What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

Spring Something

This spring-flowering plant is fairly common in the Northeast, though it may not be recognizable yet. What plant is it? (The common name for the species is acceptable.)

Answer

Painted trillium (Trillium undulatum). In the first few years after a trillium seed germinates, a one-leaved plant is produced. After the root system gets established, it produces the iconic three-leaved plant.

This week’s contest winner was Jim Shuler