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Witch Hazel Blooms Of October
October 6, 2025 They make me think of shredded coconut. The late in the season flowers of Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) each have 4 petals and 4 sepals. Those petals are tape-like, about .75 inches long, often distorted and twisted. Usually the blooms are soft or bright yellow, though occasionally you might come across this…
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On Their Way!
October 5, 2025 The last of the migrating Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) came through a couple days ago, getting refills of energy at the Zinnias (Zinnia) that are in the garden. I captured this one in pixels and was surprised to see that I actually got a picture of its tongue reaching into the flower…
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What Is A Skipper?
October 4, 2025 Here, a Sachem Skipper (Atalopedes campestris), on a Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). What is a Skipper? A Skipper is a type of Butterfly. And a Moth is another type of insect in the same order as the Butterflies and Skippers, Lepidoptera. Butterflies, Skippers and Moths tend to be a bit confusing. Their differences…
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Painted Lady On Pineapple Sage
October 3, 2025 I’m very dedicated to sowing natives in my gardens but there are some plants that tell me that there needs to be an exception where they are concerned. For the autumn I put in non-natives, Zinnias (Zinnia), Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia), and Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) seen here. I plant them for…
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Paper Wasp On Goldenrod
October 2, 2025 Goldenrod (Solidago) produces beautiful, prolific blooms in late summer and early autumn. Its pollen is heavy, sticky, and not airborne like the green flowers of Ragweed (Ambrosia). In order to have an allergic reaction to Goldenrod you would in all probability have physical contact with it, and not simply by breathing in…
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Native Beautyberry
October 1, 2025 American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana). Native to the southern United States, from Virginia south to Florida, and west to Texas. Please use caution if you are interested in getting this native shrub from a nursery. There sometimes 4 species of Beautyberry sold at your local nursery. The one you want has the scientific…
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Virginia Sweetspire
September 30, 2025 Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) showing off its colors of autumn. This Sweetspire is native to the southeast United States, blooming in May and June with fragrant, cylindrical, brushlike inflorescences that attract many bees and butterflies. Next come seedheads that attract songbirds. Growing to 4 or 5 feet tall, often found in swamps,…
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Variegated Fritillary Enjoying Aster Blooms
September 29, 2025 A medium sized butterfly ranging from 1.75 to 2.75 inches, with males being smaller than females. A Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) enjoying nectar of White Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides). Found in Nova Scotia and southern Manitoba into New England, also southern California to the southern Great Plains on to Florida, and also in…