Category: Plants

What’s happening out on the trails right now? We’re still enjoying the colors of autumn. It seems like this year, the trees are changing a little bit at a time. Last year, everything seemed to change color all at once. So, while we’re not seeing magnificent splashes of color this year, we can at least… Continue reading Field Report- November 14, 2024

What’s happening on the trails at the end of October? The bright yellow blooms of goldenrod, ditch-daisies and sunflowers are fading away. The white of the small white asters and consumption weed are on full display. It seems like the purple asters were out for only week before they died back. The leaves on the… Continue reading Field Report- October 24, 2025

What is blooming on the trails right now? The ditch daisies are reaching their peak bloom this week, along with the bonesets. The goldenrods are slowly coming out. Golden asters will be opening this week. I haven’t seen any of the white or purple asters yet. I’ve found a stray bunch of purpledisc sunflowers, blue… Continue reading Field Report- September 12, 2026

There is so much to see on the trails in mid-September! Midwestern tickseed-sunflowers are at their peak right now. Goldenrod is approaching its peak bloom. But there are so many more flowers out there right now! Here’s a list of what I’m seeing: What flowers are you seeing?

What’s been happening on the trail for the last couple of weeks? Have you noticed all the different yellow, daisy-like flowers? I wrote a blog about them here. I have seen kidneyleaf rosinweed, purpledisc sunflowers and small-headed sunflowers blooming on the trails in the last couple of weeks. The midwestern tickseed-sunflowers, swamp sunflowers, rough sunflowers,… Continue reading Field Report- September 2, 2024

What has been happening on the trails in September? We’ve had over 12 inches of rain this month, and a lot of interesting things have been happening. As expected, the midwestern tickseed-sunflowers put on quite a show during the first half of the month. The common partridge pea was also at peak bloom at the… Continue reading Field Report- September 30, 2024

I spotted my first ditch-daisy of the season today! These flowers always make me so happy. All flowers brighten my mood, but ditch-daisies have some special power over me. I can’t explain it. Do you have a flower that you just can’t get enough of?

What flowers are in bloom in January? It’s hard to believe that any flowers bloom in January. Maybe you’ve noticed a few dandelions here and there. Is anything else blooming? Yes! Common chickweed is a tiny white flower that you might see on a sunny winter day. Bird’s eye speedwell is a very small blue… Continue reading Flowers in January

While not traditional holiday flowers, the colors in this scene made me think of Christmas. This is trumpet creeper and Japanese honeysuckle on the Shiloh Greenway last June.

During the late summer and early fall, you can find goldenrod (Solidago sp.) everywhere. There are dozens of types of goldenrods that grow in the piedmont of North Carolina. I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to find and properly identify as many species as I can. Unless otherwise noted, all of these plants can… Continue reading Goldenrod Identification