6-30 Purple-headed Sneezeweed, Pipsissewa

 6-30

Purple-headed Sneezeweed, introduced from more southerly states, has escaped to dry fields and roadsides.

Native Pipsissewa is a plant of dry woods.

John

6-29 Tick Trefoil, Blue Vervain, Hairy Spurge, Wild Parsnip

 6-29

Pointed-leaved Tick Trefoil is opening its wand-like flower clusters in dry woods and thickets.

In moist areas and along shores the multiple inflorescences of Blue Vervain are starting to flower.

Hairy Spurge's tiny flowers are open although the leaves of this species put on the better show. Look for it in waste places, sidewalk cracks and similar inhospitable spots.

All of the above are native.

The alien Wild Parsnip is coloring roadsides. The sap of this plant is toxic and skin contact should be avoided.

John

6-28 Monkey Flower, Canada Lily, Butter and Eggs, Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

 6-28

Square-stemmed Monkey Flower favors wet places.

Canada Lily likes damp meadows and swamps.

Both are native.

Alien butter and Eggs is flowering along roadsides and in waste places.

And the caterpillar of a Black Swallowtail butterfly was fattening on Queen Anne's Lace this morning.

John

6-27 Whorled Coreopsis, Asiatic Dayflower, Common Evening Primrose

 6-27

Whorled Coreopsis is native from Maryland south, here it's a garden escape.

Another garden escape, Asiatic Dayflower, is found in damp spots around both current and historic home sites.

Native Common Evening Primrose can be seen in dry, open places, frequently along roadsides.

John

Baby Fawn

Baby fawn born next to the vegetable garden this morning.

One of 3 apparently.

Cheryl Wilfong
 

6-26 Lady's Thumb, Everlasting Pea, Dwarf Enchanter's Nightshade

 6-26

Lady's Thumb is a common alien species found in gardens and waste places.

Everlasting Pea, also alien, has escaped to roadsides and waste places but is also introduced with conservation seedings on construction sites.

And native Dwarf Enchanter's Nightshade favors moist woods and springy places.

John

6-25 Basswood, New Jersey Tea, Wood Turtle

 6-25

Basswood is just starting its flowering.

The flowering of New Jersey Tea is at its peak. Both are native.

And, this Wood Turtle was upside down on Rte. 30 this morning but seemed relatively uninjured by its encounter with a car tire. Lucky turtle!

John

6-24 White Vervain, Common Mallow

 6-24

White Vervain thrives in thickets and waste places.

Common Mallow, AKA Cheeses, is frequently found in barnyards.

John

6-23 Tubercled Orchid, Wild Licorice, Indian Hemp

 6-23

Tubercled Orchid likes wet meadows and river banks.

Wild Licorice favors wooded habitat.

And Indian Hemp favors shores and thickets.

All are native.

John

6-22 Shinleaf, Bristly Sarsaparilla

 6-22

Shinleaf, our most common Pyrola, is a woodland species sometimes found on shady roadsides.

Bristly Sarsaparilla, a Ginseng relative, favors open woods and clearings. Both are native.

John

6-21 Knawel, Moth Mullein, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Pokeweed

 6-21

The white edged green flowers of Knawel can be seen in dry, sandy soils and gravel parking lots.

Moth Mullein likes roadsides and old fields.

Mouse-ear Hawkweed forms carpets in lawns and in fields.

All three are aliens.

The native Pokeweed favors damp thickets and edges.

John

6-20 Blue Toadflax, Lesser Toadflax, Winterberry

 6-20

Blue Toadflax favors sandy often dry soils.

The alien Lesser Toadflax is found in railroad ballast, along roadsides and in weedy areas.

And Winterberry, AKA Black Alder, likes swamps and damp thickets.

John

6-19 Common Mullein, Common St. John's wort, Wall Hawksbeard

 6-19

Common Mullein frequents fields and roadsides.

Common St. John's wort dots fields and waste places.

And Wall Hawksbeard crops up occasionally in rail years and, in this case, a cornfield.

All three are alien. Hawksbeard is a potentially troublesome invasive.

John

6-18 Swamp Candle, Purple Loosestrife, Day Lily, Large Cranberries

 6-18

Swamp Candles, AKA Yellow Loosestrife, are, as the name implies, found in wet places.

Invasive Purple Loosestrife favors the same habitats.

Along roadsides and in meadows Day Lilies that have escaped from cultivation rise over their nearest neighbors.

And Large Cranberries, usually found in bogs, can also be found on river cobble.

John

7-17 Maleberry, Canada St. Johnswort, Rabbit Foot Clover, Dogbane Leaf Beetle

 7-17

In thickets the tiny urn-shaped flowers of Maleberry are opening.

Canada St. Johnswort is flowering in wet or at least moist soils.

The alien Rabbit Foot Clover likes dry fields and roadsides.

And on dogbanes the beautifully iridescent Dogbane Leaf Beetles are starting to feed.

John

6-16 Witherod , Partridgeberry

 6-16

Partridgeberry is a woodland species often growing on mossy or thinly soiled ledges

Witherod, AKA wild Raisin, favors swamps, bogs, moist thickets and lowlands. The flowers of Witherod are described as ill-scented.

Both of the above are native species.

John

6-15 Hedge Bindweed, Great Angelica, Queen Anne's Lace, Deptford Pink

 6-15

Hedge Bindweed - a morning glory relative - sprawls over moist thickets.

Great Angelica favors low meadows and stream banks.

Wild Carrot, AKA Queen Anne's Lace, an introduced species, favors dry fields and waste places.

Another introduction, Deptford Pink, flourishes in dry fields and along roadsides.

John