Author: Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Migration

Still coming through from points further north. Each one I see I tell to say, “Hello!” to my Mom or my sister. It depends on its plan. Will it be going through Louisiana or through Florida? Some cross the Gulf of Mexico, others go around it, and go south through Texas. Mom and my sister have instructions to watch for the sticker with “Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia” on the little suitcase the hummingbird will be carrying. This one a male juvenile, which the dappled look of the throat indicates. It, most likely, will be spending the winter somewhere from Mexico to Costa Rica or Panama. Whew. Makes me tired just thinking of that trip.

And Now Autumn

Gone are the days of carefree summer.

Oh but the things to come. Color. The color of Virginia Creeper with it’s crimson leaves.

Brilliant color. All the leaves that had been cool greens now becoming warm colors. Rich colors become ubiquitous. Red Maples turning red or orange or yellow.

Another Red Maple. This one scarlet with yellow as an accent.

PawPaw becoming chartreuse.

Sassafras uncertain if it should turn yellow or orange. But either one, rich warm color.

American Chestnut, yellow and rust.

All these colors. An invitation to enjoy the colors while they’re here.

Marbled Orb Weaver

They seem to arrive every year at this time. Just when I’m thinking about the grand holiday. Halloween. It’s as if they know I want my porches decorated for the big day.

Dressed in an appropriate outfit for the season. Bright yellow and black coveralls complimented with long striped stockings of orange, black and white. Marbled Orb Weaver (Araneus marmoreus). This photo, above, the female. The photo, below, the male.

Seldom seen, male Marbled Orb Weavers are smaller than females. For the most part the males do not spin webs, but roam hunting for potential mates. 

As summer is waning the female lays her eggs, enclosing them in loose, fluffy sacs made from her silk. With a lifespan of approximately 6 months the spiderlings that emerge from their eggs in the spring will be on their own to fend for themselves. And the cycle continues.

And their webs. A creation a student of geometry or an artist would be proud to place their name upon.

How on Earth?

How in the world do they know how to create such beauty? Surely beauty is not their aim. But still, beauty to my eyes.

Woodland Sunflower

Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus). An herbaceous perennial that often grows to 5 – 7 feet tall. It’s native to eastern and central North America and can be found along rocky trails and dry open sites.

As this example, as it dances in the dappled sunlight shows, the leaves are opposite with a smooth to slightly toothed margin and hairy underside.

Butterflies, Silvery Checkerspot (pictured above), Gorgon Checkerspot, and Painted Lady use the Woodland Sunflower as their larval host plant.

An abundance of other insects are attracted to Woodland Sunflowers. Some even to the point of exclusivity. There are certain bees which visit Woodland Sunflowers that will go to only this species of flower, or flowers of the Helianthus, or Sunflower genus. They are said to be oligolectic. Their larvae must be fed the pollen or nectar of those particular flowers in order to develop properly.

Woodland Sunflowers spread by rhizomes forming colonies. In the autumn as the flowers fade those colonies become prime territory for game birds, song birds, and small mammals gathering to enjoy the seeds.

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Sugar Maple Trees

I spent a few days last week just north of Monterey, Highland County, Virginia. Pure heaven. This view is the backyard of the place where I stayed, and a grand old Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum). So many Sugar Maples there in the mountains.

Sugar Maples are native to eastern Canada and northeastern United States. And are plentiful in the upper elevations of my mountain.

Autumn is a great season to find them, glowing. In this image they’re accented by the dark undulating trunks of Sassafras trees.

Of the 132 species in the genus Acer, which are the Maples, the tree with one of the longest lifespans is the Sugar Maple which can live for 200 to 400 years.

Given the Sugar Maple’s long life it can grow to be quite large. One of the largest known is 124 feet tall and a diameter of 18 feet, though in normal forest conditions they can reach a height of 70 to 110 feet and a diameter at breast height (4.5 feet from the ground) of 2 to 3 feet. I’ve not found any here at this elevation and planted a few several years ago. I’m looking forward to seeing them get mighty tall with a nice diameter.

