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Another Blue Flower
An unusual flower color. Of all the flower colors, blue constitutes less than 10 percent. These blue flowers are Tall Bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum), native to eastern North America. A plant that grows with a central stem, that is usually unbranched, to a height of 3 to 6 feet. Part of the common name, bellflower, takes…
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Tawny Emperor
A Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton), one of my hiking buddies that keeps me company as I trek up the mountain. Native to the eastern half of North America from Canada to northern Mexico. Their sole host plant is the Hackberry tree (Celtis occidentalis). Plenty of those trees around here. As adults, these butterflies don’t go…
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Black Huckleberry
It’s always fun to find a different native plant out in the woods. I never even knew that Huckleberries were actually a real thing until I found this bush. Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata). Along with this one, there are 3 other species of Huckleberry in this genus, Gaylussacia, which are found in eastern North America.
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Bowman’s Root
Bowman’s Root (Gillenia trifoliata) is a herbaceous perennial that grows to 2-3′ tall. It’s native to eastern North America from Ontario to Georgia. Bowman’s Root is found up here in the mountains along the trails. It’s fun to find blooms with their five-pointed flappy star-like flowers. Right now the bushes are not in bloom, although…
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Soft Magenta
Just beginning, along trails in the mountains, along the edge of the dirt road that climbs my mountain. Like a soft fabric made just for a little girl’s twirly-swirly dress of emerald green with soft magenta dots. Dancing in the wind, just like that little girl does. Blooms of Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) are just…
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First of the Green and Gold
This is what they’ll look like come May, but now just a single minuscule speck of yellow nestled in the green. The first hint I’ve seen of a Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) bloom this spring. These plants don’t grow tall but do spread out nicely. Don’t be concerned though, their growth is not aggressive.…
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Meteorological Spring
Ah, the change of seasons. How I love the change. How boring it would be if we only had one season. And now the beginning of meteorological spring. Soon flowers will be bursting forth with a cacophony of color. What a change from the impressive, black and white/pen and ink drawing, landscape of winter. One…
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Crimson in a Black and White Landscape
Late May into June they go from tiny bud to minuscule flower. A flower and lots of buds of Winterberry (Ilex verticillata). A deciduous species of Holly native to eastern North America in the United States and southeastern Canada. And now in WINTER a big splash of color. Crimson berries that attract oodles of birds…
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The PawPaw Patch
PawPaw (Asimina triloba). An understory small tree or large bush. Native to eastern North America. There are patches of them here and there up here in the mountains. And for a few years I had three or four individual PawPaw trees growing in my yard. Ones that I had planted. I was thoroughly enjoying them.…