Welcome

To all those interested in the natural world. Please add your sightings.

In the woods we return to reason and faith-Emerson

Best-Lynn

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Autumn Olive, Black Medick, White Clover, Wild Azalea, Starry Solomon's Seal

Autumn Olive has a very distinctive small. Unfortunately it's an invasive.
Black Medick is found on roadsides and weedy places.
White Clover is found at roadsides and lawns.
Wild Azalea is beginning to bloom with its bright pink flowers.
Starry false Solomon's Seal has pleated leaves with stalkless flowers.

Friday, May 15, 2026

Chokeberry, Starflower, Baneberries

Black Chokeberry is in the rose family. It will produce black berries in the fall.
Starflower is a low growing perennial wildflower that grows in hardwood and conifer forests.
White Baneberry or Doll's-eyes will produce white berries in the late summer.
Red Baneberry or Chinaberry is found on a pyramidal raceme later elongating.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Sweet Woodruff is a mat-forming perennial found in moist woodlands.
Cleavers, Sticky Weed or Catchweed Bedstraw has tiny star shaped white flowers.
Wild Chervil or Cow Parsley can be found along roadsides.
Greater Celandine is a perennial in the poppy family.
Canada Violet is also called Tall White Violet.The flowers are white and their backs are purple.
Dame's Rocket have exactly four petals, a key identifier for the plant.

Saturday, May 9, 2026

Some of this week's finds

Philadelphia Fleabane is related to asters.
Bugle is a dense spreading groundcover with dark green leaves with purple highlights.
Thyme-leaved speedwell is another tiny lawn flower.
Morrow's Honeysuckle is also called bush honeysuckle. It is consdiered an invasive species.
Wild Sarsaparilla is found on roadsides with partial to full shade.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Skunk Currants, Birdeye Speedwell, Pussytoes, Clintonia, Foamflower

Skunk Currants, so called because as the berries over-ripen they give off a foul smell.
Birdeye Speedwell, a very small flower, found in lawns and waste places.
Pussytoes has fuzzy white flower clusters. It's very hard to know when they are fully in flower but this bumblebee seems to know.
Clintonia or Bluebeard Lily will form blue berries.
Foamflower has a spike of white, feathery flowers which give it a frothy appearance.

Saturday, May 2, 2026

Yellow Rocket

Yellow Rocket is the first of the mustards to flower. It is an invasive.

Friday, May 1, 2026

Wood Betony, Low Bush Blueberries

Wood Betony's tubular flowers have a pin wheel effect when viewed from above. It is hemiparasitic plant.
Low Bush Blueberries are beginning to bloom much to the delight of pollinators.

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Lesser Celandine, Squirrel Corn, Toothwort

Lesser Celandine forms dense leafy colonies. It seemed to glow in the sunlight.
Squirrel Corn blooms after Dutchman's-breeches. It's found in rich woods as does Dutchman's-breeches.
Broad-leaved Toothwortis found in moist, rich woods.

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Goldthread, Wood Anemone, Dwarf Ginseng, Germander Speedwell, Painted Trillium

Goldthread is a solitary flower found in mossy woods and swamps.
Wood Anemone is a solitary flower that is white or rarely pink.
Dwarf Ginseng flowers on terminal umbels. Found in rich woods.
Germander speedwell is found in disturbed areas or lawns.
Painted Trillium are white with a red violet inverted v shaped marking. found in moist or wet woods in acidic soils.

Monday, April 27, 2026

American Golden Saxifrage, Smooth Yellow Violet

American Golden Saxifrage is small mat-forming plant found in seeps and swamps.
Smooth Yellow Violet has heart shaped leaves and is found in moist soils in wooded areas.