Buttercups with White Petals

I came across this patch of buttercups at the North Carolina Museum of Art today. Some of the flowers have white petals, or white patches on the petals. I’m not sure what caused this. It could be age, disease, or just the environment. Have you ever seen a buttercup like this? Here’s a closer look:

Published
Categorized as Plants

Can You Identify This Flower?

Can you identify this tiny flower? I stumbled upon this little plant on the side of the trail. After taking a closer look, I figured out what it is. I’ll give you some hints: it is very common, and it is usually much bigger. It blooms during this time of year. I’ll leave the mystery… Continue reading Can You Identify This Flower?

Published
Categorized as Plants

Cary Environmental Symposium- September 2025

The Cary Environmental Symposium is starting today! From September 3 to September 25, there will be lectures and discussions about composting and reducing waste, exploring the tree canopy, Homegrown National Park, and healing the land and people. There is also a workshop on creating a habitat garden. Find more information, register, and purchase tickets on… Continue reading Cary Environmental Symposium- September 2025

Certified Wildlife Habitat at Church Street Park

Have you seen the new Certified Wildlife Habitat at Church Street Park? Late last spring, the Town of Morrisville created a garden and added several dozen plants to the parking area in the new Southern Lot. Here is just a small sample of the many new plants in the park:

Cherry Blossoms

The cherry blossoms are here! Star magnolias are also blooming this week.

Published
Categorized as Plants

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?

Published
Categorized as Plants

City Nature Challenge 2026

The City Nature Challenge is happening this weekend: April 24-27, 2026. This is an excellent opportunity to participate in a citizen science project. All you have to do is go outside and record nature! You do not need to know what the observation is. Just take pictures of what you see. Any observation logged on… Continue reading City Nature Challenge 2026

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