It’s berry season! The spring flowers have given way to summer fruit. What fruits have you seen this year?
Blogs
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:
What Flowers Will Bloom Next Month? June 2025
Here are some of the highlights of the flowers that will start to bloom in June: Be sure to check the June flower page for even more flowers that bloom in June.
American Persimmon
Have you noticed piles of small white flowers on the ground? These are American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) flowers. Persimmon trees are dioecious, which means they have separate male and female trees. If you want to have persimmon fruit, you need to have both kinds of trees. You can tell the difference between the trees in… Continue reading American Persimmon
Quiet Nature- May 26, 2025
Enjoy some quiet nature on this Memorial Day: an orange caterpillar climbing on some elderberry flowers.
Eastern Kingsnake
I’ve been seeing a lot of snakes this week. This is the first time I’ve seen an eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula). It was on the Crabtree Creek Greenway at the railroad crossing. They are not harmful to humans or pets. Here’s a close up of its head:
What’s That? May 20, 2025
What are these purple and white spots on the goldenrod leaves? They are caused by a bug, a goldenrod gall midge called Asteromyia carbonifera. The bugs carry a fungus (Botryosphaeria dothidea) that protect their larvae from parasitoids. The female Asteromyia lay eggs and deposit the fungus along with the eggs on the goldenrod leaves. The… Continue reading What’s That? May 20, 2025