Midwest Native Plants, Gardens, and Wildlife

Some Great Weekend Events

2011-11-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, here are a few events that have popped up on my radar.

Those of you in the Indianapolis area, Garfield Park has an orchid show going on now until Sunday, Nov. 13th, 2011. Cost $3 per person or $8 per family. Check out the Indy Parks Nature blog here for more photos of these gorgeous flowers.

In Southern Ohio, Friday evening, November 11th at 7:30 pm at Avon Woods Nature Center, 4235 Paddock Road, Cincinnati 45229, Dr. David Brandenburg, author of National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Wildflowers of North America will be presenting Should I Have Eaten That? Allergies, Blisters, Convulsions, Delusions, and Other Adventures with Poisonous Plants”. Free and open to the public.

And, in Indianapolis on Sat., November 12th, Indiana Plant and Wildflower Society, INPAWS, will have their annual conference at the University of Indianapolis. Many great speakers on the subjects of native plants and their allies. Check it out!

Things to Do

2011-10-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

If you know of any young naturalists, you might consider attending the Ohio Young Birders Conference. Supporting adults are welcome too. This is one of the best birding events around, because the presentations are by young birders! Everyone can learn a lot here..these young birders are truly amazing. Sign-up today and bring a young friend with you!

The Ohio Young Birders Club and
the Black Swamp Bird Observatory present:

5th Annual Ohio Young Birders Club Conference

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Hosted by
Columbus Audubon
and
Grange Insurance Audubon Center

505 W. Whittier Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614-545-5475
Directions
Google map of the area

Looking for ways to protect the environment?
Your "green umbrella"—those things you do to help protect our environment—is vital to sustaining your community. This website is the place to learn about ways to expand that umbrella and to track your green activities. You will be able to see your impact on the community and how that compares to your friends and neighbors. Plus, we'll show you how much money you are saving along the way! http://whatsyourgreenumbrella.org/

Things to do this September

2011-09-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that summer is coming to an end, but that certainly doesn't mean that there is any less to do outdoors. Plenty of work is needed in my garden right now to collect seeds, mulch beds, and all that stuff that comes with the joy of gardening for wildlife. I want to be sure that I have plenty of food, shelter and water for migrating butterflies and birds that are beginning to move through our area right now. Isn't this why most of us plant native plants? To attract insects that in turn, bring us beautiful butterflies and birds to enjoy?

Speaking of birds, on the weekend of September 15 to 18, 2011, hundreds of bird watchers will gather at Lakeside, Ohio, on the south shore of Lake Erie for what will surely be the highlight of the birding year. Hosted by Bird Watcher's Digest, The Ohio Ornithological Society, and the Lakeside Association, the 2011 Midwest Birding Symposium (MBS) is generating a lot of buzz and interest. Space for attendees, vendors, and sponsors is quickly filling up!More information can be found on the website at: https://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/mwb2011/mbs2011-about-symposium.php.

On September 24, Saturday, please join us for a Butterfly ID workshop at Oxbow, Inc. Please RSVP to whocooksforyou@gmail.com. Join us in the field with trip leader and butterfly expert, Bob Nuhn. 1:00 pm at the entrance to Oxbow, Inc. (www.oxbowinc.org ).

On September 25, Sunday, 10 am, join the Cincinnati Wildflower Preservation Society for Wildflowers and Wildlife Along (and in!) the Whitewater River, Hamilton County, Ohio.

When other local parks are parched from drought, the Whitewater River corridor is green and alive. Starting at Campbell Lakes Preserve, our walk goes along and at times into the Whitewater, exploring the shore and the sandbars loaded with unusual plants, butterflies, dragonflies, and other insects. We’ll also see herptiles, fish, and lots of birds—maybe even the eagles that nest there. Our guides, Wayne Wauligman and Denis Conover, will take us through water up to 18 inches deep in search of wildlife, so participants must be prepared to get wet. We hope to see the host plant for the Dainty Sulphur, Carpetweed, that grows where the water recedes.

Directions: Take I-74 to Dry Fork Rd. exit #3, turn left (south), cross over the highway, turn right on Harrison Avenue. Turn left on Kilby Road, right on Campbell Road to park entrance on left. Meet in the Campbell Lakes parking lot. The address is 10431 Campbell Road, Harrison, OH45030. Map link online at www.cincywildflower.org

Wasp Workshop with Eric Eaton

2011-08-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

We just returned from the EDGE Advanced Naturalist Workshop on Wasps, led by Eric Eaton, Principal Author of the Kaufman Field Guide to the Insects of North America. This was an informative and fun weekend, held at the Cincinnati Museum Center’s Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve. The Eulett Center, pictured left, is a great place to study and learn with large classrooms and the latest technology for viewing your subject.Although the focus of the workshop was on Wasps, we spent a lot of time in the field studying wasps and their prey. Caterpillars are often used as a nursery for parasitic wasp larvae. We had some great looks at wasps, but they weren't easy to photograph. I did learn that those drab moths that I see flying around my back door at night can be pretty spectacular in the caterpillar stage. Take a look at some of these photos: a Stinging Rose Caterpillar,

two larval stages of the Black-waved flannel moth on one leaf (the white fuzz is the 1st stage)

A Monkey-slug or Hag Moth.

and Red-humped caterpillars.

This tiny Purple-Crested Slug
looked great and made key identification features easy to see when Eric used the center's interactive microscope and display.

Adams County has some of the most diverse plant and animal life in Ohio, and many of these finds were located at Lynx Prairie.
Eric explains the Malaise trap and how it's used to collect specimens.

I now find it impossible to go outdoors and just look at one thing! Every living thing is related and has a unique purpose, even if at times it seems painful to watch. Once we became aware of the world of wasps, they were everywhere. Here a beautiful Orb weaver fell right before our eyes on to a picnic table after being stung by a wasp. The spider was paralyzed from the venom and most likely never to recover. If we hadn't interrupted the hunt, the wasp would have dragged it off to its chamber to be food for its larvae when they emerge.
In addition to wasps and prey, we had some good birds, butterflies, plants and many other species to entertain us. Stepping outside proves to never be a dull moment!
Here a caterpillar is busy eating his lunch.
Many thanks to Eric for sharing his vast knowledge and making this weekend so enjoyable.
Of course, Chris Bedel and Mark Zloba, our "edge" hosts, made sure that we were well fed, and keeping us on schedule. I'm looking forward to more workshops in the future.
For more information on Caterpillars, be sure to mark your calenders now for the next Midwest Native Plant Conference, July 27-28-29, 2012 at Bergamo Center in Dayton. David Wagner, author of "Caterpillars of Eastern North America" will be the Saturday night keynote.
Hope to see you in the field soon!

3rd Annual Midwest Native Plant Conference Recap

2011-07-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a great recap of our recent conference held at the Bergamo Center in Dayton, Ohio by Jim McCormac. Stay tuned for our 4th Annual conference, July 27, 28 & 29th, 2012, again at Bergamo Center. For updates, visit www.midwestnativeplants.org.

Lynx Prairie

2011-05-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

While at the Advanced Naturalist Workshop on Sedges, we visited Lynx Prairie. Here are some of the highlights from this beautiful place.

Here is one of the field, dotted with pastel pink and white flowers with a smathering of scarlet, for good measure.

The pink and white flowers are that of Shooting Star, Dodecatheon meadii. This is a flower one doesn't see often and certainly not that many at one time. It was breathtaking seeing all of them together in the large field.

The lovely red color is from this parasitic plant, Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja coccinea. It is a hemiparasite, meaning it can draw nutrients from other plants, but can make its own food since it has chlorophyll in its leaves.

There was another area filled with Indian Paintbrush and the huge leaves of Prairie Dock, Silphium terebinthinaceum.

We found the rare plant Limestone Adder's Tongue fern, Ophioglossum engelmannii. It doesn't look like a typical fern, with only one thick leaf. After spores are produced, the leaf can quickly wither, so it can be difficult to find.