Yuccas Revisited

Years ago I took off on an adventure that I will never regret. I moved to New Mexico. During my time in that remarkable state I quickly got to know the Yucca, the state flower. There is also a species of Yucca that is the national flower of El Salvador, Yucca gigantea, commonly known as Izote.

In this photo, Yucca plants in New Mexico not surrounded by snow but by white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals at White Sands National Park. A place that I’ve visited many many times.

There are about 30 species of Yucca in North America. Before going to New Mexico I had never noticed Yucca plants though there are at least a couple species that are native to Maryland and Virginia. What a surprise to learn that.

Now I’ve got two Yuccas that are native to Virginia in my yard. In this photo, Yucca gloriosa, which blooms regularly in the autumn and below, Yucca filamentosa. “Filamentosa” of that name is a no-brainer.

Both of these plants bring back treasured memories.

Black Gum Tree

Tomorrow’s the first day of autumn. That’s got me thinking of what trees are going to be doing in the next several weeks. So many leaves. Leaves that will be turning the most exquisite warm colors of the color wheel. Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) is one that comes to mind.

It’s a standout in its ability to go from rich emerald to an intense scarlet.

Those alternate and simple leaves are a bit thick and quite glossy on their top surface. The rich fall color a pure knockout.

Black Gum is a medium sized slow growing deciduous tree. This tree is happy in full sun and part shade and though it likes wet soil and will even grow in water-logged areas it does grow in dry areas too. So you can find it most anywhere up to an elevation of 3,000 feet.

Black Gum can live to be 650 years old, helping bees in the production of honey and providing berries for a multitude of birds. Native to eastern North America, from Southern Ontario to Florida and Texas. Its bark is said to be alligator hide like. The branches emerge from the trunk at very close to a 90 degree angle which I find to be a good way to help identify this species of tree. But give me an autumn day and I’ll pick out those luscious brilliant scarlet leaves. For me a dead giveaway.

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Aromatic Asters

Aromatic Asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) are visited by bees, butterflies and skippers, seeking nectar and in the case of the bees, pollen. The caterpillars of moths and of Silvery Checkerspot Butterflies eat the foliage. This Crab Spider is hanging around hoping to catch some dinner, just waiting for the perfect insect to come along.

I’ve got some Aromatic Aster blooming like crazy right now. A stunning show is put on by this perennial plant.

Aromatic Asters are native to northeastern and central United States. I’m looking forward to dividing my plant in the early spring of next year. The more the merrier.

American Persimmons

American Persimmons (Diospyros virginiana). They seem to be everywhere up here now. The fruit growing into a small orb with a soft green color. Dropping from their branches as they ripen.

Those little fruits are tempting bears, if any bears are around here now. It’s something that bears really enjoy eating if one can tell by examining bear scat. You’ll find Persimmon seeds if you look.

Color warming from that soft green to yellow-orange. Sweetening as they ripen.

Once they’re ripe the Persimmons are a warm orange color and will begin dropping to the ground. Not only tempting bears but also butterflies that are fond of slurping on rotting fruit. Butterflies such as Question Marks, Commas, Red Admirals and Painted Ladies.

The bark of American Persimmon has large blocky patches which to me resembles an enlarged version of Flowering Dogwood bark.

As the common name implies, American Persimmon is native to much of the eastern United States from southern New England, throughout the southeastern United States, and west to Kansas and Texas. It’s in the Ebony family and has a heartwood that is almost black.

Autumn

Creeping slowly. Beautiful warm colors. Trees preparing their shut down for winter. In just a few days it will become official. That calendar on the fridge will tell us so. Autumn will be here. As a tiny hint of what’s to come, this Virginia Creeper’s (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) compound leaf with each of its five leaflets has fallen from its vine after growing into its proper fall hue. The change will be dazzling.