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Japanese Honeysuckle Berries
Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), the Honeysuckle that many of us know from childhood with the luscious drop of nectar that we’d catch on our tongue. Mmmm. And surprise, that Honeysuckle gets berries. Berries that are poisonous to us humans. The nectar is safe but not the berries.
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White Oak Leaves
The leaves of White Oak (Quercus alba) are alternate leaves, alternating along their stems. They have rounded lobes, often 7 to 10 per leaf, which makes them pretty easy to identify. The leaf length is anywhere from 4 to 9 inches long, with a width of 2 to 4 inches. Right now, as autumn ambles…
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American Chestnut in Autumn Color
American Chestnut (Castanea dentata). Classic ocean wave edge of the American Chestnut leaf showing off in its autumn color. A short hike up the mountain and I’m able to find these beauties. Who would have guessed.
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Gray Dogwood in Autumn
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa). Gray Dogwood drupes providing sustenance to many birds and mammals as autumn thinks of becoming winter, leaving what resembles tiny red trees for snow to fall upon. Its leaves provide a unique color palette of plum red and yellow chartreuse in an opposite arrangement as they succumb to diminishing daylight and…
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Witch Hazel in November
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). As a last *HOORAH* for the floral world. Witch Hazels are blooming on my mountain right now. Though there are a few at my elevation, they are much more common higher up the mountain. The flowers of Witch Hazel, looking like lemon zest. Not showy or spectacular but still beautiful in…
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Winged Sumac in November
Winged Sumac (Rhus copallina). The last of the brilliant cheer of red. The last of the flowers that called out to so many bees. Bees that made the small trees come alive with buzzing. Shutting down for winter. Thinking of spring when it will all begin again. The joy of Nature.
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Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar
Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Euchaetes egle). This caterpillar just might alarm you if you’re growing milkweed with Monarch Butterflies in mind. No need to worry though. The Milkweed Tussock Moth and the Monarch Butterfly have grown up in the “same neighborhood” side by side, sharing the bounty. Both butterfly and moth caterpillars are eating a…
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Redbud and NO Nitrogen Fixing
Redbud (Cercis canadensis). It isn’t surprising at all to find that the Redbud is in the legume family (Fabaceae). Those seedpods certainly look like they belong in the family that includes beans, peas, lentils, and soybeans. Something that immediately pops into my mind when I hear “legume” is that it is nitrogen fixer. Nearly 80%…
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Aster Seedheads
Asters are dainty flowers that resemble daisies. Flowers that are just the right size for a dollhouse. They generally bloom in late summer into autumn. I love the ones that are lavender, blooming as the trees are beginning to change color. Blooming all along the dirt road coming up my mountain. There’s also one that…
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Blueberry Bushes in Autumn
Some Blueberry Bushes celebrate autumn in an amazing way. The area around my cabin is a perfect illustration of this. Some of my bushes are really kicking up their heals with joy. I can’t tell you which species or cultivars these bushes are. I’ve got between 10 and 15 bushes, most of which were put…