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Itchy
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is in bloom right now. The plants are dioecious, meaning that each plant is either male or female. All the plants get flowers, male or female flowers. Blooms that looks quite similar, a greenish-yellow color with a width of less than 1/2 inch. Male flowers have prominent stamens covered in brilliant yellow pollen.…
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Starry Campion
Starry Campion (Silene stellata) is a native plant found in the eastern and central United States. It is here on my mountain, greeting me as I roam the trails. Pollinators are mostly moths and an occasional bumblebee that slurp the nectar. A herbaceous perennial plant, loosely branching, 12 to 30 inches tall. The flower has…
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Oh So Good For You
Within a week or so my blueberries are going to be turning to their bloom covered midnight blue, signaling the start of a wonderful time of year – blueberry season. There are maybe a dozen mature blueberry bushes in front of my cabin, in front of the wood shop, and in front of the vegetable…
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Spots In The Woods
Spotted in the woods, a spotted butterfly. A Great Spangled Fritilary (Speyeria cybele). One of the top contenders for most often seen butterfly in my gardens during the summer. Many species of native violets serve as a larval host plant for the Great Spangled Fritillary. Enjoy those beautiful violets and enjoy the thought that you’re helping…
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Puddling
An aggregation of butterflies at a mud puddle. Sometimes moths do this too. This is called puddling. It’s mainly the male of the species that you’ll find puddling. This moist soil or sand provides salts and minerals which the male of the species passes along to the female in their sperm. This improves the viability…
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Bright Day In The Garden
Bright sunshine, with warm temperatures, and brilliant colors in the garden. In posting this image, I have to explain. Though I am truly dedicated to planting natives in my garden, there are a small number of choices that are based entirely on sentimentality. As is this one. My Mom’s favorite flower, the Iris. Oh the…
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Garlic Mustard
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata). As a Habitat Defender in Shenandoah National Park, this one certainly keeps me busy. Except that it is so prevalent this is an easy invasive to deal with, compared to some others. The Invasive Plant Atlas calls Garlic Mustard an Ecological Threat. It is quite clever in its ways, being a…
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Gemmed Satyr
An unusual butterfly that I seldom see, Gemmed Satyr (Cyllopsis gemma). Its native range is Virginia south to Florida, west to the eastern third of Texas, south to Guatemala. With a wingspan of about 1.5 inches, those wings contain a fascinating feature. The ventral (underside) hindwing has black reflective spots which make me think of…
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Orchids Native to Virginia
Orchids. Magnificent flowers. An Orchid has been the national flower of Columbia since 1936, the Flor de Mayo (Cattleya trianae). There are 4,000 species of Orchids in the world and more than 1,500 are only found in Columbia. Here in Virginia we do have native Orchids but not nearly so many. I’ve seen just a…