One of my favorites was growing in the middle of the path. I had to stop and take a couple photos. Yellow Star Grass is so cheery-looking, it always makes me smile. The scientific name is Hypoxis hirsuta. Hirsuta means "hairy" and, if it you look closely, you can see tiny hairs on the stems and edges of the petals.

If you have a chance, come this summer and check out Lynx Prairie. There should be many prairie species in bloom at that time and it should make for a great trip.

Sedges (and Much More) at the Edge!

2011-05-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, May 20th-22nd, I participated in a sedge workshop at the Edge of Appalachia. This was one of a series of Advanced Naturalist Workshops offered at the Edge through the Cincinnati Museum Center. Chris Bedel and crew put on some great workshops with top notch instructors and I suggest you check them out! I learned a ton and got some great photos, but mostly of things other than sedges. My sedge photos were pretty blurry. I haven't quite got all the bells and whistles figured out on this camera, yet. Anyway, lots of cool stuff, so here are some highlights...

This sedge is Carex cryptolepis. We found this uncommon sedge in a seep at Lynx Prairie. Its distribution is fairly limited in Ohio, with it being found in Adams County and a few counties in the northeast region of the state.

Another sedge we found along the path in the woods was Carex willdenowii. This sedge is named after the botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow.

This is a huge wolf spider that we found outside our quarters for the workshop. I believe this is Hogna helluo. She was probably as big as my palm, fingers not included.

Here she is dragging her egg case behind her. It is attached with silk to her spinnerets. She can still travel quite quickly even though she is dragging the egg case behind her. A side note, hellou means "devourer". I am sure she has devoured more than her share of prey.

Each morning we were greeted with a wall full of moths. This interesting pink and yellow moth is called a Pink-bordered Yellow, Phytometra rhodarialis. There were, also, a couple of Luna Moths and scads of various tiger moths that I haven't completely ID'd yet. Hopefully, I can cover those in a later post.

This photo is of a Broad-winged Hawk nest in a Black Cherry tree. While I was snapping some photos, the mother hawk suddenly burst out of the nest and flew out of view. It almost scared the poop out of me! It is probably no accident that she has built her nest in a cherry tree. Cherry bark has cyanide and it probably helps keep pests like lice away from the young ones.

This is a cool flower I was really wanting to see and Rick Gardner found this plant blooming for me. This is Spider Milkweed, Asclepias viridis. So beautiful!

Here is a close-up of the green flowers, tinged with pink. So happy to have finally seen it in bloom. Thanks, Rick! More "Edge" to come in my next post.

Cave Lake Ohio Heritage Naturalist Foray

2011-05-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

On May 14th, the Ohio Heritage Naturalists had a foray at YMCA Cave Lake's 700 acres near Latham, Ohio. This place is full of botanical goodies and fascinating fauna, including the rare Frost Cave Isopod.

As we were waiting for the group to assemble, Kathy McDonald found this interesting moth in the restroom. This is a Small-eyed Sphinx, Paonias myops. We, at first, thought it was a Huckleberry Sphinx, but this is its darker cousin. Many times, outdoor restrooms are a great place to find moths. The lighting inside the restrooms attract the moths at night and they remain perched on the walls during the day. John Howard is my hand model. :)

I found a Lily-leaved Twayblade orchid, Liparis liliifolia. I love the pale pink transparent flowers that contrast with its bright green foliage. I also love the name. It sounds like an insult from a cowboy-"Them are fightin' words, you lily-leaved twayblade."

Marjie Becus found this amazing Oven Bird nest. I had never seen one, so I was quite intrigued. So very camouflaged, Marjie did not see it until she almost stepped on it and the female bird flushed.

Chris Staron flipped over a rock and underneath was this gorgeous Slimy Salamander, Plethodon glutinosus. We found six more, seven total, in the area! Their name comes from the mucus they expel when disturbed. This helps them escape from predators.

In the same area we found the salamanders, we found Goldie's Fern, Dryopteris goldiana, an uncommon fern for Ohio.

We found quite a few Puttyroot Orchids, Aplectrum hyemale, in bloom. I love its yellow blossoms tinged with deep red edging.

We found this huge Black Gum tree, Nyssa sylvatica. Brian Riley measured the circumference and it was a whopping 37 inches. The inside was hollow, with room enough for Chris Staron to climb inside. They have a characteristic rough blocky bark which reminded me of alligator hide. This tree is gorgeous in the fall with striking red leaves.

Such a great day out to an awesome place. Cave Lake is available for monthly camping. More information is available here.

Critters and More from Flora-Quest

2011-05-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

In the previous post, I covered some of the fantastic flora we found on Flora-Quest. Now I will focus on some of the fauna we found on our Streamside Discovery foray.

We found a few of these caterpillars munching on meadow rue. This is a Canadian Owlet, Calyptra canadensis. It will become a cool looking moth when it reaches maturity.

At one of our first stops, we hopped out of the van and heard the calls of Mountain Chorus Frogs, Pseudacris brachyphona. Its call sounds like one running their fingernail across the fine end of a comb.

In the same vernal pool we found the Mountain Chorus Frogs, we found egg masses of the Spotted Salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum. You can see the tiny salamander larvae within the eggs. Diana Boyd from Keystone Flora native plant nursery is my lovely hand model. The egg mass has a green tinge due to a symbiotic algae, Oophilia amblystomatis. The jelly coating on the eggs prevents them from drying out, but it also can inhibit oxygen diffusion. The algae uses carbon dioxide produced by respiration from the developing salamander embryo and, in turn, produces oxygen through photosynthesis for the young salamander.

A red eft, the terrestrial juvenile stage of the Red-spotted Newt, Notophthalmus viridescens. This critter was boldly walking across a log, unafraid of anyone, and for good reason. If you decided to eat a red eft, you would be going to the hospital. They are extremely toxic. The poison from one red eft can kill approximately 2,500 mice.

Chris Staron holds an Eastern Milk Snake, Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum, he discovered under a rock. The name comes from the old myth that the snakes were found in barns and would steal milk from the cows. The real reason they were found in the barns were to eat the rodents. Duh. :)

Josh Dyer, from Crawford County Park District found this cute Ring-necked Snake, Diadophis punctatus. Note the diagnostic ring around its neck and its yellow belly.

Josh is holding a Long-tailed Salamander, Eurycea longicauda longicauda, that John Howard found for the group. This one has a tail that is shorter than normal, indicating it is probably in the process of regrowing the tail. Salamanders can drop their tail when a predator grabs it, leaving the predator happily holding the tail while the salamander gets away. The salamander can regenerate, or regrow, the tail.

This is a larval Kentucky Spring Salamander, Gyrinophilus porphyriticus duryi. It still had its gills. Josh is my hand model, again.

John Howard, naturalist extraordinaire, holds a life snake for me, one I had never seen before, this cute little Worm Snake, Carphophis amoenus. It looked just like a giant nightcrawler.

What a great foray in a beautiful part of Ohio. If you haven't been to Flora-Quest, I suggest you check it out sometime. It occurs each year, the first weekend in May.

Flora-Quest 2011

2011-05-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Flora-Quest 2011 took place the weekend of April 29th-May 1st. Such a wonderful time with lots of good finds of plants and animals. I led a hike with John Howard called Streamside Discovery. We focused on some of the flora and fauna one might find along the streams in Scioto County. The following pics are of a few of the flowers we discovered. In a future post, I will cover some of the animals.

Pinkster Azalea, Rhododendron nudiflorum

Whorled Pogonia Orchid, Isotria verticillata

Large Yellow Lady's-slipper, Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens

.Pink Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium acaule

Dwarf Iris, Iris verna

Suburban Blooms

2011-05-05T18:17:00.001-07:00

I have not been able to get out exploring much this spring, sadly, but I am enjoying my small suburban yard and surrounding woods looking for some blooming natives to get my 'fix' until I can get out into the wild. One of my favorites that does well in the woodland garden is Foamflower, Tiarella, a small plant with tiny white spikes of flowers and heart-shaped leaves.

Some other favorites: Goldenseal, Hydrastis candadensis, Twinleaf, Jeffersonia diphylla, and White Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum.

Every woodland garden should have Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Wild Ginger, wich has a tiny red 'star' hiding under the leaves.

We try to use native shrubs in our landscaping, and those that have worked well are Blackhaw, Viburnum prunifolium, Black Chokeberry, Photinia melanocarpa, and Gray and Rough-leafed Dogwood (not pictured). Spicebush and Paw-paw, growing wild in the woods, help attract two beautiful butterflies to our yard: Spicebush and Zebra Swallowtail.

An Unusual Trillium

2011-04-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

Toadshade, or Toad Trillium, or Sessile Trillium (Trillium sessile) is a common woodland flower in southern Ohio. Although some may not recognize it as a trillium, it has the same three petals, three sepals, and three whorled leaves.

But wait – this one looks a little odd. That’s because it isn’t the usual Trillium sessile, but Trillium recurvatum – Prairie Trillium. It has the same upright maroon petals, and the same mottled leaves. Here’s a T. sessile for comparison.

There are two main differences. The leaves are not sessile, but petiolate. In English, they aren’t attached directly to the stem (sessile), but instead have petioles, or stalks (petiolate). And the sepals (the small green triangles at the base of the flower) droop below the petals, instead of rising along with the petals – they are curved backward – recurved.

A less obvious, and more variable, difference is that T. recurvatum tends to be taller, with the leaves and flower being held farther off the forest floor.

T. recurvatum shares the same habitat as T. sessile – rich forest floors. The “prairie” in its common name is misleading – it does not occur in prairies. It is basically a midwestern species. It is common in Indiana, but its range barely extends into western Ohio, where it is considered to be a Threatened species.

So when you're walking through the woods of western Ohio in April, take a closer look at those ordinary Toadshades, and maybe you'll find a much rarer plant.

3rd Annual Midwest Native Plant Conference

2011-04-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

Great News! The Midwest Native Plant Society conference committee is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 3rd Annual Midwest Native Plant Conference, to be held July 8, 9 & 10, 2011, at Bergamo Center in Dayton, OH. There is a great line-up of speakers, programs and field trips that are designed to "connect you with nature". All the conference vendors will be open to the public on Saturday, July 9, from 9:00 to 4:00 pm.

Registration and lodging forms, speaker, program and field trip information, as well as a conference agenda are all available at: http://www.midwestnativeplants.org.

Visit the website to sign-up to receive information about upcoming events and conference updates. Scholarships are available for young naturalists between the ages of 9 and 18. See website for details or reply to this message for more information.

We hope to see you there! Midwest Native Plant Society, Conference committee

Coming Soon to a Woods Near YOU!

2011-03-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

Coming attractions, rated G for everyone. (Cue announcer's deep voice...)

Why is this flower so blue? Why does it hang its head. Find out the answer in the tear jerker, Virginia Bluebells.

A flower finds its rise to fame is up way to soon in the coming of age story, Shooting Star.

A case of mistaken identity causes this flower to question whether it is a fish or a plant in the groundbreaking drama the Trout Lily.

In this lighthearted comedy, someone forgets to bring in the laundry and causes a real scandal. See Dutchman's Breeches hanging out in a woods near you!

Now Playing...

Double trouble and spring is on the way when this duo makes an appearance. Salt n Peppa is in the house!

Above, a delicate innocent blossom, but what lies beneath is a tale of horror one cannot imagine. Come see the thriller Bloodroot, if you dare...

The Beach in November

2010-11-14T16:08:00.001-08:00

Yesterday afternoon, I took advantage of the 70+ degree weather to visit the beach.

It’s actually a beach along the Great Miami River, in Shawnee Lookout Park, part of the Hamilton County, Ohio park district. The warm weather notwithstanding, the beach can be a pretty barren place, at least at first glance.

But the butterflies of summer – really late summer that is, or even fall – were still present. We have had quite an influx of southern butterflies this year, and a couple have obviously lingered into November. Despite several sub-freezing nights, this Common Buckeye, Junonia coenia, was still active, and looking not terribly worn.

Much rarer in Ohio, at least in normal years, is this poorly-photographed Dainty Sulphur, Nathalis iole. There were at least five individuals on the beach yesterday, and over 20 were here in September. They normally aren’t able to overwinter in Ohio, even as eggs. But they’ve been here in numbers long enough to deposit eggs, and if global warming gives an extraordinarily mild winter, then just maybe . . .

Except for the willows, there wasn’t much green on the beach. Most of the plants, including these Jimsonweeds, Datura stramonium, were just dried husks. Jimsonweed, while not native, is an interesting, and interesting-looking, plant. In the right quantities, various parts of the plants are hallucinogenic. In slightly smaller quantities, it is deadly.

As they dry, the seed heads split open to reveal masses of black seeds.

These stink bugs, quite possibly Brown Stink Bug, Euschistus servus, either knew the right dosage or, more likely, aren’t affected by the chemicals in the Jimsonweed. More importantly, I just liked the photograph.

Bald-faced Hornet

2010-10-31T19:34:00.001-07:00

We found this Hornet's nest in Shawnee State Forest yesterday while hiking with Janet Creamer. It was just a few feet off the ground. Since there appeared to be little or no activity, we ventured closer for a picture. Janet said that most of the time, these Hornet's will leave people alone unless they feel threatened. If a Bald-faced Hornet, Dolichovespula maculata, would happen to land on you, DO NOT swat at it or kill it. That individual will send out a chemical that alerts the rest of the hive, to go into attack mode. Generally, they are not as aggressive as the Yellowjacket and if you leave it alone, it will most likely just fly away.

Their nests are works of art. The location is selected by the Queen. Worker's chew up bits of wood mixed with saliva to form a paste that is spread with their mandibles and legs to form a football shaped paper nest. As winter approaches, the wasps die – except any just-fertilized queens. The nest itself is generally abandoned by winter, and not reused. In the Spring, Queen's will begin the cycle again.

A Major Award

2010-10-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, our chair for the Midwest Native Plant Conference, Jim McCormac, won a major award.

"A Major Award" from A Christmas Story

No, not that kind of major award...but a very important one, nonetheless. Jim, along with photographer Gary Meszaros, won the Ohioana Book Award for Books about Ohio or an Ohioan. The awards are given each year by the Ohioana Library for fiction, nonfiction, juvenile books, poetry, and books about Ohio or Ohioans with a copyright date within the last two calendar years. The talented authors must be native Ohioans or have lived in Ohio for at least five years.

They won the award for the book Wild Ohio, The Best of Our Natural Heritage. If anyone takes a look at this gorgeous book, they can easily understand why the pair won this award. Filled with Jim's beautiful prose and accompanied with Gary's breathtaking photography, the book belongs on any Ohioan's bookshelf.

Photo by Mara Gruber

Major congrats, Jim and Gary!

Stiff Gentian

2010-10-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today I visited my friends, Kathy McDonald and Ned Keller. We went to their 20 acre spread in Adams County. What a treat, wandering around on the hilly terrain, checking out a number of cool flowers and other plants. I look forward to going back and checking it out another time to see what other great plant finds are waiting to be discovered.

One of my favorites from today was a real beauty. Stiff Gentian, Gentianella quinquefolia, was still gorgeous despite a few frosts. I loved the light blue blossoms with the dark nectar guides. Quite striking!

Above is a white variety that we found along their drive. In the bottom corner of the pic you can see the blue and white blossoms together on the same stalk.

We also found lots of Shale Barren Aster. Unfortunately, my pics from today did not turn out, but you can see what this flower looks like in a previous post. And for those who may be wondering what the crushed leaves smell like? Not chocolate, but a fresh scent somewhat like Patchouli. :)

Shale Barren Asters

2010-10-25T13:31:00.001-07:00

This time of year it is rare to see a flower in full bloom, fresh and not withered by frost. So I was really excited when we found these beauties along the road in Adams County, OH. These are Shale Barren Asters, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, and are threatened in Ohio.

