Author Archives: Brenda Clements Jones

About 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.

Pure Green Sweat Bee

May 28, 2025

Pure Green Sweat Bee (Augochlora pura), native to the eastern United States and Canada. They’re active April through September. Size is about 1/3 inch. Females carefully build their nests in moist, decaying wood, often under the loose bark of stumps, rotten trees, and logs.

They’re attracted to sweaty humans, licking up our sweat for the moisture and salt content. These jewel-like bees are generally not aggressive and will only sting if they sense a threat or are trapped.

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White Dunce Cap Mushroom

May 27, 2025

White Dunce Cap Mushroom (Conocybe apala) surrounded by White Clover (Trifolium repens). A fairly common mushroom in Europe as well as here in North America.

Mushrooms that are mighty tiny. The cap measures in at between .5″ and 1.5″ in diameter. The thin, hollow stem is 1.2″ to 4.4″ in height. That hollow stem is quite fragile and often collapses under the weight of the cap. The mushroom typically lasting just a few hours.

With the tiny mushrooms, seems there ought to be fairies nearby.

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Sundrops In Bloom

May 26, 2025

Narrow Leaf Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa), a member of the Evening Primrose (Onagraceae) family. Native to much of eastern North America.

Narrow Leaf Sundrops are perennial plants that grow to a height of 18 to 36 inches. The brilliant yellow flowers attract Beetles, Butterflies, Moths, Skippers, Bees, and Hummingbirds. The seeds entice Goldfinch, Mourning Doves, and other songbirds.

The shade of yellow of this flower is magnificent!

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The Nymphs Are Back Again!

May 25, 2025

Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicata). A Planthopper (in the order Hemiptera) native to parts of China and Vietnam, believed to have first come to the United States in 2012, on a shipment of stone arriving in Pennsylvania. This image, one of many found here in the past couple days, an early stage nymph.

Being a Planthopper means these Lanternflies are extremely fast. They will fly short distances but prefer walking quickly or jumping. Getting this picture was quite the challenge because of their speed, and it not wanting a picture taken.

Lanternflies are agricultural pests, reducing the yield on grapevines, lowering the sugar content on remaining grapes leaving plant health in jeopardy. Other concerns are trees in our yards, and forests, including Black Walnut, Maples, Willow, River Birch, Black Cherry, Tulip Poplar, and others. Its favorite though is Ailanthus. Ailanthus is a non-native invasive that attracts the Lanternfly.

If you see these nymphs, squash them!

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A Stunning Yellow Orchid

May 24, 2025

In bloom right now in Shenandoah National Park, Yellow Lady Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium parviflorum). Native to North America – even found in Alaska.

In reading a blog post by Mary Anne Borge (The Natural Web) she says, “If you see it, you know you’ve won the lottery.” How true!

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Redbud, A Member Of The Legume Family

May 23, 2025

Seed pods of Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis). These look like they’re beans and sure enough, Redbud trees are in the legume family (Fabaceae). Members of the legume family are well known for their ability to add nitrogen to the soil.

A little bit of what happens in the adding of nitrogen to the soil. There is a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia bacteria that lives in nodules on the plants’ roots. The bacteria changes nitrogen from the atmosphere into a form that the plants can use. This process adds nitrogen to the soil.

However, Redbud is part of a very small portion of the legume family that does not add nitrogen to the soil.

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Indian Pink

May 22, 2025

A unique flower. Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica), native to inland areas of the Southeastern and Midwestern US. An herbaceous perennial that grows to a height of 1.5 to 2 feet, with a width of about 1.5 feet.

In bloom right now in my garden.

A row of flowers emerges at the top of every stem, 2 inches tall, tubular, and a brilliant shade of scarlet. Each having a lovely yellow star shape on top.

A flower that seems to have been created for Hummingbirds.

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One Of Many Favorites

May 21, 2025

Thinleaf Blue-eyed Grass or Common Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), a delight to have around, volunteering here and there. Native to the eastern two thirds of the United States and Canada. 

Though indeed it certainly looks like a grass, the several species of blue-eyed grass are in the iris family.

And another thing I discovered as I was doing my research: these flowers have just three petals, alternating with nearly twin sepals, creating the look of six petals. The sepals can be found easily, as they are slightly wider that the petals.

Isn’t nature filled with amazing surprises!

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Farmer Ants

May 20, 2025

These are seed pods and seeds of Wood Poppy. You might be able to see, if you look carefully, that each seed is wrapped with something that looks like a fuzzy white band. This is an elaiosome which is nutrient rich and attracts some ants.

These ants are participating, along with the plant, with seed dispersal in a process called myrmecochory. This is a symboitic relationship in which both the ants and the plants benefit.

The seeds of an amazing number of plants have an attachment called the elaisome which is rich with lipids and proteins. Ants know that their larvae will benefit greatly by being fed these elaisomes, which are brought to them in the nest. After the feeding, the remains of the seeds are placed in the “trash room” of the nest which is a perfect atmosphere for sprouting.

Some of the spring ephemerals that participate in myrmecochory are Trilliums, Bloodroot, Wild Ginger, and Dutchman’s Breeches, Trout Lily, Twin Leaf, Spring Beauty, and Wood Poppy.

Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), native to eastern North America.

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Melodious Warbling

May 19, 2025

Oh what beautiful songs coming through the open windows today! A Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) was out roaming and singing his heart out. Delighting me with the sounds of nature.

Mockingbirds, Catbirds, and Brown Thrashers are closely related, in the family Mimidae. A family known for being mimics and expert vocalists.

The male Brown Thrasher is certainly in the running for having the largest song repertoire of birds in North America, being documented as having over 1,100 songs. They’re able to pick up new sounds and include them in their performances which enables them to have that large repertoire.

Those songs, such a soothing sound.

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