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Author: Elise

When Plants Bite Back – Spoon-leaved Sundew

When Plants Bite Back – Spoon-leaved Sundew

This weekend I spent some time in an abandoned cranberry bog – although it has not been actively cultivated for years, it still produces a decent amount of cranberries. With no one to weed the bog, however, the plant diversity has increased substantially. There are now sapling trees (e.g., gray birch, pitch pine), ladies’ tresses orchids (Spiranthes sp.), and a variety of aster and goldenrod species. With all this additional growth, and without a functional water control system, rather than…

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Wildflower Wednesday: Sickle-leaved Silk Grass

Wildflower Wednesday: Sickle-leaved Silk Grass

Many plants within the aster family are in full bloom in September, long after many other flowers have faded away. Goldenrods are in bloom, bright purple asters, like the New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) are flowering, and seemingly everywhere I walk, I encounter the sunny yellow flowers of sickle-leaved silk grass (Pityopsis falcata).  Sickle-leaved silk grass, also known as sickle-leaved golden aster, has a highly restricted range and is only found on the sandy glacial deposits along the coastal plain…

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Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)

Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)

Next time you’re out for a walk, whether in the forest or along your street, see if you can spot some of these colorful fruits. They belong to an invasive, perennial, semi-woody vine called bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). Bittersweet nightshade originated in Eurasia, but is now common throughout much of the United States. It is common in disturbed habitats, forested edges, and along stream banks and wetland margins. This plant’s unique leaf shape, which is deeply divided into almost three…

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White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)

White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)

We found this little guy along the edge of a forested trail on Sunday. While it’s obviously a mouse, sometimes identifying which mouse species you’re looking at can be a little tricky. White-footed mice have a dark brown back, orange-brown sides, a white belly, and, as the name implies: white feet. The head and body are approximately 3.5 inches long, with the tail adding another 3 inches to its overall length. Although white-footed mice can be easily confused with the…

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Common liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha)

Common liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha)

Most people have at least a passing acquaintance with mosses and lichens, but what about liverworts. What is a liverwort anyway? Liverworts are a group of primitive, nonvascular plants containing only one or a few layers of cells, and tend to grow in thin, flat sheets. Liverworts are found only in moist environments due to their lack of vascular tissue (i.e., xylem and phloem) and their inability to store water. This means if you’re interested in finding one, you should…

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Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus)

Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus)

I think my most common summer phrase is “berry season is the best season”. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying wild-picked blueberries, huckleberries, red and black raspberries, and wineberries, as well as  the blackberries that are just now starting to ripen (I picked my first ripe one this morning). Now that my eyes have a “berry” search image, there’s one shrub I’m noticing everywhere: glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), which grows as a deciduous shrub or a small tree up to 20 feet…

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Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

I often hear common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) before I see them. Common along wetlands, streams and bogs, common yellowthroats are fairly secretive, preferring to stay relatively hidden in dense bushes and thickets. Despite his bright yellow chest and bold face, even the male can be hard to spot among thick foliage if he holds still, particularly since the upper parts of his body are a drab olive-yellow. But his voice will certainly catch your attention: wichety-wichety-wichety. Click here to check…

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Goat’s Rue (Tephrosia virginiana)

Goat’s Rue (Tephrosia virginiana)

Goat’s rue (Tephrosia virginiana) is a perennial legume native to the eastern United States. Its two-colored flowers, which bloom in clusters at the tops of the stems, resemble sweet peas. The lower petals are pink, while the upper petal (i.e., the “standard”) is a pale yellow. The leaves are alternately arranged and pinnately compound with numerous narrow leaflets. Both the stems and leaves are covered with downy hairs giving the plant a silvery frosted appearance. Goat’s rue grows to approximately…

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White Clover (Trifolium repens)

White Clover (Trifolium repens)

With all the abundance of blooming wildflowers that spring brings, it’s often easy to overlook the unassuming common, weedy species like dandelions, purple deadnettle, and clover. White clover (Trifolium repens) is common in fields and lawns (much to the chagrin of folks trying to maintain that weed-free lawn look). The flowers begin white and then change to pink and then to brown as they age. From far away, the flowers seem fairly round and simple. But up close, clover flowers…

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Geometer Moths

Geometer Moths

One of the things I’ve been noticing on my outdoor walks lately is how many different kinds of butterflies and moths there seem to be all of a sudden. Many of the moths are small, brown and easy to overlook. And many of the butterflies are much too quick for me to get a good look at, as they flutter off in search of the next flower patch. But I’ve run into a couple large, lovely, and most importantly –…

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