Another name for it is Aromatic Aster for its aromatic scent when the leaves are crushed. I did not sniff it, but hopefully I will have another chance this upcoming weekend to see what it smells like. Hopefully, it will smell like chocolate. :)

There are only four counties at this time in Ohio that are known to have this aster. They are Adams, Belmont, Brown and Hocking. It grows on calcareous slopes, prairies and dry open ground in full sun.

A few of the differentiating characteristics of this aster are oblong entire (not toothed) leaves that can be up to four inches long. These leaves are sessile, meaning they do not have a petiole where the leaf attaches to the plant's stem. Also, the upper stem of the plant is glandular and hairy.

Here is a closeup of one of the flowers. Such a lovely shade of lavender. The flower heads can have between 15 to 40 petals. So happy to share this gorgeous rarity with you!

What's New, Buckaroo?

2010-10-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

Today, I met John Howard for a fall foray in Adams and Scioto counties. We met up with Jim McCormac and went searching for a short list of targets. One from the list was this beauty-the Buck Moth, Hemileuca maia.

Buck Moths can be found in October and November here in Ohio. The caterpillars feed on oak leaves, so Shawnee State Forest was the destination to look for them. While there, we ran into Dave Riepenhoff, who was also looking for the moths.

Male Buck Moth

We spotted one flying across the road. John Howard leapt into action. He quickly sprinted across the road, launching himself into the air like Michael Jordan for a slam dunk. With a tornadic whirl of his net, he captured the cunning beast. Then, with lightning fast reflexes, he whipped out three throwing stars and killed the trio of ninjas that were hiding nearby, saving us all from impending doom. Or maybe I just imagined that part. :)

John had caught a gorgeous male. The Buck Moth has beautiful black wings with a white band across the middle. This male also had red hair tufts on the abdomen and on its legs. We were all gathered around, admiring it for a bit, when a big female floated by. John easily caught her, as well. The female Buck Moth is quite a bit bigger than the male.

Female Buck Moth

The female was equally pretty. The scientific name "maia" is in reference to Greek mythology. Atlas's daughter, Maia, was considered to be exceptionally beautiful. This was my first time to see these moths in person and I was definitely in awe. She will lay eggs on an oak twig, encircling the twig with her eggs. These eggs will overwinter and the young caterpillars will hatch out in the spring.

One of my favorite things was the male's furry red booties. They reminded me of bright red Ugg Boots. Perhaps that is why the boots were made. Their creator saw a Buck Moth and thought how warm and furry its leggings must be. Yes, I am sure that is what happened. I was also intrigued with its antennae. They were super long and feathered. The males use these to sense the presence of the ladies...like giant chick detectors. I know some guys that would like these, but would never wear them, because they wouldn't look cool.

Ugg Boots-inspired by Buck Moths. Another question answered by nature.

I hope you, too, will have an opportunity to see this amazing moth. They should be flying until mid-November.

Some Reading for the Botany Fans

2010-09-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

The blog carnival Berry-Go-Round #31 is up at A Blog Around the Clock. For those that are not familiar with a blog carnival, it is a grouping of interesting posts on a similar topic. Berry-Go-Round is a blog carnival that features plants.

So check it out and learn about apples, peat moss, jewelweed, pollination, sugar beets, cleft phlox and more!

Luna Moth Caterpillar and Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar

2010-09-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

At Cave Lake, we not only were able to see loads of cool flora, we also viewed some pretty cool beasties, as well. It isn't a secret that I really like caterpillars, so when we found some truly interesting ones, I was stoked!

We found a patch of Prickly Ash, Zanthoxylum americanum, and I wondered out loud if we could find a Giant Swallowtail caterpillar, Papilio cresphontes, on the leaves. Not more than a few seconds later, sharp-eyed Diana Boyd from Keystone Flora found one, right under my nose.

Like a bizarre Tickle Me Elmo for science geeks, you tickle the little caterpillar bird poo mimic and teeee-heeee!...

out pops its osmeterium and a not so pleasant smell. It protects the little caterpillar from nosy birds looking for a snack by scaring the feathers off of them.

A little later, John Howard was flipping over leaves and found this lime green beauty, a Luna Moth caterpillar, Actias luna.

Such a cool caterpillar and one I rarely get to see. It will become one of the most beautiful moths out there.

Here is one we raised from a caterpillar a few years ago. I love how the edges of the wings blend right in with the branch, with tiny leaf bud detailing. While hanging high up in a tree, it would go unnoticed by most. So amazing!

Bottle Gentian and the Bumblebee

2010-09-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday, the Ohio Heritage Naturalist group descended upon Cave Lake YMCA Park to check out the flora and fauna. Right inside the gate, we were greeted with the tiny tin horn call of four to five Red-breasted Nuthatches, Sitta canandensis. "Ank, ank, ank" they called as they flitted among the evergreens, plucking seeds from the cones.

Photo from Wikipedia

We decided on a side trip to neighboring Pike State Forest. There was a nice wetland area with White Turtlehead, Chelone glabra, Closed Bottle Gentian, Gentiana andrewsii, and many asters and sedges.

John Howard spotted a bumblebee on a gentian. This was something I really wanted to see! Bumblebees are pretty much the only pollinator for Closed Bottle Gentian.

The petals of this flower never open, but remain closed, causing the flower to look like it is always in bud. Bumblebees are the only insects strong enough to force their way into the flower to devour the nectar and collect the pollen. The gentian relies on this symbiotic relationship to produce seed and more little gentians.

Bottoms Up!

The group gathered around and witnessed the bee shoving itself down into the blossom. It wrestled around in there for a long time, throwing out pens, pencils, erasers and other items as it searched for the nectar. Oh, wait. I am confused. That was me earlier today looking for a battery. But in my defense, Bumble was in there an awfully long time...

I think it wrote an entire script for a B movie while it was in there. It was probably distracted by the inside of the flower. There are nectar guides to help the bumblebee find the pollen and nectar. This one seemed to be having some trouble finding it...

The blue and white stripes from the nectar guides of the gentian

Maybe it was in there making a beeaded handbag? Those can take a long time.

Or possibly cooking some Bee-f Bourguignon? It takes six hours to make that.

Finally, it made its way out of the blossom to... DIVE RIGHT INTO ANOTHER BLOSSOM.

Un-bee-lievable ! :)

Amazing Amorpha Adventure

2010-08-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

I love adventures. Yeppers. Going out exploring is a favorite pastime, made even better in the company of good friends. Such was the outing this past Sunday, when some of the Midwest Native Plant Conference board and a few others were in search of an uncommon beetle, the Amorpha Borer, Megacyllene decora. Our group likes more than just plants!

The Amorpha Borer is an uncommon beetle in Ohio. It is dependent on its host plant False Indigo, Amorpha fruticosa, which has a limited range in Ohio. The adult beetle will deposit eggs on the plant and the larvae with bore into the plants' stems feeding on the Amorpha tissue. Above is a map of where Amorpha fruticosa is found in Ohio.

This is the group. Missing is Jim McCormac, who is behind the camera. This is his photo that I blatantly stole from his blog. :) It was Jim's idea to go looking for this beetle after finding one last year in the same location at Shawnee State Park marina. Thanks Jim, for including us on your quest!

The group found the beetle in two different locations. Such a stunning brilliant yellow and black beetle. Its species name, decora, means elegant. There is no arguing with that! This living treasure is as pretty as any jewel. Here it is feeding on Thoroughwort, Eupatorium serotinum.
Above is my photo.

This photo is a better shot from my friend John Howard. I am just amazed at the color on this animal! And look at its crazy antennae! The Amorpha Borer is a type of Long-horned Beetle, named so for their extra long segmented antennae.

Here is a closeup shot of the beetle in hand. Such a vicious beast, ripping open my flesh with its huge mandibles. The doctors were able to save the hand and I have recovered quite nicely from my injury. ;) Photo stolen once again from Jim McCormac's blog.

