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Texture Against The Sky
September 20, 2025 The end of summer and the leaflets of Black Walnut trees (Juglans nigra) are one by one turning yellow and dropping to the ground. Also dropping to the ground are the “nuts” which are not true nuts but are actually drupes. What a surprise to discover that. Something that I really enjoy…
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Spicebush Berries
September 19, 2025 Drupes (berries) on Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) turning to their lovely crimson coloring, as autumn approaches. As autumn further advances, these drupes will all turn their bright red, and the leaves will become a rich yellow. Those leaves, when crushed emit a luscious spicy aroma. Thanks to that spicy aroma, deer tend to…
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White Flowers In The Genus Solidago
September 18, 2025 There are only two species of plants in the genus, Solidago (Goldenrod), that produce flowers that are white, all the others, as you might guess have rich, bright yellow flowers. This is one of those plants with white colored flowers, Silverrod (Solidago bicolor) which grows up here on my mountain, and is…
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Common Rockcap Fern
September 17, 2025 A surprising fern that grows on large boulders and smaller rocks, ledges, decaying logs and tree roots, sometimes in a location that has no soil at all. Its roots aid in breaking down rocks to create soil. This evergreen fern is Common Rockcap Fern (Polypodium virginianum), native to the eastern United States…
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Broad-banded Hoverfly
September 16, 2025 A Broad-banded Hoverfly (Epistrophe grossulariae) feeding on the nectar and pollen of Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium). These Hoverflies have a widespread native range including Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America. They closely resemble a bee, but they don’t sting, though they do enjoy landing on a sweaty arm to lap up…
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Butterfly In The Leaves
September 15, 2025 A Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) showing off its colors in the sunlight. Red? Orange? My vote is for orange spots. And purple? I’d vote for blue on this one. But perhaps I see colors in a different way than other people do. I think that’s quite likely. As adults these butterflies live…
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Brilliant Leaves One By One
September 14, 2025 A tree with leaves that have an independent streak, not changing all at once, but just here and there, one at a time. A medium sized tree native to eastern North America from the coast of Northeastern United States and southern Ontario to central Florida and eastern Texas on to Mexico. Black…
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Changing Colors
September 13, 2025 What a marvelous jigsaw puzzle this would make. Light shining through the changing leaves of a Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida). Every year I notice as summer is just beginning, in late June, that the Dogwoods are just starting little by little to lose the green of their leaves. Ever so slowly getting…
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What Are Drupes?
September 12, 2025 A drupe is defined as, “in botany, simple fleshy fruit that usually contains a single seed, such as the cherry, peach, and olive.” Thanks to Britannica.com. These drupes are on the deciduous shrub/small tree, Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium). They are red right now, and they’ll soon be turning to a blue-black color. There is a very long list of birds…
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Western Honey Bee
September 11, 2025 A Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on Goldenrod (Solidago). A bee that is native to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. This bee can now be found on every continent, with the exception of Antarctica, where it has been introduced for honey production and pollination services. Notice one of the corbiculae, or…