This week, I caught young, fresh bear corn starting to come up through the leaf litter! Bear corn/American Cancer-root/Conopholis americana isn't a fungus..it's a non-photosythesizing parasitic plant, similar to the more well-known ghost pipes(Monotropa uniflora.) They grow off of the roots of oak and beech trees, staying mostly invisible underground, but pop up to flower and set seed. I had seen the dried-up brown cone remnants in this area previously, so I knew to be on the lookout! Will probably try to photograph them again once they have opened up to full size. #nature #zone6b #zone7a #bloomscrolling