This quest brought up some questions about the beetle and just how common is it? So far, we haven't found much information on it, just snippets here and there.

And, another burning question was finally answered for me that day. I have always wondered why the eighties band Stryper wore those bright yellow and black jumpsuits. It is now quite obvious to me they were smitten by this beetle and wanted to pay tribute. Yes, it is all starting to make sense now... :)

Stryper, giant Amorpha Borer fans

2nd Annual Midwest Native Plant Conference 2010 Aug 6,7 & 8

2010-07-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

You won't want to miss the 2nd Annual MWNP Conference! ~ And, it's not too late to register. Conference Mission: Connecting People and Nature.

Learn about the important role of native plants in supporting our natural environment by attending the 2nd Annual Midwest Native Plant Conference, August 6, 7 & 8, 2010, at the Bergamo Center in Dayton, Ohio. Bergamo Center is located on the campus of Mount St. John, a beautiful 150-acre campus property. The Mount St. John Nature Preserve was named an Ohio Natural Landmark by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in 1988, recognizing it as "an outstanding environmental education area possessing exceptional value in illustrating and interpreting the natural heritage of Ohio." Download a nature trail guide of the MSJ Preserve. The land is managed by the Marianist Environmental and Education Center (MEEC). Through Meec's "research and restoration of six ecosystems on 100 acres of land at Mount St. John and scientific team provides opportunities for learning about land management and participating in ecological research".You will learn from experts about native landscaping, forests, wetlands, and prairies, together with the diverse wildlife that lives in these native habitats, through lectures, field trips and workshops. A Keynote speaker will be featured each day of the conference. There will be a variety of breakout sessions on various topics, such as native plant basics and propagation, summer wildflowers, butterflies and native goldenrods.

Our vendors will offer native plants, books, artwork and other items that will help you in understanding and enjoying the benefits of going native. Vendors will be open to the public on Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Each day of the conference we will offer informative tours and field trips to a wide variety of habitats to identify native plants, birds, butterflies, insects and other wildlife within easy driving distance of the Dayton area.

Our Saturday night banquet keynote, Julie Zickefoose, is a widely published natural history writer and artist. Julie provides monthly commentary for National Public Radio and brings the natural world to almost 14,000 readers monthly with her daily blog. Julie never tires of roaming her 80-acre wildlife sanctuary in Whipple, OH. She has a deep relationship with the land that is the wellspring for her writing and art.

On Friday evening, Wil Hershberger, author of “The Songs of Insects” will take us on a journey to learn more about the sounds of summer. Learn more about the natural history of insects, the importance to our world, ID tips and an appreciation of insect song. An evening field trip will be offered after the talk to look and listen for insects and other creatures of the night.

Sunday morning speaker will be Judy Semroc, a Conservation Specialist for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (Natural Areas Division). Utilizing macrophotography and the incredible natural palette that is exhibited by animals and plants, Judy will convey the important relationships between pollinators and the plants they require.

In addition, scholarships are available for young naturalists (and special rates for college students) between the ages of 9-19. For details, contact Kathy McDonald at 513.941.6497. Visit the conference website at: http://www.cincinnatibirds.com/mwnp.

We hope to see you there!

Midwest Native Plant Conference- August 6th-8th

2010-07-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual Midwest Native Plant Conference will take place August 6, 7 & 8, 2010, at the Bergamo Center in Dayton, Ohio. Attendees will enjoy learning from experts on a wide array of topics associated with native plants.

Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis

A different keynote speaker will be featured each day of the conference. Friday evening’s speaker is Wil Hershberger, co-author of “The Songs of Insects”. Wil will open a door to the fascinating world of insects and their songs. One will definitely come away with an appreciation of insects and their importance to our world after hearing Wil’s talk. Afterwards, an evening field trip will be offered to look and listen for insects and other nocturnal animals. You can also visit his blog, here.

Purple Coneflower, Echinacea Purpurea

The Saturday evening banquet will feature artist and writer Julie Zickefoose. Julie is a widely published natural history writer and artist. She is a monthly commentator for National Public Radio and has a popular blog with almost 14,000 readers each month. Julie lives with her family on an 80-acre wildlife sanctuary near Whipple, OH. Her daily walks on the property bring inspiration for her artwork and writings.

Judy Semroc, a Conservation Specialist for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (Natural Areas Division), will be the Sunday morning speaker. Judy will use macrophotography to demonstrate the unique botanical structures and feeding adaptations found within the important relationships between native plants and their pollinators. Tips on how to enhance the garden to attract pollinators will also be covered.

Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa

Saturday morning will provide breakout sessions on a large variety of native plant topics. Native plant propagation, native woody plants, summer wildflowers, survival strategies of plants, butterfly gardening, rain gardens and goldenrods are just a few of the subjects.

Field trips and tours will be offered each day. Early arrivals will be treated to a session by Macy Reynolds on using Newcomb’s field guide to identify plants. Friday and Saturday evening will have a guided tour on the grounds to identify singing insects and other nocturnal life. On Saturday, there will be an early morning bird walk. Sunday, after the keynote speech, attendees will depart for field trips in the Dayton/Springfield area. There are twelve different field trips from which to choose. Cedar Bog, Possum Creek MetroPark, Prairie Road Fen, Gallagher Fen, Germantown MetroPark and Beaver Creek Wetlands are just a few of the destinations.

Vendors will be on hand with native plants, books, artwork and other items that will help one appreciate the benefits of going native. Vendors will also be open to the general public on Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Master Gardeners and Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists may use these events for accredited hours and educational requirements. Also, there will be a limited number of scholarships for young naturalists and to Ohio Young Birders, aged 10-18. These scholarships are to help young people connect with nature. If you are interested in getting more information about scholarships, or in donating to the scholarship fund, please contact Kathy McDonald at whocooksforyou@gmail.com or call 513.941.6497

The conference is held at the Bergamo Center, located on the campus of Mount St. John, a beautiful 150-acre property. The Mount St. John Nature Preserve was named an Ohio Natural Landmark by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in 1988, recognizing it as "an outstanding environmental education area possessing exceptional value in illustrating and interpreting the natural heritage of Ohio." The land is managed by the Marianist Environmental and Education Center(MEEC).

For more information and to register for the Midwest Native Plant Conference, please visit our website at http://cincinnatibirds.com/mwnp/ Proceeds from the 2010 conference will Beaver Creek Wetlands Association, The Sunshine Corridor Project and MEEC .

Pipevine Swallowtail

2010-06-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Kathy McDonald was checking her Pipevine, Aristolochia tomentosa, she had planted in her garden. Low and behold, she found this critter chowing down on the leaves. This is a Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar, Battus philenor.

(You may be wondering what the little balls to the left of the caterpillar might be. They look like eggs, but are not. They are frass, otherwise known as caterpillar poo.)

This crazy looking caterpillar, dressed in black and covered with red spines and horns, looks pretty formidable. From everything I have read, the spines are not dangerous and are mostly for show. However, the caterpillar will develop toxins from eating the Pipevine plant, so if you were thinking about snacking on one, I would suggest you choose something else. The main toxin, Aristolochic acid, wards off predators, like hungry birds and mammals, and a good enough dose can cause kidney failure in humans.

This caterpillar will turn into a beautiful Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor. Simply gorgeous black butterfly with one row of bright crimson dots on the hind wing. This is one we found that had just emerged earlier this spring. You can read that post, on my Indy Parks blog here.

Queen City Birding Festival, Sat. May 15th

2010-05-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

In case you are looking for something different to do this weekend, I have a great option available. Come to the Third Annual Queen City Bird Festival!

