Fringed Polygala Springsforth from the Forest Floor

I came across a quote from American poet Katherine Edelman when I was in high school and 50 years later it still inspires me: “To be curious is to be alive, to sense the wonder in things great and small.” The orchid-like Polygala paucifolia, aka Gaywings or Fringed polygala, is one of those small wonders that spark my curiosity – Newport State Park. (Ellison Bay, Wisconsin)