Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana) is native to a good portion of North America from Quebec to Manitoba south to Florida and New Mexico. Blooming now in early autumn providing both nectar and pollen late in the growing season for bees, buttterflies, and hummingbirds migrating to their winter homes.
Here it’s enjoying all the soft drizzle that is slowly bringing moisture back to the thirsty plants.
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Looking to me like a Yorkshire Terrier dressed for Halloween, this is actually a Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar (Euchaetes egle), out and about in late summer and now, early autumn. These larvae principally choose Milkweed (Asclepias) or Dogbane (Apocynum) as their host plants.
Not to be of concern though. These caterpillars generally go for older plants which are more tough, for their meals. Monarch caterpillars will choose more tender, younger plants to sustain themselves.
The Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars might leave the Milkweed plants looking a bit bedraggled but those plants will survive to sprout up again next year, for another year of supporting Monarchs and these Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars.
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Naked-flowered Tick Trefoil (Desmodium nudiflorum) native to eastern North America. It’s going to seed now, just waiting for you to hike past. Its flat seedpods, called loments or more casually, hitchhikers, are covered with short hooked hairs — think miniature velcro. They’re out there and when you come home covered with them it will take forever to remove them all. Really.
Before the loments, tiny, pretty pink flowers that don’t last long at all. I went out this morning to get pictures of them. You can see the one on the left is accompanied by flowers in decline. Not much left. But perhaps you get the idea, blink and they’re gone. And then those loments that come home with you.
Be warned. Notice them. And avoid them. Unless you have time to spare.
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Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) a quick growing vine, native to eastern and central North America. It has palmately compound leaves usually with 5 leaflets. And can be confused with Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) so double check the number of leaflets that you’re seeing. Maybe what you see is not Poison Ivy, but just Virginia Creeper. Also, a bit of caution if you are actually getting into the Virginia Creeper, this vine will not give you a painful rash like you might get from Poison Ivy, but there are some people who will get skin irritation or a slight rash from the sap of Virginia Creeper.
It’s an aggressive grower, adding about 20 feet a year. Considered by many to be a weed. I have to discourage it in my gardens but in the woods it’s beautiful. In the autumn it turns a gorgeous crimson. Sometimes it turns from green to red just one leaflet at a time.
Right now, up here in the mountains there are trees that are still mostly green but there are also places where Virginia Creeper is growing, draping its crimson throughout the woods. Lovely.
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Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) in bloom. Perfect timing for the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that are coming through on their way to their winter homes of Central America and Mexico.
Long tubular, nectar filled flowers, perfect for hummingbirds. Flowers that are native to southeastern Canada south through the eastern and southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America to northern Colombia.
I love brilliant colors and these red beauties certainly have my heart. Though this picture is from my yard, I sometimes come upon Cardinal Flowers in the wild. When that happens I’m totally pleased.
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Heartleaf Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), is easy to identify because of its heart shaped leaves. A herbaceous perennial native to central and eastern North America. There are about 150 species of Aster native to North America.
The flowers of Heartleaf Aster are composed of petal-like ray flowers which are often blue-violet to lavender, or in this case snow white. At the center, tube-like disk flowers start out yellow and gradually develop a purple-red color.
I have a patch of these flowers, volunteers that I really enjoy. Other plants try to invade its space but I fight them off.
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After many days of wonderful sunshine, today is a gloomy, drizzly, rainy day. I’m very glad of the rain since today is September 17th and it hasn’t rained since September 1st when .59 inches came down upon us. Now slowly, slowly we’re getting some moisture again. Just the way it should happen. Slowly, gently.
This image, a Yucca gloriosa, enjoying today’s rain.
Me too.
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Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), native to eastern and southwestern North America. This picture taken at the beginning of August of 2024. Always a delight for me to find these bright orange blooms attracting butterflies in the wild.
And now, actually just yesterday, September 15th, and there are seed pods on the Butterfly Weed. Soon to burst open sending silky-tailed seeds drifting with the wind to find a new place to grow.
Ah magical nature!
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Ironweed (Vernonia) with brilliant purple flowers, blooming in July. Blooms that attract many butterflies and other native pollinators in search of the pollen and nectar that the flowers provide.
Now those flowers have turned into seed heads. During autumn and winter many birds will eat the seeds including Goldfinch, House Finch, and Song Sparrows.
And till then I’ll look forward to having the Ironweed with the striking purple flowers bloom again next July.
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