Taking A Break On A Tandy Hills Amphitheater Bench Before Hunting For A Trout Lily

Another weather perfect hiking day on the Tandy Hills on this last day of the 2nd month of 2013.

Today when I got to the newly installed benches that overlook the new cleared Tandy Hills Amphitheater I had myself a pleasant sit down for a bit.

I do not know if the Trout Lily Walkers will sit down on these new benches at some point during their walking this coming first Sunday of the 3rd month of 2013.

I got email yesterday about Sunday's Trout Lily Walk....

Tandy Hills Natural Area, aka., The Land that Time Forgot, is home to many rare and uncommon plant species. One of the most eagerly anticipated of them is the diminutive yet striking, Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum). Being one of the first wildflowers to bloom each year it is sometimes called, the harbinger of Spring.

Don Young Trout Lily Photo

The Vernal Equinox is March 20, but the harbinger of Spring has arrived at Tandy Hills. Their golden-throated white trumpets hang from curvy stems nestled inside mottled leaves that resemble speckled trout. They are scattered across the Tandy hills and hollers hiding in secret places.

It helps to have a field guide. We are lucky to have the best of the breed in, Jim Varnum, who will lead a Trout Lily Walk this Sunday, March 3, at Tandy Hills. The tour starts at 1 pm. Jim will regale you with amazing facts about TL's and help ID other plants along the way. Don't miss this brief window of opportunity. 

I don't know if I'll be going on the Trout Lily Walk on Sunday. It starts a bit later than my usual walk time. I suspect going on the Trout Lily Walk is the best chance I will have to actually see, for the first time, the elusive Trout Lily.

Hiking The Tandy Hills With Herds Of Dogs Thinking About Dungeness Crab For Lunch

A few days ago, when I was on the summit of Mount Tandy, the fog was so thick that it shrouded in obliteration the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

Today, the sky is clear, with downtown Fort Worth back being visible in all its splendor, which you can clearly see looking west across the old wagon trail that leads to where local legend claims the West began.

I came upon a hiking couple today who were hiking with a large herd of dogs of various sizes. All but one of the dogs was not on a leash. The unleashed dogs were very friendly. I did not feel in danger.

I looked for a Trout Lily today. I read in this month's Prairie Notes that the annual appearance of the illusive Trout Lily had arrived. I have yet to find a Trout Lily.

Changing the subject from the Trout Lily to the Best Hamburger in the Pacific Northwest, or, at least, Anacortes.

I heard from Spencer Jack this morning that his dad's restaurant in Anacortes had been determined by scientific data acquisition to have the Best Hamburger in Anacortes.

So, I blogged about this on my Washington Blog in a blogging titled The Fidalgo Drive-In Has The Best Hamburger In Anacortes.

Looking at my nephew's menu has me craving crab, of the Dungeness type. Crab and cod. And halibut and prawns.

And clam chowder.

I wonder if Spencer Jack's dad uses his grandma's (my mom's) clam chowder recipe? Because mom's is the best ever.

My nephew has absolutely no catfish on his menu. I can't imagine why...

Was That A Trout Lily I Saw Today On The Tandy Hills Along With A Man In Black?

This May Be A Tandy Hills Trout Lily

I have not gone on any of the annual Botanist led Trout Lily Nature Hikes on the Tandy Hills, so I am not certain I know for sure what a Trout Lily looks like, but I think this wildflower I saw today on the Tandy Hills may be one of the elusive Trout Lilies.

This particular bloom was located beside the trail that leads up the hill to the south of the Tandy Bamboo Teepee Grotto.

Signs of springs are starting to add color to the currently mostly brown Texas prairie.

I think we may be heading to a very good Texas wildflower season. If you have not visited Texas before and you want to see the state when it is being its most colorful, make your way here the coming Spring.

In addition to the alleged Trout Lily I had another unusual siting today on the Tandy Hills.

