Laura and I visited Smiley's Provincial Park twice in early August on the hunt for a rare orchid which we never did find. However, we did find two new to us orchids and one new to us wildflower plus a couple of weird fungi.

The wildflower was the Canada Lily, growing naturally and wild.

Courtesy of Wikipedia:

Lilium canadense

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lilium canadense
Canada Lily[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Liliaceae
Genus:	Lilium
Species:	L. canadense
Binomial name
Lilium canadense L.
Synonyms[2]
Lilium pulchrum Salisb. Lilium penduliflorum Redouté Lilium pendulum Spae Lilium peramoenum Farw.

Canada Lily in Maine

Red Canada Lily

Lilium canadense, commonly called either the Canada lily, wild yellow-lily, or the meadow lily, is a native of eastern North America.^[3] Its native range extends fromOntario to Nova Scotia south toGeorgia and Alabama. It is most common in New England, theAppalachian Mountains, and theCanadian Maritimes.^[4] It is also cultivated as an ornamental in Europe and other places.^[5]

Flowers emerge in June. They are nodding (hanging downward), yellow, orange or red, often with darker spots. The plant has become less common in urban and suburban areas due to heavy browsing by the white-tailed deer.

• Habitat: moist meadows, wood margins • Height: 0.5-1.5 metres • Flower size: 50-75 mm wide • Flower color: yellow, orange, or red • Flowering time: June to July • Origin: native

The flower buds and roots were once gathered and eaten by North American indigenous peoples.^[6]

Here's a few photos of our find, with the kind assistance of park staff.

Canada Lily

Canada Lily

The two new to us orchids although not rare were a treat nevertheless:

Coralroot Orchid

Coralroot

The other orchid was tall and not in flower when we first saw it, hence the need for a return trip.

Helleborine Orchid

Helleborine Orchid

Helleborine Orchid Helleborine Orchid Helleborine Orchid Helleborine Orchid Helleborine Orchid

We also found two fungi, both unusual. I've finally developed enough courage to set up a fungus and lichen gallery on my website. I will have to invest in a fungus/lichen identification book.

American Caesar's Mushroom

American Caesar's Mushroom

Tree Fungus, type unknown

Tree Fungus