Sugar Maple Trees

I spent a few days last week just north of Monterey, Highland County, Virginia. Pure heaven. This view is the backyard of the place where I stayed, and a grand old Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum). So many Sugar Maples there in the mountains.

Sugar Maples are native to eastern Canada and northeastern United States. And are plentiful in the upper elevations of my mountain.

Autumn is a great season to find them, glowing. In this image they’re accented by the dark undulating trunks of Sassafras trees.

Of the 132 species in the genus Acer, which are the Maples, the tree with one of the longest lifespans is the Sugar Maple which can live for 200 to 400 years.

Given the Sugar Maple’s long life it can grow to be quite large. One of the largest known is 124 feet tall and a diameter of 18 feet, though in normal forest conditions they can reach a height of 70 to 110 feet and a diameter at breast height (4.5 feet from the ground) of 2 to 3 feet. I’ve not found any here at this elevation and planted a few several years ago. I’m looking forward to seeing them get mighty tall with a nice diameter.

Yuccas Revisited

Years ago I took off on an adventure that I will never regret. I moved to New Mexico. During my time in that remarkable state I quickly got to know the Yucca, the state flower. There is also a species of Yucca that is the national flower of El Salvador, Yucca gigantea, commonly known as Izote.

In this photo, Yucca plants in New Mexico not surrounded by snow but by white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals at White Sands National Park. A place that I’ve visited many many times.

There are about 30 species of Yucca in North America. Before going to New Mexico I had never noticed Yucca plants though there are at least a couple species that are native to Maryland and Virginia. What a surprise to learn that.

Now I’ve got two Yuccas that are native to Virginia in my yard. In this photo, Yucca gloriosa, which blooms regularly in the autumn and below, Yucca filamentosa. “Filamentosa” of that name is a no-brainer.

Both of these plants bring back treasured memories.

Black Gum Tree

Tomorrow’s the first day of autumn. That’s got me thinking of what trees are going to be doing in the next several weeks. So many leaves. Leaves that will be turning the most exquisite warm colors of the color wheel. Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) is one that comes to mind.

It’s a standout in its ability to go from rich emerald to an intense scarlet.

Those alternate and simple leaves are a bit thick and quite glossy on their top surface. The rich fall color a pure knockout.

Black Gum is a medium sized slow growing deciduous tree. This tree is happy in full sun and part shade and though it likes wet soil and will even grow in water-logged areas it does grow in dry areas too. So you can find it most anywhere up to an elevation of 3,000 feet.

Black Gum can live to be 650 years old, helping bees in the production of honey and providing berries for a multitude of birds. Native to eastern North America, from Southern Ontario to Florida and Texas. Its bark is said to be alligator hide like. The branches emerge from the trunk at very close to a 90 degree angle which I find to be a good way to help identify this species of tree. But give me an autumn day and I’ll pick out those luscious brilliant scarlet leaves. For me a dead giveaway.

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Aromatic Asters

Aromatic Asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) are visited by bees, butterflies and skippers, seeking nectar and in the case of the bees, pollen. The caterpillars of moths and of Silvery Checkerspot Butterflies eat the foliage. This Crab Spider is hanging around hoping to catch some dinner, just waiting for the perfect insect to come along.

I’ve got some Aromatic Aster blooming like crazy right now. A stunning show is put on by this perennial plant.

Aromatic Asters are native to northeastern and central United States. I’m looking forward to dividing my plant in the early spring of next year. The more the merrier.

American Persimmons

American Persimmons (Diospyros virginiana). They seem to be everywhere up here now. The fruit growing into a small orb with a soft green color. Dropping from their branches as they ripen.

Those little fruits are tempting bears, if any bears are around here now. It’s something that bears really enjoy eating if one can tell by examining bear scat. You’ll find Persimmon seeds if you look.

Color warming from that soft green to yellow-orange. Sweetening as they ripen.

Once they’re ripe the Persimmons are a warm orange color and will begin dropping to the ground. Not only tempting bears but also butterflies that are fond of slurping on rotting fruit. Butterflies such as Question Marks, Commas, Red Admirals and Painted Ladies.

The bark of American Persimmon has large blocky patches which to me resembles an enlarged version of Flowering Dogwood bark.

As the common name implies, American Persimmon is native to much of the eastern United States from southern New England, throughout the southeastern United States, and west to Kansas and Texas. It’s in the Ebony family and has a heartwood that is almost black.

Autumn

Creeping slowly. Beautiful warm colors. Trees preparing their shut down for winter. In just a few days it will become official. That calendar on the fridge will tell us so. Autumn will be here. As a tiny hint of what’s to come, this Virginia Creeper’s (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) compound leaf with each of its five leaflets has fallen from its vine after growing into its proper fall hue. The change will be dazzling.

Obedient Plant

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana). A lovely native to have in the garden. It’s native to North American in all states east of the Rockies but Florida, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Obedient Plant can be found in the wild on river banks, wet ditches, prairies, swamps, and marshy areas. In moist sites it sometimes spreads aggressively. Sometimes that is a good thing.

Pollinators seek the blooms out for its nectar.

A joy to find blooming this time of year.

Monarch Migration Time

Such a delicate being. Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus).

A beautiful creature that lives a short life, two to six weeks unless it is fortunate enough to be the last generation of the year. Those of that lucky generation can live eight or nine months.

They’re on their way. Escaping winter. They can’t survive a cold winter no matter what stage of live they are in — larvae, pupae, or adult. 

Using navigational aids such as the position of the sun and the magnetic pull of our planet, they travel south. Monarchs in eastern North America follow several paths to reach a common route that takes them to the same mountain areas of Mexico year after year. Monarchs in western North America fly to areas in the vicinity of Santa Cruz and San Diego to spend their winters.

All this travel, some flying as much as three thousand miles. Butterflies that have never flown this route before. Creatures that are not only delicate but incredibly intuitive.

Blackening Waxcap

On the way to a babbling stream. Among the browns and plentiful greens, a surprise color. Shiny orange with subtle yellow streaks. Blackening Waxcap (Hygrocybe conica). In the mountains outside Monterey, Highland County, Virginia.

Blue Lettuce Revisited

Two dear friends within several months of each over have discovered what I think is this plant. The individual flowers look a good bit like Chicory, the rest of the plant? Oh what a difference. Blue Lettuce (Lactuca floridana).

Blue Lettuce is an annual biennial herb growing from a taproot to a height of four to eight feet or taller. At the top of the stem there is a multi-branched inflorescence with a good many flower heads. Each of the flower heads holds as many as twenty blue or white ray flowers and no disk flowers.

Leaves of Blue Lettuce are alternate. The upper leaves are lance shaped with either smooth edges or serrated edges.

The lower leaves are lobed. Leaves, stems and roots release a milky sap when cut or broken. Blue Lettuce is native to central Canada and the eastern and central United States. A fun find in the forest!