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Northern Maidenhair Fern
The Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum) enjoying the little bit of rain that has fallen the past two days. Thank goodness for a little bit, rather than no rain. We need every bit, even a little bit. This picture captures a quality of Maidenhair Fern, hydrophobicity, or water repellency. This plant’s genus name “Adiantum”, comes…
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Showy Orchis
May 6, 2026 Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) an orchid native to Virginia, found just a short hike from my cabin. In bloom right now. In this year, 2026, there are about 30,000 recognized species of orchids worldwide. Along with daisies, they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants in the world. Here…
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GOOD Star Chickweed
May 5, 2026 Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera), a beautiful, a well behaved, native plant that shares the tragic common name of “Chickweed” with Common Chickweed (Stellaria media), a non-native, aggressive invasive. Star Chickweed has a flower that is twice the size of a Common Chickweed flower. Both the Star Chickweed and the Common Chickweed have…
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Canadian White Violet
May 4, 2026 The Canadian White Violet (Viola canadensis), blooming now in the woods up here. It has many other common names. That’s why knowing the scientific name helps out a great deal, no confusion with that name since there is only one. It’s common throughout Canada and the US, from Alaska to Newfoundland, extending…
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Black And White
May 3, 2026 A Zebra Swallowtail (Protographium marcellus), enjoying the nectar of Wintercress (Barbarea vulgaris), which is an herbaceous biennial plant in the mustard family. It’s native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The Zebra Swallowtail relies on Pawpaw trees (Asimina triloba) exclusively as its host plant. That makes me happy since there are oodles…
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Lucky Blue
May 2, 2026 A lucky catch. A glimpse of the dorsal side (top or upper side) of a wing of a male Eastern Tailed Blue (Cupido comyntas). The male has this eye-catching blue on the dorsal side of his wings, while the female’s dorsal side is a lighter blue, brown, or charcoal. A very small…
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Rosa Multiflora An Aggressive Invasive
May 1, 2026 Pink bushes will rarely show up, either pink tinged or a more solid pale pink. And from one year to the next, there is no telling whether that pink bush will again bloom pink. Totally unpredictable. This plant is native to Japan, Korea, and eastern China, and here in North America it…
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A Colorful Spring
April 30, 2026 Oh, the colors of spring! Mostly green. Green everywhere with dots of rich pinks and yellows. Quite a difference from just a few months ago when going on a hike meant hiking in a black and white landscape. Captured colors of spring, pink Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) with background hints of bright…
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A Tiny Native Iris
April 29, 2026 Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata), native to the eastern, midwestern, and southeastern United States. Their preferred locations seem to be the Appalachian Mountains, and the Ozark Mountains, preferring conditions of rocky soil or stream banks. I think of Irises as being tall and elegant flowers, this one may certainly be elegant but…
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Blue Cohosh
April 28, 2026 Small, pale yellow, blooming in the woods in late April. The blossoms of Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides). A perennial that grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet tall. Its “berries” turn blue-black in mid-August. Not actually berries at all, but seeds with a covering which creates a berry appearance. And…