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Woolly Dutchman’s Pipe
Woolly Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia tomentosa). A vine that grows vigorously with a mind of its own. A vine with a funny looking flower. It’s native to southeastern Canada and the eastern United States. This is a plant in the genus Aristolochia. Plants in this genus are larval host plants of the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly. I…
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Butterfly Weed
An incredibly beautiful Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) on the aptly named Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) which provides nectar to many pollinators. Native to much of the United States, from Maine to South Dakota to the desert southwest to Florida. Another pollinator that nearly matches the color of the Butterfly Weed, Great Spangled Fritilary (Speyeria cybele).…
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Black Huckleberry
It’s always fun to find a different native plant out in the woods. I never even knew that Huckleberries were actually a real thing until I found this bush. Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata). Along with this one, there are 3 other species of Huckleberry in this genus, Gaylussacia, which are found in eastern North America.
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Another Visit By Adult Skinks
Here at my cabin I see juvenile Skinks with their brilliant blue tails quite frequently. Those tails are “detachable,” and if attacked by a predator the skink can release its tail, which will continue to wiggle, distracting that predator while the Skink vanishes from the scene. A new tail will regrow, taking perhaps 6 months,…
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Multiflora Rose
Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) native to east Asia. These roses bloom right along with Blackberry bushes up here in the mountains. Often people will see the roses and mistake them for blackberry blooms. They do look a bit similar but there is a very easy way to tell the difference between the two. By their…
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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.…
