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American Lady Butterfly
During the summer while my volunteer White Wood Asters are blooming I can count on seeing bunches of American Lady Butterflies (Vanessa virginiensis) sipping the nectar. I see there are oodles of larvae host plants listed for American Lady Butterflies. Asters are one of the plants listed. Purple Coneflowers will also attract them and make…
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Scarlet Beebalm
Soon to be glowing red in a big swath of my garden. Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma). Native to eastern North America. Attracting hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. Fluttering, buzzing and humming. Spicebush Swallowtails (Papilio troilus) aren’t the only butterflies that enjoy the nectar and help pollinate the Scarlet Beebalm. Oodles show up. A carefree plant that…
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Western Springbeauty
A couple months ago (April 12, 2021) I wrote a blog post on Virginia Springbeauty. Sometimes there is a plant or a bird that has an almost twin on the other side of the continent. That’s the case here. Virginia Springbeauty (Clintonia virginica) is native to eastern North America, and it has an almost twin,…
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Baltimore Checkerspot
Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton). I love so many butterflies. This is one of them. It’s the official state insect of Maryland. I was able to capture this photo of a Baltimore Checkerspot at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland. The Baltimore Checkerspot larval host plant is White Turtlehead. If that plant is not available caterpillars will…
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Bear Marking Territory
Ah! That feels so good! Sure looks like it, but that isn’t what is happening here. Black bears, young, mature, female, male, all bears mark trees, utility poles and wooden sign posts along their paths of travel. Most bears that do this marking are males during mating season. They do this marking by rubbing their…
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Cabbage White Butterfly
As summer arrives the Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) Butterfly is ubiquitous. A medium sized butterfly with a wingspan of 1.5 to 2 inches. Not a native to this continent but of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Cabbage White Butterfly larvae are a pest for anyone growing cruciferous plants in their vegetable garden. So, like a…
