A:Visit sunny streamsides to glimpse the yellow blossoms of the Trout Lily, (Erythronium americanum ) one of our common native flowers. You will probably see hundreds of the mottled leaves, which resemble the speckled native trout, before you notice the occasional nodding yellow lily. Some native people to cure foot sores used little corms beneath the soil, and it is these little bulbs that must be planted at least two inches deep in order to get the sunny flowers in your garden.

B:Wake Robin, Watch the rocky ledges for the stunning native lily, the red Trillium called Wake Robin! (or Stinking Benjamin because the red blood and meat colored flower emits a putrid odor to attract carrion flies, Trillium erectum). Notice it has three

sepals, three petals, three leaves, and even the male and female flowers come in threes. This is just one of many native trilliums in our area, others are white, wavy and tinged with pink, there is even one that has the mottled look of trout lily, the Painted Trillium.

C:Morels. One unusual "flower of the forest" in May is the spongelike fruit of the morel mushroom ( Morchella carssipes). Look for these odd fellows in rich open woodlands of dappled shade. Often when you find one, you find the mother lode. This is one mushroom not confused with others, and one of the finest tasting sautéed, fried, or baked. It is especially tasty when mixed with the pungent green leaves of the wild leek. (More about that next week).