Blue Cohosh

April 28, 2026

Small, pale yellow, blooming in the woods in late April. The blossoms of Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides).

A perennial that grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet tall. Its “berries” turn blue-black in mid-August. Not actually berries at all, but seeds with a covering which creates a berry appearance. And those berries look very much like the Blueberries (Vaccinium) that we put on our cereal at breakfast, add to muffins, and bake in pies. The berries of Blue Cohosh though are poisonous to humans. Birds can safely eat them though, and they thoroughly enjoy them.

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Waterleaf

April 27, 2026

Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum), in bloom right now. Part of the common name, waterleaf, refers to the lighter green spots on some of its leaves which resemble spots of water.

Native to Eastern North America. Here in Virginia, it’s often found in the Piedmont, and mountain regions, where it can form large colonies. The flowers are white, pink or lavender. The ones I see are always snow white.

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Rain On Virginia Pine

April 26, 2026

Oh precious rain. A little bit came down yesterday. Almost a third of an inch. Almost. Not nearly enough but . . .

These are male pollen cones of Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana). Usually on the lower branches of the tree, while the female cones, the ones that you think of as pine cones, are usually on the higher branches of the tree. These pollen cones produce large amounts of pollen, carried by the wind to fertilize female pine cones. This pollen falls in clouds of “dust” that coats everything from March to May.

Both Pine and Oak pollen, a big problem for allergy sufferers. But when it rains the pollen settles for a bit. I’m hoping for more rain. Things are much too dry.

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Cabbage White On Green And Gold

April 25, 2026

A Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) on a wonderful ground cover, Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum). A plant that is native to the eastern United States, mainly in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern US.

The Cabbage White is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and was accidentally brought to North America in about 1860. It spread rapidly and now is found in almost all of North America.

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Fleabane In Bloom

April 24, 2026

Like a tiny daisy, waiting to be picked and placed into a tiny vase. Perfect for a doll house. Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadlephicus).

Philadelphia Fleabane, like daisies, have disk flowers (they are the yellow at the center of the flower) and ray flowers (the white “petals” surrounding the yellow center). This Fleabane is in the aster (Asteraceae) family. Unlike true asters and daisies, this flower has more numerous and much thinner ray flowers.

Blooming along trails up here now, at the end of April.

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Wintercress On The Way To Buckhollow

April 23, 2026

For several years I drove up into Shenandoah National Park, as a master naturalist, along with friends as we worked to remove invasives at Buckhollow.

The scenery along the way is breathtaking, like this scene of a charming barn with a swath of lemon yellow, Wintercress (Burbarea vulgaris), and a few scattered dots of brilliant orange, California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), in the foreground.

Though neither of these plants are native to the area, they certainly create a stunning picture. Wintercress is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and California Poppy is native to western North America.

I enjoyed both the drive to get to that portion of the park as much as I enjoyed doing that work in the park. Pure pleasure.

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Wild Strawberries In Bloom

April 22, 2026

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), pollinated by many native bees, including Small Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa) and Sweat Bees (Halictidae), which often visit these blooms.

A tiny butterfly with a wingspan of about 1 inch, the Gray Hairstreak

These native strawberry plants are host plants to over 60 to 80 species of butterflies, moths, and skippers, including the Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus).

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Hummingbird Clearwing

April 21, 2026

A Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe), enjoying the nectar of apple blossoms on a cool spring day.

Though the Hummingbird Clearwing is a moth, it is diurnal, or active during the day — not nocturnal. They feed on flower nectar as adults, and have a long proboscis which they use to drink that nectar while hovering. This hovering action gives them the appearance of a small Hummingbird. From time to time I hear someone telling the story of seeing a tiny Hummingbird, but these are moths, not birds!

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Wild Geranium And Eastern Tailed Blue

April 20, 2026

A cluster of Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), just coming into bloom in the past couple days. Shortly those buds will be blooming too, filling the woods with pink.

If you look closely, at nearly the center of the picture, there is an Eastern Tailed Blue(Cupido comyntas) posing in a perfect manner. It’s a tiny butterfly that captivates me.

The dorsal (top) side of an Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas) is not often seen, as they typically rest with their wings closed. When they land they keep their wings up and closed, showing the ventral side (down), the dull gray side. The males’ dorsal side is a beautiful blue. The dorsal side of the females’ wings are dark gray, leaning a tiny bit toward blue during spring.

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Springbeauty

April 19, 2026

Virginia Springbeauty (Claytonia virginica) blooming right now. Open on bright sunny days, not open at night and not open on cloudy days. Native to eastern North America, and generally not found in Florida.

A small ephemeral perennial, growing to just 3 to 12 inches tall. The buds emerge from a stem between the plant’s two grass-like leaves. The blooms measure 1/2 to 3/4 inch across.

I’m always pleased to find these beauties every spring.

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