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The Butterfly Weed Is Blooming!
June 11, 2026 The Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is finally blooming up here. I’ve really been watching and waiting. Looking forward to its brilliant orange flowers. Looks like others have been watching and waiting too. This is a Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) drinking nectar from the blossoms which provide the butterfly with energy and carbohydrates.…
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Old Fashioned Street Lamps
June 10, 2026 Striped Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata), looking to me much like old-fashioned street lamps which might line tiny streets for woodland fairies. Striped Wintergreen is native to eastern North America and Central America, a small rhizomatous perennial wildflower in the blueberry (Ericaceae) family. Its fragrant flowers are waxy, white or subtle pink, in small…
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Nymph Of Leaf-footed Bug
June 9, 2026 After a Leaf-footed Bug (Acanthocephala terminalis) hatches from its egg it goes through 5 instars as it works its way to becoming an adult. This is one of those instars, which looks perfect for dropping in on a steampunk sponsored stroll through a local botanical garden. _______________________ If you would like to…
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Spotted Horsemint
June 6, 2026 Spotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata) a member of the mint, Lamiaceae, family, which explains its sqaure stem and wonderfully fragrant leaves. They are native to a good part of the eastern, southern, and midwestern US, including Texas and New Mexico. Their native range extends into eastern Canada and northeastern Mexico. They’re just beginning…
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Gray Beardtongue
June 4, 2026 Gray Beardtongue (Penstemon canescens), is in bloom right now along trails up here in the mountains. It gets is common name, including the confusing “gray”, because its stems and leaves have a thick covering of tiny hairs which create a subtle gray look. It often grows to a height of about 30…
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A Couple Drops Of Rain Yesterday Morning
June 3, 2026 The couple raindrops yesterday morning were a surprise, and enough to add some texture to my photo of a bright yellow bloom of Narrow Leaf Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa). A couple were blooming just a few days ago and today they are opening up all over. Their blooms open in the morning and…