Swamp thing! A dead tree retains grandeur as a spring storm gathers.
Frog Bog in Legacy Park: City of Decatur, Georgia, USA. 3 May 2025.
The vibrant yellow and green foliage of a native Rising Sun redbud tree, in spring.
Trailhead Community Park of the East Decatur Greenway: City of Decatur, Georgia, USA. 7 May 2025.
Cercis canadensis —commonly known as the eastern redbud tree— is a large deciduous shrub or small tree in the legume family (Fabaceae), native to eastern North America.— Missouri Botanical Garden.
The Rising Sun™ cultivar —Cercis canadensis (JN2)— was discovered in a Belvidere, Tennessee nursery in 2006. Of unknown parentage, it had been planted from collected seed and was growing in a row of nursery seedlings. Unlike a 'standard' Eastern Redbud tree, the Rising Sun grows only 8 to 12 feet tall (2½ - 3½ m) but is drought and heat-tolerant.
Rising Sun's abundant pea-like, rosy pink flowers appear in early spring before the foliage. Its heart-shaped foliage emerges deep golden orange and matures through shades of orange, gold, and yellow to a speckled lime green. New leaves appear throughout the summer, resulting in a continual mix of colors. The fall foliage is yellow and orange.
— Wikipedia.
A native blue flag iris wildflower blooms creekside in spring.
Trailhead Community Park of the East Decatur Greenway in the City of Decatur, Georgia, USA. 7 May 2025.
The large blue flag iris (Iris versicolor) —also known as Harlequin Blueflag, Large Blue Iris, Northern Blue Flag— is a perennial in the Iridaceae (iris) family native to Canada and the United States, spanning south from Nova Scotia into the middle and northeastern United States to Virginia. The specific epithet, 'versicolor,' is derived from this plant's ability to produce many-colored blooms while the common name, 'flag,' comes from an old English word (flagge) for reeds and refers to its natural preference to wetlands. In fact, it prefers to grow in rich, moist soils and thrives in full sun.— North Carolina Cooperative Extension
The sword shaped blue-green clumping leaves reach 2 to 2½ feet tall topped with a mass of blue lavender to white blooms. The blooms are formed of three upright inner standards and three distinctly marked sepals. The leaves are narrow and strap-like 1 inch wide and up to 24 inches long crossing at the base to be fan-like.
Brilliant red poppies (Papaver rhoeas) bloom in an urban wildflower meadow planted along a CSX railroad track.
Stone Mountain Trail: City of Clarkston, Georgia, USA. 13 May 2025.
A mallard hen (Anas platyrhynchos) was swimming in a bog, right in front of me, just below the camera's angle. She noticed me and, not pleased, let out a stream of loud, agitated quacks. Her six ducklings, alerted to danger, quickly scattered for safety. I couldn't help but apologize to them all as I exited...but not before capturing a photo!
Frog Bog in Legacy Park: City of Decatur, Georgia, USA. 24 April 2025.
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