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.
Blogs
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
A Closer Look at Southern Magnolia
The southern magnolias are blooming now. Have you ever taken a careful look at the center of this flower? The stamens are the flat white sticks at the bottom. The curly pieces are the stigmas. This flower is older. The petals are turning brown. The stamens have mostly fallen off, and the red piece remaining… Continue reading A Closer Look at Southern Magnolia
A Little Humor on a Rainy Day
I came across this scene at Church Street Park this morning. A mallard duck was voicing his opinion about something to the rabbit nearby. The rabbit was just casually eating some grass. I laughed as I recalled the Saturday morning cartoons from my childhood: Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck were always arguing about something, and… Continue reading A Little Humor on a Rainy Day
Field Report- May 11, 2025
What’s blooming on the trails in early May? The fruit on the dewberries and mulberries are beginning to ripen.
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:
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