Tandy Creek Roaring Over Tandy Falls

As I hiked down Mount Tandy I saw on a distant trail another human. A Man in Black. I do not know who the Man in Black managed it, but somehow by the time I got my camera out to take a picture of the surprising amount of water flowing over Tandy Hills, the Man in Black suddenly was on the north side of the falls.

I howdy-ed the Man in Black, which is proper Texas trail etiquette. The Man in Black howdy-ed me back. And continued on his way, surprisingly via the still very muddy, formerly raw sewage flooded, Tandy Highway.

I then climbed the steep trail that leads west to the View Street trail. A short time after that I was surprised to encounter the Man in Black again. That was one fast moving Man in Black.

Changing the subject from the Man in Black to something else.

I think some armadillos should be moved to the Tandy Hills. It does not seem right that I've seen dozens of armadillos over the years at River Legacy Park and the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, but never a single armadillo on the Tandy Hills.

Tandy Hills Trout Lily Invitation

This just in from Don Young....

This Sunday, March 1, 2009 at 1 pm, Master Naturalist, Jim Varnum of Farmers Branch, Texas will hold a Trout Lily Walk & Talk at the Tandy Hills Natural Area in beautiful Fort Worth, Texas.

Bring good walking/hiking shoes, water, hat, sunscreen, camera, a notebook and something to eat.

If you want more info you can get call Don Young at 817.731.2787.

Jim Varnum writes a newsletter called "Jim's This and That" devoted to Naturalist information. The latest "This and That" is devoted to Trout Lilies.

Below is an excerpt from the latest "This and That" about Trout Lilies.

What is a Trout Lily?

Spring comes early in North Central Texas. Dandelions and henbit aside, we spot one or two wildflowers by the end of January and a dozen or so by the end of February. But one February bloomer – the trout lily (Erythronium albidum) -- stands out to both the botanist and casual wildflower watcher as a true harbinger of spring. What an odd name -- “trout lily” -- it doesn’t look like a trout! It's also called a dog-tooth violet or fawn lily, but it doesn’t resemble those creatures either. Let's explore this interesting and amazing plant.

About 20 or so years ago I became interested in trout lilies (also called white dog-tooth violet and fawn lily) from Dr. Geoffrey Stanford founder of Greenhills Environmental Center (now Cedar Ridge Preserve). Since then I have scoured and scouted Texas near and far for this interesting plant.

When do Trout Lilies Bloom?

Trout lilies bloom from the middle of February until the end of March. Wow -- that is it for the year. Look in shady spots on chalky or blackland soil for one or two mottled green leaves rising from the leaf litter. (Someone once thought the leaves resembled the speckled trout, thus this plant’s common name). The flower sits atop a short stem or 'scape' about 4-5 inches above the ground. The stem bends over so the flower actually points toward the ground. The flower has 6 floral parts (3 petals and 3 sepals) that are white on the front and lavender on the back. These parts are ''recurved'' -- they curl backwards to resemble a small Easter lily. To get a good view you almost have to lie on the ground. Photographers, gently lift the flower with a pencil or twig, snap your photo and put it back.

How do Trout Lilies Grow?

How trout lilies propagate is an amazing story in itself. Remember the downward-pointing flower? After blooming, the plant produces a few seeds almost at ground level. The seed sends down a root, or bulblet, 3-5 inches underground. Some people believe this bulblet resembles a dog’s tooth, thus another common name for this plant, ''dog-tooth violet.'' For 6 years, the trout lily produces only one leaf and no flowers. In the 7th year, it produces 2 leaves and a flower, which will produce seeds and start this amazing cycle all over again.

In addition to spreading by seed, trout lilies, like many other species in the lily family, can reproduce by sending off underground rhizomes from the bulblet. New bulblets will be produced at the end of each rhizome, and those bulblets can produce their own flower, so many times when we see a patch of trout lilies, they are a colony of plants that all came from the spreading of one parent flower. Imagine trying to propagate trout lilies yourself. Dr. Geoffrey Stanford once transplanted some it took many years to see any results. They exist to today.

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There, if you made it this far you know than you ever thought you possibly could about a flower you've likely never heard of before. See you at Tandy Hills on Sunday!