocks, or in disturbed areas like logging landings. There is one current location in Hemenway State Forest on a relatively new log landing. Plants can be identified as early as mid-May; however, they get taller as they mature. There is not much they can be confused with. Keep an eye out for this on the edges of the road and in damp areas of large fields.

On your evening walks, slow down and take a closer look at the flora around you. Our area is abundant in hundreds of interesting plants that you likely have not noticed. Here are some excellent resources to get you started:

Book:

The Nature of New Hampshire by Dan Sperduto and Ben Kimball. This book is an essential guide to understanding the natural communities of New Hampshire.

Websites:

State Rare Plants List and Rare Plants by Town: https://www.nh.gov/nhdfl/reports/rare-plant-list.htm

Go Botany: https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org. Go Botany is an excellent tool published by the Native Plant Trust that allows you to search via scientific name, or common name, and has simple keys, as well as full keys for identifying every documented plant species in New England. It is based upon Flora Novae Angliae, by Arthur Haines.

The Consortium of Northeastern Herbaria: https://portal.neherbaria.org. Currently, there are 1,675 records for around 750 species of plants in Tamworth listed on the portal. These records contain the collected specimens, the date, the collector information, and generally a rough location indicating where the specimen was collected. Some of the interesting places mentioned on a few local records are “Near Whittier Village,” or “Tamworth Iron Works,” “near Hidden’s,” or a current obsession of mine: “swamp between Phenix and Wainwright’s.”

About Keith: I grew up in Wolfeboro and Tuftonboro, and relocated to Tamworth after taking a position at Mount Washington Observatory as Director of Technology. I am also a co-founder of New Hampshire Mushroom Company, and consider myself a student of Rick Van de Poll.

Banner image: Arethusa Bulbosa—Dragon’s Mouth orchid. Photo: Keith Garrett