Autumn would not be complete without a look at two gentians that bloom in western Pennsylvania from late August to October.
Bottle or closed gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) is relatively common, especially in damp shaded soil at Moraine State Park. When the flowers bloom they remain so tightly closed that only bumblebees can force their way in and pollinate the plant. Other insects cheat, however, and pierce the flower to reach the nectar.
Fringed gentian (Gentianopsis crinita) is such a rare plant that the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy acquired and preserved the Fringed Gentian Fen in Lawrence County to protect it.
Fens are open wetlands dominated by grasses and sedges that have pH neutral or alkaline water with lots of dissolved minerals. Fens seem useless to humans because they’re so soggy but they’re exactly where fringed gentians love to grow.
Visit damp places in September and October to find these two gentians.
(photos by Dianne Machesney)
I’ve been to the fen in Lawrence County but have forgotten how to get there. Can you give me instructions?
This map on the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy website shows all their protected properties. I zoomed into Lawrence County to find Plain Grove Fens Natural Area. You’ll have to zoom at this link to see the layout of the property. I cut and pasted the details below.
https://wpcgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=dc4c32b5186a44d19280884cacf429e9
Fen information, cut and pasted:
Plain Grove Fens Natural Area
Acres 394.3
County Lawrence
Township Plain Grove
Date Acquired 6/22/1987
Parking along farm lane – do not block access at: 41.05557, -80.17000
Access trail, 0.41 miles.
Trail through agricultural lease area. Please remain on trail along edge of fields.
Google Map URL for parking area = https://tinyurl.com/yxuo5ej9
(long URL is: https://www.google.com/maps/place/41%C2%B003'20.1%22N+80%C2%B010'12.0%22W/@41.055574,-80.1721887,560m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d41.05557!4d-80.17)
This is a message from a fellow naturalist for Karlin Marsh:
Did you work on a Habitat Conservation Program for Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park in California ?
Kate, I hope you don’t mind me using your blog to connect with Katlin.
Feel free to share my e-mail address with her.