False Indigo Bush (Amorpha fruticosa)

January 27, 2020 Elise

The false indigo bush (Amorpha fruticosa) is known by many common names, including desert false indigo, dull-leaf indigobush, leadplant, and river locust. There are also other local plants with similar sounding common names, such as wild indigo (Baptisia tictoria). This is a prime example of the importance of scientific names in accurately differentiating between species. The leaves of false indigo bush, when present, are alternate and compound, with blunt oval-shaped leaflets 1 to 1.5 inches long. In May and June,…

Scrub Oak Gall

January 13, 2020 Elise

I hope you had an opportunity to get out and enjoy the mild temperatures we had this weekend. During my typical winter walks, I tend to walk rather quickly in an effort to build up some heat and keep warm. But this weekend’s weather afforded me the opportunity to slow down (without fear of freezing) and explore the tiny winter world of lichens, mosses and galls. One abandoned fence post I came across seemed to have an entire miniature world…

Nature Study Goals 2019/2020

January 2, 2020 Elise

For many, New Years is a time for making resolutions. For me, it’s a great time for reflecting on what I’ve accomplished in the past year and setting intentions and goals for the new year to come in terms of nature study. Below is a run down of how I did on my 2019 goals and what I hope to accomplish in 2020. My goals for 2019 included: 1. Post to Seashore to Forest Floor regularly. — I managed to post…

Seashore to Forest Floor

A naturalist's journey across Cape Cod and beyond

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Month: January 2020