-
Delightful Orange
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is in bloom right now on my mountain, creating bright orange patches scattered here and there. It’s a flower that attracts bees, wasps, and butterflies. This bunch of orange attracted a Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) creating a scrumptious color combination of black, white, and orange. Butterfly Weed has a wider native…
-
Sentimentality
Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria), a beautiful flower native to Europe, naturalized in North America. I tend to want all natives, except the ones that aren’t. The ones that I have a sentimental attachment to. Like the Lavender in this photo. It’s native to the Middle East and India. Oh but it’s a wonderful plant. The…
-
Here For The BirdBath Or Berries
A bird with lovely, lengthy songs. A mimic like Catbirds and Mockingbirds. A Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), a bird that comes ’round for the birdbath and the berries. I miss the Mockingbirds up here. I’ve never seen a single one at this elevation. They seem to prefer the lowlands. And I do miss the Catbirds…
-
Passing Through
Normally I go out and holler, in my most threatening voice, at White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) that come by to nibble in my yard. I seldom have to do that though, since there are Black Bears (Ursus americanus) up here and deer tend to avoid areas where there are bears. BUT rather than holler at…
-
Flowers To Look For
Roam the trails up here in the mountains and you might find some Smooth Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum). Herbaceous perennials, native to eastern and central North America. Growing two feet tall and on occasion will grow to three feet tall. Bees harvest nectar and pollen from the flowers that grow in pairs along the arched…
-
Next To The Wild Blueberries
Deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum), growing way up the mountain, next to a Lowbush Blueberry. Both bushes were about the same height, maybe 2 feet tall. The Lowbush Blueberry typically doesn’t grow any taller than 3 feet but I’m surprised to read that Deerberry bushes sometimes can grow to 15 feet tall. I’m going to have to…