Have you seen any box turtles (Terrapene carolina) this summer? I’ve seen three box turtles just in the last week, so I decided it would be a good time to learn a little bit more about them. Box turtles move very slowly. Their territory is usually under two acres and they have a very strong… Continue reading Box Turtles
Blogs
What Flowers Will Bloom Next Month? July 2025
The sunflowers, beebalms and goldenrods will start to bloom in July. See if you can find clematis, scarlet rose mallow, winged sumac, Virginia dayflower, Maryland senna and New York ironweed this month. Some of these flowers have started to bloom early with the warmer than average temperatures we’ve been having. Don’t forget to check the… Continue reading What Flowers Will Bloom Next Month? July 2025
Bug Encounters- June 2025
When I’m out taking pictures of flowers, I often find interesting bugs on the plants. Bugs are tricky to photograph because they move, and very often they are tiny! These are some of the bugs that I’ve seen over the last week. Many of them I’ve never seen before. I tried to identify them as… Continue reading Bug Encounters- June 2025
What’s That? June 20, 2025
What are these orange spikes on the serviceberry fruit? It is a fungus called cedar-quince rust (Gymnosporangium clavipes). This fungus actually has an interesting life cycle. It starts with an infection of a plant in the juniper (Juniperus) family. In the late spring after a good rain, the fungus produces a large orange clump on… Continue reading What’s That? June 20, 2025
Quiet Nature- June 16, 2025
Enjoy some quiet nature today with a green tree frog (Hyla cinerea). They are everywhere right now, if you look carefully.
It’s Berry Season
It’s berry season! The spring flowers have given way to summer fruit. What fruits have you seen this year?
Stoke’s Aster
Have you ever seen Stoke’s aster (Stokesia laevis)? This aster is native to the coastal plain of South Carolina and Georgia, but is commonly planted in gardens. Bumble bees and butterflies are attracted to the flowers, and the plant is resistant to deer and rabbits. These beautiful blooms can be seen now at the American… Continue reading Stoke’s Aster
Ladies’-tresses
A few different types of ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes) can be found along the trails now. Their small white flowers spiral around the stem. Did you know that they are part of the orchid family? Here’s a closer look at the flower of spring ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes vernalis):
A Late Spring Walk in the Woods
We took a walk through the woods along the Loblolly Trail at Umstead State Park. The deep woods, rocks and creeks provide a different habitat than the typical neighborhood trails along the woodland edges. We were excited to see so many new (to us) plants. Here are just a few examples: Take a walk in… Continue reading A Late Spring Walk in the Woods
Field Report- June 2, 2025
Here are some of the new flowers that I’ve seen on the trails in the last couple of weeks: