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Sassafras Trees Are Dioecious
Seems winter has given up. Spring has won the battle of the seasons and is stepping through the woods. Right now, mid-April, Sassafras Trees (Sassafras albidum) are in bloom throughout the woods of the Blue Ridge Mountains in central Virginia. Creating a soft watercolor wash of pale yellow. Sassafras is a dioecious tree, meaning any…
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American Toad
What a nice surprise to have a little visitor in the vegetable garden. A visitor that I don’t often get to see. An American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus). It seemed to prefer the “sit very very still and you won’t be seen” stance. But the little creature was seen throughout the day. I was pleased each…
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Flowering Dogwood
The Flowering Dogwood trees (Cornus florida) here in my neck of the woods are just beginning to open as the Eastern Redbud blooms (Cercis canadensis) are on their way into decline. That’s the pattern every year. A slight overlapping of their big show. Like homemade vanilla ice cream with home grown strawberries on top. In…
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Our Native Violets, Host Plants to Fritillaries
Something important to think about. Our native violets are the most important host plant for caterpillars of many Fritillary Butterflies. And for a good number of them these violets are their only host plant. Fritillary Butterflies fall into one of two genuses. Either Greater or Lesser. And as you might expect the larger of the…
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Rattlesnake Fern
My apologies if you are creeped out by references to snakes. Rattlesnake Fern is the common name for Botrypus virginianus. Some say the common name comes from it growing in rattlesnake territory. However its range is across all the United States and nearly all of Canada with the exception of its far northern territories. Others…
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Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Tomorrow one hummingbird feeder will go up on my front porch. The time is about right, but I don’t know exactly when to expect my first Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). I want to greet whoever shows up first, with a welcome mat and a feeder with its favorite syrup. The recipe: 1/4 cup sugar to…
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Mock Strawberry
Originally from India. Mock Strawberry (Potentilla indica). It appears very much like Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana). If you’re looking for the marvelous experience of eating Wild Strawberries more than likely you will be disappointed. The Mock Strawberry has very little flavor and is quite dry. But if you’re feeling adventuresome, it is edible. You’ll find…
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Wild Strawberries
Their leaves are out there waiting. Possibly waiting for warm weather to inspire flowers. Wild Strawberries (Fragaria virginiana). Waiting for just the right day? angle of the sun? temperature? Maybe all of those things and others that haven’t even occurred to me. But in past years there have been blooms as the calendar’s top page…
