Pine Knot News - A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news

Photographer Dana Malkovich loves to visit Jay Cooke State Park, especially at this time of year when the first wildflowers of spring line the park's trails. "One needs a sharp eye," he said, "because the blossoms are not as large or showy as our garden flowers, and they often last no longer than a few days." The hepatica are his favorite, which makes sense for a retired physician. They are named "because of a supposed resemblance of the leaves to the lobes of a liver ... The blossoms come in white, pink, lavender and blue. Also called liver leaf, hepatica was once used for treating ailment...