Tendrils

Gray Dogwood

Just like the Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) that we see most often, Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) has opposite leaves and those leaves look quite similar to Flowering Dogwood.

The flowers of Gray Dogwood arrive on dome shaped panicles, or branched clusters, in late May and June here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

The individual flowers in the panicles are one quarter inch across. Those flowers contain a short calyx with four small teeth, four creamy white petals, four stamens with soft yellow anthers, and a central pistil.

The branches of each panicle are creamy white like the petals, when the flowers are produced. In a short time they become bright red as the drupes, or fruit, matures. Anyone else see these as little teeny trees?

Nearly one hundred species of birds are attracted to these drupes from late summer into early autumn.

And as autumn descends upon these small trees the leaves turn a soft yellow with highlights of purply-red.

My favorite part of the year as Gray Dogwoods go through each of the seasons is of course, winter. Those teeny trees, which are actually the panicles that were in turn, for flowers and then, for drupes become the perfect receptacles for ice and iced spider webs as well.

2021 Hummingbird Arrival

Today it happened! A favorite day of the year when the first hummingbird arrives. As is the custom of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) the male leaves first, from his winter home, to arrive here at my cabin in the wood, mid-April. Females will arrive a week to ten days later. I’m looking forward to their arrivals when mating can begin and nest building will get underway. It is the female that selects the site, gathers all her building materials and creates her nest. And she may have two broods during the season, sometimes reusing her first nest. I’ll be searching in all the trees in the area. Looking for the tiny nests. Try as I might I’ve not spotted one yet.

Generally two eggs are laid in the nest. Incubation and feeding of the nestlings is left entirely to the female. It takes between fifteen and eighteen days for the eggs to hatch. Mom feeds her nestlings small insects and nectar. Nestlings fledge in eighteen to twenty-eight days. Then – will the feeders ever be busy!

I’m looking forward to seeing the hijinks of all the hummingbirds. The best action takes place when there are oodles of them. I’m never able to get a count of the hummingbirds that are here but have counted easily fifteen at any one time at the feeders. Surely there are others off in the gardens enjoying the plants that I have specifically put in for them. So it’s hard to know exactly what the population is during their summer with me. I’ll just leave that number at oodles.

The hummingbirds are so entertaining, racing round and round the cabin, chasing each other. It makes me feel as though I’m riding on a carousel. In addition I can’t wait to see the antics of my family as they enjoy the hummingbirds!

A summer with Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Pure glee.

Christmas Fern

A tough fern often spotted on the trails up here in the mountains. Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), one of the most common ferns in eastern North America which is its native range.

These are called crosiers, or more commonly, fiddleheads. In them I see movement, dance, music. Certainly grace and beauty. I love it in the spring when they are unfurling. It’s happening right now as spring reaches into warmth.

A perennial and evergreen fern that says elegance and charm. Fronds swaying together to the melody in their hearts. But don’t all ferns express that same feeling?

Perennial and evergreen. Takes on the snow and ice of winter like a champ. Like the best of us.

And come spring again is all set for music and dance. Swaying to their own melody. The refrain in their hearts.

Virginia Springbeauty

I’ve got itty-bitty buds on my Virginia Springbeauty (Claytonia virginica). Buds that look very much like really teeny tiny jalapeño peppers. What looks to me like those jalapeño peppers are sepals. Sepals are leaf-like structures surrounding and protecting the maturing bud. The number of sepals varies in difference species of flower. In Virginia Springbeauty there are two sepals for each flower. Look at the bud that has just opened in the lower left corner of the above image. The bud looks as though it is coming out of the mouth of (hmmm what? maybe . . . ) a crocodile. That “crocodile” is the two sepals that are opening for the bud/flower to come out.

Virginia Springbeauty is found in and is native to eastern North America.

The plant emerges from a tuber (also called a corm) as a stem with leaves at ground level. Halfway up the stem there are two blade-like leaves and further up the stem are the flowers. The flowers of Virginia Springbeauty are about one half inch across.

The flowers are pollinated by bees, flies and sometimes butterflies and skippers. The resulting fertilized flower will produce a capsule that contains seeds with appendages called elaiosomes which ants like to feed to their larvae in their underground nests, producing the perfect “ant farmer” situation.

I think it’ll be perhaps a week until my flowers open. Open during the day, closed at night or during cloudy days. I’m looking forward to finding them open, looking like peppermint candy.

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 Sassafras tree that you may come upon in the woods or in your yard is either a female tree or a male tree. Each individual tree’s flowers in turn are either female flowers or male flowers. The blossoms in the image immediately above are female flowers. Each female flower is very small at about one third inch across. Each has six sepals, an elongated central pistil and six small sterile stamens.

The male flower to my eyes looks like a busier flower. These are male flowers in the photo above. Each little flower, one third inch across, consists of six sepals and nine stamens with yellow anthers.

