7-31
Newcomb's Wildflowers refers to Canada thistle as, "a bad weed of pastures and waste places." Apparently it spreads by creeping underground stems and is very difficult to eradicate.
White Turtlehead favors swamps and stream banks. The lower lip of these flowers is thought by some to resemble the head of a turtle.
John
7-30
Hairy Willow Herb's rose colored flowers lift over damp places often growing in saturated soils or even shallow water.
John
7-29
An Ambush Bug well camouflaged on a goldenrod feeds on a mosquito despite being able to capture prey much larger than itself.
Dwarf, AKA Lesser Rattlesnake Plantain, an orchid family member, flowers obscurely in dry, often pine, woods.
John
7-28
Staghorn and Smooth Sumacs have set fruit. Both favor dry usually open habitats such as old fields. A third species, Dwarf, AKA Shining Sumac, can also be found in our area.
John
 |
| Staghorn Sumac |
 |
| Smooth Sumac |
7-27
Marsh Skullcap, AKA Hooded Skullcap, is a plant of swamps and shores.
Northern Bugleweed likes similar habitats.
John
7-26
Yarrow, AKA Milfoil, can be either white or, as in this case, pink.
Swamp Milkweed Beetles feed exclusively on milkweeds both as larvae and adults.
John
7-25
Woods and thickets are home to Agrimony, a member of the rose family.
Pinesaps are myco-heterotrophs, getting nutrients from fungal networks that in turn are in symbiotic relationships with green plants.
John
7-24
The round ball-like flower heads of Buttonbush lift over wet places.
Pickerelweed rims the margins of ponds.
John
7-23
Leaves sensitive to the touch make identification of Wild Sensitive Plant simple. The member of the pea family is rare in Vermont.
The wiry stems and down-curved prickles of Tearthumb will indeed result in a torn thumb if you try to pull it. This Buckwheat relative may have either white or pink flowers.
The nymphal husks of Dogday Harvestflies (Cicadas) hang empty. Adults will soon shrill from treetops.
John
7-22
Tall sunflower, grown commercially in the Midwest, escapes occasionally to Vermont roadsides.
Woodland Sunflowers favor dry woods and thickets. My field guide lists 11 sunflower species.
John
7-21
While Common Burdock is termed a "coarse weed of waste places," pollinators flock to its flowers.
Primrose Moths spend their days resting on Evening Primroses, often head down in flowers.
John
7-20
Pastures and neglected fields are perfect habitat for Bull Thistle.
Wild Clematis, AKA Virgin's Bower, drapes through moist thickets.
John
7-19
A nearly chlorophyll-less Horse Nettle - probably connected at root level to nearby green nettles - seems healthy despite any expectations.
Joe-pye Weeds have opened a few florets much to the delight of bumble bees.
John
7-18
Fields and weedy places are home to Prickly Lettuce the leaves of which have a prickly margin and underside midrib.
Warm ponds are prime habitat for Little floating Hearts, a diminutive member of the gentian family.
John
7-17
Indian Mallow, AKA Velvet Leaf, crops up in waste places and on the margins of agricultural fields.
The dry sandy soils of roadsides are prime real estate for somewhat salt tolerant Slender Cottonweed, a member of the Amaranth family.
John
7-16
Indian Hemp is an inhabitant of shores and thickets. When dried the stem of this plant yields fibers that can be fashioned into cordage.
Moist soils foster Pokeweeds. The young shoots of Poke are edible but the root of this plant and possibly the berries are poisonous.
John
7-15
Swamp Milkweed - a plant of swamps and shores - is starting its flowering.
Helleborine - our only introduced orchid - favors moist woodlands and is relatively common.
John
7-14
The flower spikes of White Vervain are described as, "slender and more or less interrupted." Look for it in thickets and edges.
Woods and meadows are home to Culver's Root which is rare in Vermont but sometimes grown in gardens and subsequently escaping.
And our milkweed now has more than one Monarch egg
John
7-13
Stripe, AKA Spotted, Wintergreen - rare statewide - is a component of dry woods.
Orange Grass, AKA Pineweed, is a tiny member of the St. Johnswort family found on barren or thinly vegetated soils.
Great Golden Digger Wasps hunt Camel Crickets and Long Horned Grasshoppers. The anesthetized prey is food for the wasp's larvae.
John
7-12
Indian Tobacco, one of seven Lobelias listed in my field guide - favors open woods and fields.
Common Evening Primrose - so called because its flowers only fully open at twilight - likes dry open places.
Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars feed communally for a time.
And a Monarch butterfly visited our milkweed today. Last year our first sighting was on the 11th.
John
7-11
Ragged Fringed Orchid, AKA Green Fringed Orchid, inhabits fields and wet meadows.
An American Painted Lady posed nicely for a photo.
John
7-10
Hemp Nettle - yet another mint family member - is starting its flowering. It's common along roadsides and in similar situations.
John
