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:
Category: 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?
Cherry Blossoms
The cherry blossoms are here! Star magnolias are also blooming this week.
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?
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
Crossvine
What a stunning display of crossvine! This native vine usually grows up high in the trees where it can get a lot of sunlight, but this one is at eye level. You can find it on the Hatcher Creek Greenway today.
Daisy or Chamomile?
The fields are full of beautiful white, daisy-like flowers right now. You might think they are all the same, but look carefully! There are two different flowers out there: ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) and chamomile (Anthemis). Both flowers are daisy-shaped. They both have many white petals and a bright yellow center. They both grow in… Continue reading Daisy or Chamomile?
Dewberry or Blackberry?
This time of year, there are two blackberry-like plants in bloom: blackberries (Rubus pensilvanicus) and southern dewberries (Rubus trivialis). Do you know how to tell the difference between them? In most years, southern dewberries bloom slightly earlier than blackberries. This year, however, I am seeing several early blackberries. You can’t always tell the difference by… Continue reading Dewberry or Blackberry?