In the lawn at Wissinoming Park, lady’s thumb (Polygonum persicaria) [some of these could have been Polygonum caespitosum/longisetum – with smallish leaves] is flowering, as is white clover, dandelion, and Ranunculus bulbosus. In fruit are Indian strawberry (Duchesnea indica) and purslane speedwell (Veronica peregrina).
The northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) trees there are losing their flowers as the southern catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) is still in bud. There’s a shagbark hickory (about 12″ dbh) beginning to get shaggy, and there is a honey locust (~1.5′ dbh) with spines. A Pewee was calling from the trees this afternoon.
There wasn’t any water in the “creek” to the eastern side of the park, but there was a bit of standing water next to (and downhill from) the basketball court, and the culvert uphill from the court had a bit of water running through it.
Next to North Cedar Hill Cemetery, on the Frankford Avenue side below Cheltenham Avenue, chicory (Cichorium intybus) is in flower, as is Plantago lanceolata, a foxtail (Setaria sp.), cheeses (Malva neglecta), and two Calystegia species – sepium (with squared leaf bases) and arvense (with pointy leaf bases). In fruit were Capsella bursa-pastoris, Lepidium virginicum, and purslane speedwell. Polygonum aviculare was growing there, too. I didn’t see any amaranth growing there.
8 June 2015:
There are two Catalpa bignonioides flowering, the one already mentioned above, and another near to Frankford Avenue, where the Cornelius mansion used to be. Both had buds that were as yet unopened. By the creek, there was a Red-bellied Woodpecker calling and flying.
There is a spiny honey locust, about 2′ dbh, and the osage orange is in fruit (fruits about 1″-2″ across). Arctium minus (with its hollow petiole) is growing in the park. Polygonum aviculare is flowering.
Near a manhole cover in the park, between the lower ball field and where the mansion once was, Lolium perenne was flowering, as was Calystegium arvense, and white clover.
Along Frankford Avenue, next to North Cedar Hill cemetery, horse nettle was flowering, Calystegia sepium was flowering and fading, and chicory was in bloom, too.
A sulfur (butterfly) was going at some white clover, right nearby to that manhole cover.
Flora and Fauna of Philadelphia 