Fall is a great time to observe spiders. This is a black and yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia). The female spider, shown above, can be over an inch long! Notice the zigzag pattern inside the web. This is called the stabilimentum. It is unclear what its function is, but it might be a warning to… Continue reading Black and Yellow Garden Spider
Author: Jaclyn
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Bluets!
Walking in the winter is very quiet. I often spend my walks admiring the bare trees against the bright blue sky, or watching the birds that spend their winters in North Carolina. I’m always looking for flowers, though. Waiting for those first signs of spring. Today I found the first bluets of the season! Bluets… Continue reading Bluets!
Cherry or Plum?
You can’t help but notice the beautiful flowering trees this time of year. I stopped to take some pictures of the plum blossoms this week and had a number of people comment on the beautiful cherry blossoms I was photographing. Wait a minute. Was I looking at a plum tree or a cherry tree? I’m… Continue reading Cherry or Plum?
Cicada Brood XIX is Happening Now
The periodical cicadas are here! Brood XIX is scheduled to emerge from the ground this summer. This brood has a 13 year life cycle (other broods have a 17 year life cycle). Above ground, they live for 3 to 4 weeks, just long enough to find a mate and lay their eggs. When the eggs… Continue reading Cicada Brood XIX is Happening Now
Cicada Brood XIX Molting
I went for a walk around 9am today. I headed for the Shiloh greenway and was welcomed by the sound of the periodical cicadas! I posted about my first sighting earlier this week. I headed for the older trees to look for cicadas. I found a bunch of discarded shells on the trees, leaves and… Continue reading Cicada Brood XIX Molting
Clearwing Moths
Have you ever seen any clearwing moths? There are two very common clearwing moths in North Carolina: the hummingbird clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) and the snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis). I was fooled the first time I saw each of these moths. The hummingbird clearwing looks like a small hummingbird. From the back, it is green on… Continue reading Clearwing Moths
Cloudless Sulphur Butterflies
Have you seen pale yellow butterflies flying around the flowers this summer? Some of them could be cloudless sulphur butterflies (Phoebis sennae). When you are out walking in late summer, pay special attention to the common partridge pea plants. They are a host plant for cloudless sulphur caterpillars.
Consider Native Plants for Your Garden This Year
Are you getting ready to plant your garden? The average last spring freeze date for the Triangle area is April 8. The NC State Extension has data for the first and last frost dates for each county in North Carolina on their website here. When choosing plants for your garden, you might consider the effect… Continue reading Consider Native Plants for Your Garden This Year
Consumption Weed
I’ve had a couple of people ask me this week about the tall bushes with white feathers that seem to be everywhere right now. These bushes are consumption weed (Baccharis halimifolia). It goes by many other names including groundsel tree, silverling and sea myrtle. The feather-like flowers are the female flowers (shown above). The male… Continue reading Consumption Weed
Cranefly Orchids
Ever since I saw these leaves with purple bottoms years ago, I have been on the hunt to see cranefly orchid flowers in person! You’ll see their leaves in the woods in the winter or early spring. They are eye catching when they are upside down, displaying their purple color. But by the time summer… Continue reading Cranefly Orchids