Dwarf Ginseng
Route 9, Belchertown
Photograph and text by Georgette deFriesse, Belchertown
When I decided to photograph a dwarf ginseng plant in late May, it was toward the end of its bloom season. I missed my chance to find one in an easy place to get a photo; the best specimen was growing in a thick mat of ground cover and small plants.
Even knowing what the leaves looked like, I had trouble finding them in the mass. I used a black raincoat to hide all the other vegetation, gently liberating the leaves from the surrounding greenery and using the slit on the bottom back of the coat to wrap and isolate the plant. I used a DSLR with macro lens.
Georgette deFriesse is affiliated with the Robert Floyd Photo Gallery, 2 East St., Southampton. Other images are on view there during summer hours, 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays through Labor Day.