The mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) gets its name from the apple-like fruit that mature plants produce around May. Its distinctive leaves resemble a small umbrella. Young plants begin with a single leaf, gradually storing energy in an underground rhizome until they are able to produce two leaves. Once mature, no earlier than the second year, mayapples develop a single white flower hidden beneath the paired leaves. The flower ripens into a yellow fruit that is primarily consumed by eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). As the turtles digest the fruit, they help disperse the seeds, which are more likely to germinate after passing through the turtle’s gut biome. The foliage of the plant contains podophyllotoxin, a compound currently being studied for its potential use in cancer treatments due to its ability to inhibit cell division. This unique perennial plant is a spring ephemeral that thrives in deciduous forests and moist floodplains across the eastern United States, ranging as far west as eastern Texas and north to central Minnesota. At Glenstone, mayapple can be found primarily along the Woodland Trail and the path by Tony Smith's Smug, 1973/2005.
 

–Bonne Di Giansante