Late morning of June 4, 2010

The eastern redbuds (Cercis canadensis) have now leafed out and developed their characteristic pod-fruit.

Another view of this specimen, located at the Fannie Mae Gardens overlook on the W&OD bike trail just east of Old Reston Avenue.  For a look at this same specimen at the height of its bloom almost two months ago, see this post.

An easy-to-miss cluster of small pink flowers on the south side of the W&OD bike trail opposite the Fannie Mae Gardens.  These plants have the five-petaled flowers, characteristic bud shape, and lanceolate leaves of Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria, for which see this Illinois description and this Missouri description).

A much more noticeable pink flower at the moment is crown vetch (Coronilla varia), which is now in full bloom and can dominate entire meadows, as here on the south side of the W&OD bike path just west of the American Dream Way bridge.

A closer look at this patch, showing the sheer abundance of flowers, as well as the pinnately compound leaves that are characteristic of the Fabaceae family.

The common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca, compare this Missouri description) is getting ready to bloom, as here on the south side of the W&OD bike path near the Fannie Mae Gardens.

There is another plant with broadly elliptical leaves that are opposite and have a prominent midrib - this is Indian hemp, a form of dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum, compare this Missouri description), and it is now in full white bloom.

This particular specimen grows in a meadow full of dogbane plants on the south side of the W&OD bike path where it crosses the pipeline easement.  The other prominent plant in this meadow is a grass with a single-spiked head;  this is timothy grass (Phleum pratense, for which see this Missouri description).

Another patch of blooming dogbane can be found at the southeastern corner of the intersection of the W&OD bike path with Wiehle Avenue.  For how this particular patch looked last October, with ripe seed pods, see this post; and for how it looked this past March, with some dessicated pods still remaining, see this post.  In the foreground of the current image, one can still see a couple of pod remnants.