This free event is hosted by Audubon Miami Valley of Ohio and the Avian Research and Education Institute. Come out and celebrate the beauty of spring, birds and nature! It is located inside Hueston Woods State Park at the nature center. Festivities will begin at 7am and run throughout the day until 6pm. Activities for the entire family, including:

Numerous activities for children and a wonderful way to introduce children to nature
Guest speakers on bird migration, bird banding and where to bird watch
A variety of food and merchandise vendors
Local conservation groups
Live music
Hourly bird walks
Bird banding demonstration

We would like to welcome our 2010 special festival guest Thane Maynard, Director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Thane is an avid author and the world has benefited from his many wildlife programs at the Cincinnati Zoo. He is known for his radio series The 90-Second Naturalist on public radio which airs nationally to enhance public awareness of biological diversity, natural history and wildlife conservation.

Also, the lovely Susan K. Williams will be there from Raptors, Inc. with some of her bird friends. See owls and hawks up-close!

You’ll also enjoy many great classes such as “Birds in the Classroom” by Seven Hills School teachers Karen Glum and Jennifer LiCata. Sr. Marty Dermody of Mt St. Joseph will cover “Birding in Southwest Ohio.” Casey Tucker of Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics of Ohio will help you master “Birding by Ear.” “The Basics of Birding” will be covered by Bill Heck. Don’t forget to catch “Photographing Birds" with nature photographers Jim and Deb Chagares and don’t miss Rick Lee’s experiences while “Birding Antarctica

Jill & Dave Russell, Directors of the Avian Research and Education Institute, P.O. Box 555, W. College Corner, IN 47003 are co-organizers and sponsors of the Queen City Bird Festival. They are federally licensed bird banders and long-time birders who regularly provide educational seminars and lead birding trips internationally. Dave and Jill have spent untold hours encouraging the young and old to get out and explore their natural world. Their patience with the early birder and enthusiasm for bird research makes them the dynamic duo of avian awareness and research.

Bird banding lists and bird sightings from previous festivals are available on the AREI website. For further information please contact Jill Russell at 513-244-4783, jrussell@avianinstitute.org, or Debbie Gross, Communications 513-255-5313.

Spring Wildflowers-Dwarf Larkspur

2010-05-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

The deep purple blossoms of Dwarf Larkspur, Delphinium tricorne, always make me smile. Such a beautiful little plant.

Larkspur is a relative to the garden variety Delphinium, as you can tell from the scientific name. Delphinium is derived from the Greek word "delphis" which means dolphin. The closed flower buds look similar to the nose of a dolphin. The "larkspur" name comes from the leaves and flowers that look like a lark's foot. Below is a rarer white variety.

Delphiniums and larkspurs are very toxic. They contain the alkaloids delphinine and aconitic acid. The alkaloids effect the nervous system causing one to become weak. The plant is also called staggerweed because of its affect on cattle that graze on the plant; they lose muscle control and stumble about. If enough of the plant is consumed it can cause respiratory failure and death.
The interestingly shaped seed pods splayed out in all directions look somewhat like a radiation warning symbol. The are filled with tiny brown achenes.

Dwarf Larkspur can flower April-June. They are especially beautiful along a roadside hill. It would make a lovely addition to any grden. Hopefully you will have a chance to catch this beauty in bloom this spring.

Spring Wildflowers-Appendaged Waterleaf

2010-05-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

Appendaged Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum appendiculatum, is a delicate woodland flower with fragile pale lavender blossoms.

Its name "waterleaf" comes from the white marks on the leaves that look like water stains.

This Bumblebee was quite content lapping the nectar from the waterleaf flower.

Up close and personal. It was so engrossed I bumped it a few times when I got too close with the camera and it didn't mind one bit.

Happy Mother's Day-Bleeding Hearts

2010-05-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Bleeding Hearts have special meaning for me. This particular plant is located at my sister's house next to the front door. It was my mothers. When my parents moved to Otterbein Retirement Village, my sister brought a piece to her house. In the spring, it welcomes me home each visit and as I leave, it gently waves goodbye.

My mother brought her plant from her childhood home, a division from a huge Bleeding Heart located near my grandparent's well. I was always fascinated with the lovely pink blossoms. I marveled at how they formed such perfect delicate hearts.

Rumour has it, though I haven't confirmed this, that the original was from my grandfather's parent's homestead in Kentucky. This plant has been around forever and has strong family ties.

And, what a plant to do so. Look at the beautiful pink hearts stretched out along the stem. It just gushes out love and family. It always makes me smile. :) :) :) Happy Mother's Day!

A Smathering of Flowers

2010-05-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

I have been on quite a few botanical forays in the last month or so and thought it might be nice to throw some of those photos up for you to enjoy.

Marsh Marigold, Caltha palustris, was a plant so beautiful that I couldn't resist taking a bunch of pictures. If you look closely, you can see the faint nectar guides on the petals, thin lines leading to the center of the flower, that tell the bees where the goods lie.

Wherry's Catchfly, Silene caroliniana ssp. wherryi, is a rarity that will knock your socks off. This beauty is related to Fire Pinks and Royal Catchfly, but instead of red, it is a brilliant pink.

Barren Strawberry, Waldsteinia fragarioides. I really had to work for this one. I fell in the creek twice, got tangled up in some greenbrier and slid down a hill in the mud. Somedays, sigh, I am not very graceful. :)

This Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum, was blooming along with many others in a large patch located at Southeastway Park.

Wild Hyacinth, Camassia scilloides, is another Southeastway specialty. The delicate ice blue flowers scattered across the forest floor are truly breathtaking.

I was so pleases this picture turned out. It was taken in the pouring rain after scurrying up a small hill. This is a Whorled Pogonia, Isotria verticillata, and it doesn't bloom every year. Rick Gardner, who has been practically everywhere in the state of Ohio, had never seen this in bloom. This told me this wasn't a flower to be missed!

Showy Orchis, Galearis spectabilis, is a gorgeous tiny wonder. This was a good year for them, with many found in Adams and Scioto County, Ohio.

The blossoms of Pinkster Azalea, Rhododendron nudiflorum, reminds me of a little girl's party dress that is perfectly pink with layers of ruffles. The fragrant flowers smell amazing.

Yellow Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium pubescens, look like little dutch shoes. This is one of my personal favorites.

Wild Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, with its red and yellow flowers, is a hummingbird magnet.

Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum, always makes me smile. There is a large patch at Southeastway that I walk by almost everyday in the spring.

The flowers of Pawpaw, Asimina triloba, form before the plant leaves out. The remind me of deep burgandy roses.

Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja coccinea, is a hemi-parasite. This plant can photosynthesize, yet will steal nutrients from other plants, as well.

"My woodland bretheren, it is good to be green." So sayeth Jack, who is preaching from the pulpit. Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum, also forms clusters of brilliant red berries in the summer.

I was a little overwhelmed with ADD during this shot. A Pine Warbler was singing overhead, Henry's Elfin butterflies were dancing on the road, a grasshopper was daring me to chase it and these beauties were begging for me to take their picture. These are Birdsfoot Violets, Viola pedata.

And lastly, a lovely azure Long-spurred Violet, Viola rostrata. Rostrata means "beaked" and that beaked, pinocchio-like extension makes this violet easily identifiable.

Orchids

2010-04-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of hiking with my friends Tricia West and John Howard in Adams County, OH. We had lots of great botanical finds including four species of orchids.

Yellow Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium pubescens. We almost walked right by this beauty. This one has a double bloom.

A straight on shot. Its reddish sepals look almost like a weird wig.

Another favorite, Pink Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium acaule. Its delicate pink blossom reminds me of a ballerina's slippers.

An interesting tiny orchid, Spring Coralroot, Corallorhiza wisteriana, is only a few inches tall. These would be easy to miss, if one were not paying special attention!

And a personal favorite, Showy Orchis, Galearis spectabilis. Each year I look forward to finding these tiny wonders.

Here is a close-up of the flowers. They have such an interesting shape. So "spectabilis". What a name! It sounds like Daffy Duck trying to pronounce spectacular. It actually means "showy". One can't argue with that!

Clifton Gorge and John Bryan State Park

2010-04-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Friday, we visited Clifton Gorge and John Bryan State Park which are located near Yellow Springs, OH. The wildflower display was absolutely phenomenal. I was like a kid in a candy store.

Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, was at its peak. Get out there now, if you want to see it, because the petals drop off after a good rain.

This gorgeous Bloodroot is named after the deep red sap that oozes out of its rhizome when it is broken.

Above is a photo I shot two years ago of the root. This traditionally was used as war paint by some tribes and as a dye for cloth.

We found one lone Rue Anemone, Thalictrum thalictroides. Such a delicate little flower.

Hepatica, Hepatica nobilis, is always a crowd pleaser. The hillsides were carpeted with these little beauties, in various shades of blue, lavender, pink and white.

Another one, the flowers even vary in color within the same clump.

Another shot-I never tire of these. I kept thinking, "Oh, I have plenty of Hepatica shots", then I would find another one that would catch my eye. So lovely!

The plant I was looking forward to seeing. Snow Trillium. It is an early bloomer, sometimes pushing forth when snow is still on the ground. There were hundreds of these at John Bryan State Park.

On a warm, sunny bank, we found the first Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense, bloom. Pollinated by beetles, flies, and even slugs, its unusual blossom is close to the ground.

Purple Cress, Cardamine douglassii, is also called Douglass's Bittercress and is named after the botanist, David Bates Douglass. It is in the mustard family and related to the peppery salad green watercress. In the left corner of the photo, you can see Virginia Bluebell in bud.

Dutchman's Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria, is another one of my favorites. Oh, who am I kidding? They are all my favorites! Dutchman's Breeches are so named because they look like the old-fashioned bloomers lined up on a clothesline. The bee is trying to get to the nectar, but only the bumblebee has a probocsis or tongue long enough to reach the nectar. Smaller bees will many times chew through the side of the blossom to reach the nectar, leaving behind a little hole as evidence of the crime.

Flora-Quest

2010-01-20T09:56:00.000-08:00

Hear ye! Hear ye! One of the most enjoyable botanical gatherings is open for registration. Flora-Quest is one of my favorite events. Below is the press release from my bud, The Weedpicker, Cheryl Harner.

Wildflower Enthusiasts Gather for Flora-Quest

Many of Ohio’s foremost botanists will be leading field trips the weekend of May 1-2, 2010 in the beautiful hills of Shawnee State Forest in southern Ohio. Flora-Quest is a botanical retreat geared towards learning, meeting like-minded people, and above all, appreciating the most spectacular flora in all of Ohio.

The rugged, hilly landscape and steep forested slopes are blanketed with an incredible array of flora. Botanically, Shawnee represents the northern most outposts for many Appalachian plants that one would otherwise have to go to the Great Smokey Mountains to find. Early May is peak for wildflowers, and the hills will be cloaked with trillium, over a dozen species of violets, native magnolias, wild azaleas, orchids and many more. As an added bonus, well over 100 species of birds occur in the forest in spring, including scores of our most colorful jewels like Scarlet Tanager, Hooded Warbler, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Bring your binoculars!

Guest speakers representing Ohio State Parks, The Nature Conservancy and the Ohio Heritage Botanists will highlight recent efforts for botanical conservation. Jenny Richards and Pete Whan know their subjects well, as they live within this region and are intimately familiar with the flora. Dr. Harvey Ballard will present an evening program on Violets, including Ohio’s arguably most beautiful and rare Bird-foot Violet, Viola pedata. Greg Schneider from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will also present on the fascinating work of the Ohio Heritage Botanists. A special FREE program Friday evening April 30th will preview the diversity of Shawnee State Park.

Bird-foot Violet, Viola pedata-photo by John Howard

There will be other bonuses, too, such as special evening field trips, vendors, and an optional trip to The Eulett Center and more. The center of activities will be the beautiful Shawnee Lodge and Resort, located in the heart of the forest. Take this opportunity to hike the newest properties in TNC’s Sunshine Corridor, visit a private preserve, improve your photography skills or kayak the Scioto Brush Creek. You will be amazed to discover the diversity in southern Ohio!

Please, visit the website at http://www.flora-quest.com/ for more information. Registration and complete trip descriptions are available on-line.

Tree Quiz-the answers

2010-01-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

Not many people submitted answers for my tree quiz. Hopefully some of you are just playing at home. For the ones that did, here are the answers.

1. Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
2. Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
3. Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Bonus 1: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Bonus 2: Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
The small disks on the ends of the rootlets give it away.

4. Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
5. Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
6. Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
7. American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

Winter Tree Quiz

2009-12-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

Wintertime is a great time to exercise the old noggin with a quiz. It is also a great time to learn your trees based on the bark. Soooo, I decided to combine the two into a handy-dandy tree quiz. See how you do. These trees are all native to Indiana.

Tree #1

Tree #2

Tree #3

Bonus Question 1: Name what critter made the holes. (This will probably give away the tree.)

Bonus Question 2: Name the vine climbing the tree. You can tell if you look closely.

Tree #4

Tree #5

Tree #6

Tree #7

I will post the answers Jan 3rd. Good Luck!

If you like trees, check out the Festival of the Trees blog carnival hosted at xenogere. It will be up on Jan 1st.

What in Tarnation Photo Quiz Answers

2009-12-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

Photo 1-I think everyone who guessed got this one right (I had a few from e-mail, as well.) This is a dragonfly wing, and the amber wings with reddish-brown spots points to Halloween Pennant, Celithemis eponina. This crop was taken from where the wings intersect.

Photo 2-This is one of the individual blossoms of the Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. This is a crop of the center blossom.

. Photo 3-This is the wing or elytra of a Eyed-Click Beetle, Alaus oculatus. I thought the speckled pattern and the ridges made for an interesting photo.

Photo 4-Sorry, Kathy, this is not my tongue, LOL. This is a Rosy Maple Moth, Dryocampa rubicunda. This crop was taken near the second leg on the right side of the moth. Photo by John Howard.

Photo 5-Yellow Warbler was on the right track and I can totally see the honeybee guess. It is a Prairie Warbler's, Dendroica discolor, flank. Photo by John Howard.

Photo 6-Shooting Star or Pride of Ohio, Dodecatheon meadia. This one and many others grow in a patch along the White River behind my friend's apartment complexes. Such a striking flower!

Photo7-And finally, many of you guessed eggs. These are actually Eastern Bluebird eggs. We have quite a few nestboxes on the property here at Southeastway Park, and this was one of the successful broods.

With all the correct or close to correct guesses, I will have to work harder on a future quiz! Thanks to all that participated.

What in Tarnation is That?

2009-12-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to play a game. I have cropped a few of my photos, and will let you all take a stab at what they are. Everything is nature related and can be found outside here in the Midwest, so no kangaroos, octopus, etc... I will post the answers and show the original photos in a couple days. Good luck!

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5

Photo 6

Photo 7

Gallagher Fen Revisited

2009-11-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted. I have no idea where October went! Today I was looking through some old files and remembered I meant to post these a looooonnnnggg time ago.

The following photos were from a trip in the beginning of September. I revisited Gallagher Fen with my friend Jim Davidson. What an awesome day! This was the first time I had seen many of these plants in bloom. I had seen their vegetation in the past, but now I was seeing them in all their glory. I think you will agree!

Such a beautiful pair. Purple Gerardia, Gerardia purpurea and Kalm's Lobelia, Lobelia kalmii. The Purple Gerardia was everywhere, dotting the fen with lovely splashes of pink. The blossoms almost dwarfed the tiny Kalm's Lobelia.

Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica, a cousin to Kalm's Lobelia has a large blue spike of flowers. One of my favorites, I was glad to see it in almost full bloom.

Canada Burnet, Sanguisorba canadensis, looks like a highly ornate candle one would buy in a specialty shop. Normally, the blooms start at the bottom and gradually open and close as they progress along the spike. This unique plant was opened up almost along its entire length. It was located in a tricky spot, so I had to straddle a deep puddle in order to take the shot and not fall in the muck. Jim D. was helping by taunting me the entire time. :)

Grass of Parnassus, Parnassia glauca, was in bloom, as well. I had only viewed it leaves in the past. Such a delicate beauty. I love the nectar guides, the faint gray lines on the petals that point the pollinators to the goods.

