Posts from the Plants on the Plaza: May 8–21

Clumps of wild geraniums with their deeply lobed leaves over-topped by clusters of purple flowers provide the latest wave of colour in the plaza beds. During this two-week period, they have come into full bloom. This native woodland wildflower thrives in sun or shade.

As the weather continues to warm, the perennial native plants in the plaza beds are beginning to fill in. These large patches of obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) in the foreground and back, along with the grey-green pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) running through the midde, won’t bloom until mid-late summer. But they are robust and healthy already.

The last of the spring bulbs are nestled among the rising foliage. Delicate blue spikes of large camas (Camassia leichtlinii) with their showy orange stamens contrast with the orange flowers and striped pods of the species tulips (Tulipaspp.).

The street trees in front of the Plaza Gardens, along Bloor Street are Kentucky coffee trees (Gymnocladus dioicus), native to the deciduous forests of southern Ontario, known as the Carolinian Zone. Because Kentucky coffee tree is at the northern edge of its range, it is one of the last trees to leaf-out. The leaves are just now beginning to emerge from the winter buds. It will take them a while to fully expand, because they are doubly compound (twice branched with tiny leaflets)—the largest leaves of all our trees. We’ll watch them develop too.  

Look closely at the emerging leaf to the left of the stem—it already sports a spider web!

A male House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) settles on a branch of witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) where it is sheltered from the late afternoon sun. House sparrows, native to Eurasia, are a common sight on Philosopher’s walk, and now, flitting among the Plaza gardens.

When visiting the ROM and the Plaza gardens, one should always plan to check out what’s happening on Philosopher’s Walk to the west of the Museum.  

At this time of year, the candle-stick shaped flower clusters on the horsechestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) are spectacular. White and robust with small pink dots, they are flanked by umbrella-shaped leaves borne on trees with massive trunks behind the ROM.

Flower-laden horsechestnut trees provide a stark contrast to the delicate branches of the native eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) whose flower buds sprout in clusters directly from the branches and fully open before the leaves emerge.

But don’t let the flowers distract you from meeting the local residents. This female American Robin (Turdus migratorius) has made her nest of pine needles then hidden it among them in an Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) where she is now minding it.

The ROM is supporting and surrounded by nature on all sides!

Deborah Metsger is Assistant Curator of Botany at the ROM. Kevin Seymour is Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the ROM. Mark Peck is the Manager of the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity.