poison ivy – Tendrils

Buds To Berries

Until I moved here to the cabin, Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) was just a plant that I needed to avoid. Those three leaves – beware. But now I have learned there is so much more to know about the plant. There are buds in May (in the photo above, left). And believe it or not, flowers in June (in the photo above, right).

Then in July there are green berries (in the photo above, left). By October those green berries are turning to white (in the photo above, right).

Come January those white berries are perfect for tempting Chickadees, and many different species of woodpeckers. Surely there are many other birds that enjoy the berries but these are the ones that I see most often eating them. Of course you have recognized the Chickadee in the picture on the left. And here, in the photo above, on the right, is a Pileated Woodpecker and at the bottom of the that photo, is a Northern Flicker.

Though I’m extremely allergic to Poison Ivy I really enjoy having it around, for the birds.

__________________________________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts, sign up here!

Itchy

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is in bloom right now. The plants are dioecious, meaning that each plant is either male or female. All the plants get flowers, male or female flowers. Blooms that looks quite similar, a greenish-yellow color with a width of less than 1/2 inch. Male flowers have prominent stamens covered in brilliant yellow pollen.

*Many buds with a few open Poison Ivy blooms*

Female flowers, with a prominent pistil, and only small underdeveloped stamens without the striking yellow color. The female blooms develop white drupes which are an important and popular winter food for many birds.

*Poison Ivy buds, yet to become flowers*

I’ve been fortunate to have a lush patch of Poison Ivy growing in an ancient oak tree that brings in a wonderful assortment of woodpeckers, including Pileated Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers. Poison Ivy makes the birder in me totally happy.

Northern Pearly Eye

Rather than open meadows, which butterflies often prefer, the Northern Pearly Eye, Enodia anthedon, choses to flutter about in the woods, whether shady or with sun filtering through.

Fluttering by, feeling the need to rest, he’ll land upside-down to view his world.

His caterpillar hosts are various species of grasses, grasses which are happy living on the forest floor.

As an adult he dines on dung, mud, fungi, rotting fruit, carrion, and sap from willows, poplars, and birch.

A clever little guy, with an average wingspan of a bit more than 2 inches, this butterfly knows just where to land as I stalk him with my camera. He checks out the available landing spots and if it’s available he’ll chose a patch of poison ivy, just out of reach, as a safe haven.