Michigan Lily

Michigan Lily
Lilium michiganense

The Michigan Lily is always a delight to come across during a walk through the woods.  It is an uncommon plant, which makes it more special when spotting them.

It is quite similar to Turk's Cap Lily (Lilium superbum), but the Turk's Cap is only found in some scattered counties in southern Indiana.

Kentucky Coffeetree

Kentucky Coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus

 You seldom see the flower of the Kentucky Coffeetree since they're high in the tree.  Look for them in May/June when the tree is leafing out.

Kentucky Coffeetree is a legume, same as clover, redbud, locust, and soybeans.  Part of the evidence is the seedpods, some of which are noted below.

 

                                       From left to right:

                                            Honeylocust

                                            Eastern Redbud

                                            Black Locust

                                            Kentucky Coffeetree

Jack-Go-To-Bed-At-Noon

Jack-Go-To-Bed-At-Noon
Tragopogon lamottei

This plant goes by many names, most of which are easier to say than Jack-Go-To-Bed-At-Noon.  The names I use for this blog come from the name used by the USDA Plants Database - https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=TRPR.

Other names are Salsify and Goats-beard, both of which are better than Jack-Go-To-Bed-At-Noon.  Of course I don't think anyone reads this blog, so I could call it anything I want.

This is why it's called Goats-beard.

Indian-Tobacco

Indian-Tobacco
Lobelia inflata

As you might guess, Indian-Tobacco was smoked by Indians.  Native Americans used it for a variety of medicinal reasons, some of which involved smoking, such as a treatment for asthma.  It was also used as a ceremonial plant, i.e. used by shamans and others to cure people during a ceremony.  Sometimes these ceremonies involve hallucinogenic plants, but I think Indian-Tobacco only caused a feeling of goodwill, similar to nicotine.

However, consuming this plant has a variety of side effects, ranging from excessive sweating to death, and lots of options in between.  Do not smoke or eat this plant unless you get clear advice from a medicinal herbalist!

The flowers and seedpods are quite distinctive looking.