Blackberry Lily (Iris domestica)
Not a native. Native to Asia. But still it is one of my favorites – a rhizomatous perennial. The seed pod that will split open to display a cluster of seeds which resemble a Blackberry.
Thomas Jefferson grew this beautiful flower in his gardens. Me too.
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Totally delighted to see a Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) caught in a spider’s web today. Yes, some spiders will eat SLFs. Yay! Eat’em up little spiders!
Though I wish there was some way to easily control these recently (2014) arrived insects from Asia, I have my doubts that potential predators – insects, such as Praying Mantises, Wheel Bugs, Yellow Jackets and Ants; Spiders; and birds such as Chickens and Cardinals will present a perfect solution.
But I’m hoping to be surprised.
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A bit less than a week ago the remains of Hurricane Debby came through bringing 5.88 inches of rain, special delivery, to my cabin. That lovely rain brought down three trees, domino style, across the lane, totally blocking us in. One of them a Persimmon tree (Diospyros virginiana)(a Persimmon tree, above). But a call to a neighbor that has a tree service and lickety-split — freedom!
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Youngsters, moms, and dads all together at the feeders. The height of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) season here on the mountain. Mighty hard to count them as they bounce around in mid-air but snapping a picture does help. I see 18 of them in this picture. I would not have guessed that many.
They sure slurp down a lot of that syrup.
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I was raised in Maryland. A state I love. And I love the state flower, designated as the state flower way back in 1918. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). I purchased some to plant in my garden at the Greene County Farmers Market last year. This (above) was then.
This is now. A little ways to go but well on its way to making me quite proud to have some of Maryland’s state flower blooming in my yard.
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Inflated Lobelia (Lobelia inflata)
Usually growing as a single stalk, occasionally branching near the top. The stalk staying low, at perhaps 6 inches, or growing to 2 1/2 feet tall with alternate leaves.
The bitter plant is noxious and is avoided by mammalian herbivores and is even avoided by White-tailed Deer. Humans also need to avoid eating the plant.
The flowers bloom in a variety of soft colors, pale blue, pale violet, and pale pale almost white-purple, most having just a hint of yellow-green just inside the flower. Each flower is tiny, measuring just 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch long.
At the bottom of each flower there is a calyx having 5 long spreading spikes. As the flower begins to wilt the calyx will begin to swell. It becomes a seed capsule 1/3 inch in width. The seed capsule is divided into 2 cells which contain many very small seeds that are distributed by the wind.
Though really small, I enjoy having this plant volunteer in my gardens. After all what could be better than a plant that is avoided by White-tailed Deer.
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These creatures amaze me. Just 1/4 inch in length, and such BIG eyes! A species of Robber Fly (Holcocephala). There are about 1,000 species of Robber Fly in North America the largest being about 2 inches long.
These two photos are Gnat Ogres (Holcocephala fusca) and this one is posing with a gnat it has captured.
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The Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) is the largest butterfly species in North America, with a wingspan of 4 to 6 inches.
The larval host plants of Giant Swallowtails are trees in the citrus family including Lemon, Lime, Orange, Prickly Ash, Hoptree and also Common Rue.
These caterpillars have an interesting sort of protection from predators, having the look of bird droppings.
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This is a caterpillar of the Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), chomping away on a Violet (Viola) leaf, one of many host plants of this species. A few other examples of their host plants are Passion Vines, Pansies, Purslane, Flax, and Mayapple.
As an adult, the Variegated Fritillary can live over 10 months. That’s a mighty long life for a butterfly!
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A Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) dining on the nectar of Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea).
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