Going from tree to tree, the flowers are pollinated by various bees, flies, sawflies, beetles and wasps. Fertilized female flowers produce oval drupes. A drupe is also known as a fleshy fruit with thin skin and a central stone containing the seed. Drupe is easier to say.

When the drupes are ripe, reaching a deep blue-black color, seated on a pedicel that appears to be a rich red goblet, songbirds, Wild Turkeys, and Bobwhites enjoy the buffet and spread seeds through the woods. Bringing us more gorgeous Sassafras Trees.

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 time I saw it again, mostly in the same place. Sitting very very still.

A funny tidbit of info, this toad, and all toads are actually a subset of FROGS. So all toads are also frogs, but frogs are NOT toads.

By the afternoon I was lucky to spot the little toad again. I guess the sun was getting too warm since it was digging itself down into the freshly turned garden soil. A cool spot for a cool critter.

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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 case you didn’t know, what are thought of as petals on a Flowering Dogwood bloom are not petals at all, but are modified leaves called bracts. The actual flowers of the Flowering Dogwood are those tiny yellow-green things in the very center.

No matter what the parts of a Dogwood flower are called they are a shout for glee in the mountains.

As the season continues and they’re no longer paired with their buddies, the Redbuds, they are still something that makes my heart light.

Something that calls to me to bring my camera for an outing.

As the light changes, another chance for an altered glimpse of those four white bracts with their yellow-green flowers.

Flowers on trees that intrigue me. Flowers that are just an added benefit.

And here a Blue Jay, an additional added benefit.

A Cardinal? What more could I want!

And once those flowers and bracts are gone, still pure delight as the seasons roll on. Be sure to watch those leaves. I kid you not, they begin ever so slowly to turn to red in late June. Slowly slowly slowly.

Autumn offers up berries for the critters of the forest. Berries that last what seems but a brief moment.

Hints of winter as the leaves fall. But look my beloved Flowering Dogwood trees are planning ahead. Those buds. That is spring on its way.

Spring indeed is planned for. Buds in the waiting. But the trees must go through winter. More delight!

That plan for spring the trees have made? They survive. They survive through snow, ice and cold. They survive through the wondrous winter and come into spring with blooms as their buddies, the Redbuds are blooming. Like homemade vanilla ice cream with home grown strawberries on top.

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 butterflies are in the Greater category, or genus Speyeria. The Greater Fritillaries are a group of fourteen species. One of those species is the Great Spangled Fritillary.

The Variegated Fritillary is one of the Lesser Fritillaries. And of course is a smaller butterfly. There are sixteen butterfly species in this genus, Bolloria. Though it certainly has a similar coloring to the Great Spangled Fritillary which can be confusing, I know.

All fourteen of the Greater Fritillaries depend entirely on violets as their host plant. Which means their caterpillars will only survive by eating leaves of violet plants.

The Lesser Fritillaries’ caterpillars do also eat violet leaves but will eat other things as well such as passionflower.

Violets are not a nectar source for butterflies but considering their role as a host plant for their caterpillars, violets are very important in the world of butterflies.

Keep this in mind as you’re out weeding in your garden. Perhaps you can let some violets into that precious space.

Keep this in mind as you’re looking over your perfect lawn. Perhaps you can let some violets in here and there.

Or perhaps there is some shady spot in your yard where violets would love to share your world and help out Fritillaries.

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 say the clusters of spore-bearing capsules resemble a rattlesnake’s tail. I think the second option makes more sense. Are you breathing a sigh of relief now?

In the spring on a single stem, a single leaf emerges which has two distinct parts. A sterile leafy part and a fertile spore-bearing part.

An image of a nymph of an assassin bug waiting for his dinner to come by.

As spring turns into summer these two leaf parts senesce (wither away with age), the spores having matured by July. I’ve seen these ferns often as I wander looking for photos in the woods. One has even volunteered in one of my gardens. So much joy in the woods.

Blueberries

I’m watching both the progress the blueberry blooms are making as well as the calendar. Watching the blossoms grow and mature. Watching the weeks go by on the calendar. Right now in early April there are only tight buds on the many bushes.

And it’s hard to say since this is weather related and as we all know the weather can be extremely capricious. Hard to say when the blooms will be open.

Hard to say when the butterflies and bees will be called to the blueberry flowers. Called by the nectar and pollen. Called to pollinate the blooms that will become delicious morsels of goodness.

It will seem like forever to me. Going from compact buds to petite orbs. Forever and still not exactly what I’m waiting for.

Slowly slowly those petite orbs will swell. And go from apple green to a lavender blush to finally deep blue. But I’ve learned over the years I can’t be too quick. Those first berries looking so luscious blue are still lavender blush on the other side. The far side hidden and waiting to fool me. Be patient. They will turn totally inky blue with a white bloom with time. That’s what it’s all about. Patience and waiting.

I’ll be waiting. All this time. Waiting to pull out simple ingredients.

Waiting to turn those berries, those luscious inky blue with white bloom berries into blueberry pies. Other things too, but oh those pies!