Enjoy some quiet nature today with the golden glow from Common Little Bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium).
Category: Plants
Quiet Nature- March 19, 2025
Have you ever seen a three-petaled bluet or tiny bluet? How about one with five petals? Take some time to sit quietly and observe a patch of flowers. You never know what you might find.
Quiet Nature- October 8, 2024
Golden asters and blazing stars on the Shiloh Greenway.
Seeds of Invasive Vines
Some of our most invasive vines are producing seed right now: oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). If you see these vines on your property, it’s time to pull them out. The birds eat the seeds and help spread the vines to new locations.
Small White Asters
Have you seen the small white asters this fall? If you walk by them quickly, you’d think that they were all the same plant. But look carefully, and you’ll notice that there are several different white asters out there. Here are some of the more common asters in our area: Long-stalked aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum)- the… Continue reading Small White Asters
Some Plants Depend on Fungus for Nutrients
We ventured into the woods today to look at the seed heads of the cranefly orchids, and came across these dried up plants. They look pretty similar to striped wintergreen, but striped wintergreen doesn’t have so many flowers on one stem. With some research at home, we determined that this is pinesap (Monotropa hypopitys). Pinesap… Continue reading Some Plants Depend on Fungus for Nutrients
Speedwell Flower Identification
Speedwells are very common in our area. I’ve noticed four different types on the trails in Morrisville. Here is some information to help you identify them. All speedwells have four petals. Three petals are the same size, and one is slightly smaller. Bird’s eye speedwell (Veronica persica) is the first speedwell that I noticed. The… Continue reading Speedwell Flower Identification
Spring is Coming
Today, I walked through Carpenter Park and Morrisville Community Park. Officially, spring is still a few weeks away. Not only did it feel like spring today, it looked like spring as well. The flowers are blooming everywhere! This is a Japanese flowering apricot in Carpenter Park. It has been blooming for quite a while already.… Continue reading Spring is Coming
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
Sunflowers at Dix Park
If you get a chance in the next week, take a walk around the sunflower field at Dix Park in Raleigh. There is plenty of parking, bathrooms are available, and there is a wheelchair accessible path through the field. The path around the field is a 0.4 mile loop. There is a smaller garden full… Continue reading Sunflowers at Dix Park