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.

American Lady Butterfly

During the summer while my volunteer White Wood Asters are blooming I can count on seeing bunches of American Lady Butterflies (Vanessa virginiensis) sipping the nectar. I see there are oodles of larvae host plants listed for American Lady Butterflies. Asters are one of the plants listed.

Purple Coneflowers will also attract them and make for a fun picture with the American Lady’s intricately designed ventral (or bottom) side of their wings visible.

Here the American Lady is on the blooms of Bugle Weed. This beautiful butterfly enjoys the nectars of flowers but also it’s attracted to the juice of rotting fruit and tree sap. I’ve been able to entice American Lady Butterflies to my back porch by putting out fruit that will eventually go into the compost. It’s fun to experiment and see who shows up.

Scarlet Beebalm

Soon to be glowing red in a big swath of my garden. Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma). Native to eastern North America.

Attracting hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. Fluttering, buzzing and humming.

Spicebush Swallowtails (Papilio troilus) aren’t the only butterflies that enjoy the nectar and help pollinate the Scarlet Beebalm. Oodles show up.

A carefree plant that fills the space it is provided but doesn’t jump to other gardens. Well behaved. And for gardeners who would rather not spend time weeding. The plants grow into a dense little “forest” of fragrant leaves crowding out any weeds that might be tempted to intrude.

And those Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. So entertaining. These flowers just seem to be designed specifically for the hummingbirds.

Joy in the summer. If I can’t have my winter, and my snow, I’ll be happy to take the brilliant colors and the wonderful critters.

Western Springbeauty

A couple months ago (April 12, 2021) I wrote a blog post on Virginia Springbeauty. Sometimes there is a plant or a bird that has an almost twin on the other side of the continent. That’s the case here. Virginia Springbeauty (Clintonia virginica) is native to eastern North America, and it has an almost twin, Western Springbeauty (Claytonia lanceolata), native to western North America. That’s it in the photo above. I took this photo while enjoying the wonderful Southwest, and Zion National Park.

This image, above is Virginia Springbeauty, native to eastern North America. The leaves of Western Springbeauty are wider and store moisture. The leaves of Virginia Springbeauty are more grass-like. I LOVE visiting the Southwest and to find things that remind me of home makes it extra special.

Elderberry

Lots of Elderberry Bushes (Sambucus canadensis) are in bloom up here in the mountains. On a trip to Florida in early May, I saw many in bloom down there along the roadways, making me feel at home. Now I’ve got Elderberries blooming at the edge of the woods outside my cabin too thanks to Saint Isidore Homestead & Permaculture at the Greene Farmer’s Market.

Many species of bees, flies and beetles collect pollen from the Elderberry blooms and a couple species of bees build nests for their larvae in the bushes. Lots of birds eat the berries including the Eastern Bluebird, Northern Cardinal, Catbird, Mockingbird, Robin, House Finch, Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, and White-throated Sparrow.

Keep in mind if you’re interested in eating the berries (drupes) of the Elderberry Bush, they are poisonous unless cooked, then they are safe to eat.

Baltimore Checkerspot

Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton). I love so many butterflies. This is one of them. It’s the official state insect of Maryland. I was able to capture this photo of a Baltimore Checkerspot at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland.

The Baltimore Checkerspot larval host plant is White Turtlehead. If that plant is not available caterpillars will often choose viburnum, English plantain, or penstemon as a substitute. I took this image of a Baltimore Checkerspot caterpillar at Buck Hollow in Shenandoah National Park.

Much Needed Rain

It’s been so dry. Rain has been forecast this day and that day and it has not happened. But today the weather gods came through for me. Just a few minutes and POOF! half an inch of rain had fallen. The precipitation added sparkle to the feathery foliage of asparagus in the vegetable garden. I can just imagine a big cheer coming from the plants that have patiently been waiting for the moisture. I’m cheering too.

Bear Marking Territory

Ah! That feels so good! Sure looks like it, but that isn’t what is happening here. Black bears, young, mature, female, male, all bears mark trees, utility poles and wooden sign posts along their paths of travel.

Most bears that do this marking are males during mating season. They do this marking by rubbing their scent on marking trees. Rubbing, rubbing, rubbing shoulders, neck, back and crown.

They’ll also claw and bite the marking tree (whether it is that wooden sign post, utility pole or actually a tree) often leaving great scars in the wood. Utility poles seem to be a favorite, employing this marking as a way to communicate, one bear to another.

Cabbage White Butterfly

As summer arrives the Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) Butterfly is ubiquitous. A medium sized butterfly with a wingspan of 1.5 to 2 inches.

Not a native to this continent but of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Cabbage White Butterfly larvae are a pest for anyone growing cruciferous plants in their vegetable garden. So, like a weed, in the form of a butterfly.

Common Buckeye Butterfly

A beauty in the world of butterflies. Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia). It’s common in the southern states, along the California coast and in central America. Also found in other areas of the US, though not as commonly seen.

Here at my cabin I see the Common Buckeye butterfly on apple mint, which is what it’s on in all three of these photos, and on various species of aster.

Common Buckeyes don’t depend on just a single larval host for their eggs and caterpillars but many. A few of these host plants are snapdragon, plantain, ruellia, and toadflax. I look forward to seeing these butterflies every year, and most years I do get to see them. I’ve got my fingers crossed for this year.

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