Acidic Soils = Spectacular Blooms
Last Friday, we were treated to an amazing display of blooms on a visit to one of our properties under easement in northern Chester County.
The woodland was covered in pinxterbloom (Rhododendron periclymenoides), one of our few native azalea species. A perennial native shrub, pinxterbloom is in the ericaceae ("heath") family- along with blueberry, cranberry and rhododendron- and thrives in acidic soils. It commonly occurs in mixed deciduous forests and is very shade tolerant.
Later that afternoon, on the same property, we were thrilled to find this wildflower blooming along the edge of a trail.
Pink lady's slipper is an orchid that requires acidic soil but tolerates a range of shade and moisture conditions, though it prefers at least partial shade and well-drained slopes. It is usually found in pine forests, where it can be seen in large colonies, but it also grows in deciduous woods, like the one where we found this plant. Unfortunately, lady's slipper does not grow well in gardens, so you need to visit the woods to see these spectacular flowers.
