Happy Holidays!

The tall goldenrod seedheads look like snowy Christmas trees to me. Wishing you and your family a joyous holiday season.

Published
Categorized as Plants

Happy Spring!

I hope you are enjoying the first day of spring!

Published
Categorized as Events

Henbit With Flowers in October

I was surprised to see a henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) with flowers on the American Tobbacco Trail yesterday. Henbit flowers all year, but it is seen most often in the early spring.

Published
Categorized as Plants

Hooded Mergansers

Have you seen the hooded merganser ducks that overwinter in North Carolina? Sometimes you can see them in the retention ponds. They seem to be very shy, though. As soon as they notice a person, they tend to go to the far side of the pond, if not fly away. The male’s head is black… Continue reading Hooded Mergansers

Ice and Snow!

We had our first winter weather event in almost 3 years last night! The news tells me it’s been 1077 days since the last measurable snow. As the sun came up this morning, I took some pictures before the ice and snow melted. These are some scenes from my yard.

Identifying Blue Eyed Grass

One of my favorite springtime flowers is blue eyed grass. The leaves of this plant look like grass, and it’s called a grass, but it isn’t grass. Blue eyed grass is actually a member of the Iris family. For the untrained eye, there are two different kinds of blue eyed grass. The first is annual… Continue reading Identifying Blue Eyed Grass

Published
Categorized as Plants

Identifying Fleabanes

Fleabanes are the small, white daisies that seem to be blooming everywhere right now. The plants are 1-4 feet tall, and the flowers are less than one inch wide. Take a closer look, and you’ll realize that there are several different kinds of fleabanes. I’ve found four types so far. The trick is to look… Continue reading Identifying Fleabanes

Identifying Partridge Peas

It’s easy to see the common partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) flowers this time of year. If you look carefully, you can find its smaller relative, the sensitive partridge pea (Chamaecrista nictitans). Common partridge pea flowers are about one inch wide. The flower petals are about the same size. The sensitive partridge pea flowers are less… Continue reading Identifying Partridge Peas

Published
Categorized as Plants

It’s Berry Season

It’s berry season! The spring flowers have given way to summer fruit. What fruits have you seen this year?

Published
Categorized as Plants