Gallagher Fen can be visited by permit only. You must contact the Ohio Division of Nature Preserves to ask for a permit. Such a beautiful place, I hope they continue to protect it in the years to come.

Asters and Goldenrods

2009-09-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

A walk around our wetland was absolutely gorgeous. The purple and yellow blooms of New England Aster and Riddell's Goldenrod were breath-taking. I could have stayed out there all day. The blossoms were covered with tons of insects. Butterflies galore, orange Soldier Beetles, wasps, bees, moths, etc... I will cover some of my finds in another post.

This New England Aster was phenomenal. It was almost as tall as me, with the lovely purple blossoms cascading down the stem.

It really pleases me that out wetland was installed in 2000, and it is such a haven for wildlife. The plantings have really taken off, with this year being a real showstopper for the fall flowers. Native plants can really improve an area. It shows that if you build it, they will come!

Midwest Birding Symposium-Killdeer Korner

2009-09-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

THE Ohio Young Birders Club presents: KILLDEER KORNER
Activities for Young Birders of all ages!

Saturday September 19, 2009 is Young Birder’s Day at the Midwest Birding Symposium! Join us from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Wo-Ho-Mis (across the street from South Auditorium). Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. Our friends from the Ohio Young Birders Club and the Black Swamp Bird Observatory will offer the following activities:

Preschoolers can make their own pair of binoculars and learn how to use them. They can also build a bird feeder out of a variety of common recycled items, and make an owl puppet or mask.

For older young birders, they can get their creative juices going by participating in the Midwest Birding Symposium Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Participants will paint a portrait of their favorite duck, goose, or swan! Lily Sprang, winner of this year’s National Junior Duck Stamp Contest, will be leading the activity along with her brother Eli, an Ohio Junior Duck Stamp winner and national runner-up!

All the budding artists will receive materials introducing them (and their parents and teachers) to the Junior Duck Stamp Contest. When the portraits are finished, artists can choose to take their art home with them or enter it into the contest. Prizes will be awarded for the top three contest entries.

For the teenagers, The Ohio Young Birders Club will lead a bird walk from 8:00 – 9:45 a.m. Saturday on the Lakeside grounds. They will meet at the front entrance to the Hotel Lakeside.

For more details, contact BSBO at 419-898-4070.

Fringed Gentian

2009-09-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

Jim Davidson and I visited a few fens near Springville, OH on Labor Day weekend. One we had to work to find, but was rewarded with a gorgeous stand of Fringed Gentian, Gentianopsis procera.
We got a tip they were just starting to bloom. Jim found the first one and called me over.

Finally, we stumbled upon this beauty. It was fully open and a brilliant Pepsi-can blue. A blue you rarely see in nature. Here is a side view.

And here is a top view. You can see the fringes on the petals, where it gets its name. A flower that was well worth the two hours of searching for the fen.

Increasing Diversity in Outdoor Recreation

2009-09-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

I teach environmental education to thousands of school age children here in Indianapolis. Our public schools are full of diversity with children from a large variety of races and creeds. They visit our park for educational field trips with the school. The children will step off the bus with their eyes full of wonder. Familiar with only their urban backyards, many have never stepped foot in a woods before their initial park visit.

They are fascinated to see a Cardinal up close at our bird feeding area. A bird, that sadly I even tend to dismiss at times because it is so common, becomes a miraculous thing, bright red and loud. They excitedly run up, pointing towards it, eager to share their find. "A cardinal, a cardinal" they exclaim.

Our field trips almost always involve a hike. We discuss what does and does not belong in an Indiana forest. Many have grown up with Animal Planet, so I always get "monkeys" as one of the answers. I tell them we do not have monkeys here in Indiana, but they can listen for a bird that sounds like a monkey. We have a pretty reliable Pileated Woodpecker that will sound off. You should see their eyes light up when it does! And sometimes we are even treated to a close view. What a crazy looking bird and it lives here in Indianapolis? That fact really opens their eyes.

We talk about bugs and plants and we may get lucky and spot a slumbering raccoon. But no matter what, we can always hear the birds. And because I am a birder, I rely on them heavily with my programs. They laugh when I do my imitation of the silly Eastern Wood Pewee song. They love hearing the Acadian Flycatcher or "pizza bird", as I call it. I tell them it likes to talk about pizza and they giggle when I tease them about grasshoppers and other yummy bugs as toppings. Many say "This is the best field trip ever!" Most children, no matter what nationality or race, seem delighted and engaged in the great outdoors.

But what happens when they become adults? Why do we lose their interest? They are showing fascination with the natural world as children, but when they become adults, we lose them. This isn't just speculation. Go to most birding event in the United States and look at the crowd. It is almost always predominently white. If we want to protect our natural world, we need to start finding ways to include everyone.

So what can we do to draw in a more diversified crowd? We should work together to find a way to engage other groups. The Black Swamp Bird Observatory has a wonderful workshop coming up Saturday, September 26th, Diversity in the Outdoor Recreation: The Many Faces of Conservation.

Here is the line-up:

The extremely talented Dudley Edmonson will be there with his breath-taking photography. His stunning images have been included in publications from around the world. Even if you cannot make the conference, you should check out his site. Gorgeous photos! He will be presenting "Outdoor Role Models: Black and Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places”.

John C Robinson has worked as a professional ornithologist for over 30 years. He has wrote numerous books and the entire text and computer code for the North American Bird Reference Book CD-ROM. How many authors can claim that! He will be presenting "Birding for Everyone: Changing the Face of Environmental Conservation Through Birding”.

Tamberly Conway and Maricruz Flores will be presenting “Latino Legacy: Improving Connections with Latino Audiences in Recreation, Outreach and Conservation Education Programming”. Ms. Conway is currently working on her PhD in Forestry at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas and her dissertation focuses on outreach and conservation education programming appropriate for Latino communities. Maricruz Flores is a mentor and team leader for the program “Amigos del Bosque” (Friends of the Forest). She is employed as Partnership Development and Community Outreach Assistant Coordinator for the Latino Legacy community outreach program.

Many of you might be in the Toledo, Ohio area for bird migration at Magee Marsh and the surrounding area. Please consider attending this important conference. More information can be found here.

Cardinal and Pileated Woodpecker photos by John Howard. Eastern Wood Pewee butt by me. :)

One of the Weirdest Moths I Have Ever Seen

2009-08-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, my friend John Howard, one of the best all around naturalists I know, sent me a picture of the coolest moth. At the time, we weren't even certain it was a moth. It looked just like a giant treehopper! It did have scaly wings like a moth, but its appearance was so strange. It looked like it could have easily walked out of a Lord of the Rings movie! Plus, treehoppers are usually a lot smaller; most are less than a centimeter in length.

The critter looked just like a dead leaf with its antennae curled back to look like a petiole, the stem part on a leaf that attaches to the tree. Its legs were also jagged and thickened in places to resemble a dried up leaf. Perfect camouflage! Below is a crop of John's picture that shows the legs up close.

I was really curious about this critter conundrum. What was this bizarre bug? I looked in some of my books. No luck! Then I looked through some pics on my favorite website BugGuide. Nope, I couldn't find it. There are so many moths out there, it can make one's head spin.

So finally I e-mailed Eric Eaton, otherwise known as Bug Eric. He is called Bug Eric because he is extremely knowledgeable about bugs and is the principal author for the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects. Wonderful book! I tend to "bug" Eric with all the unknown insects I find. And in return, he kindly obliges an answer and gently corrects my ID boo-boos.

Eric quickly came up with the ID. It was on BugGuide all along, I just couldn't find it. This crazy-looking moth is actually a Trumpet Vine or Trumpet Creeper moth, Clydonopteron sacculana. Its name comes from its host plant, which is a showy vine with large showy red flowers. Trumpet Creeper is also a hummingbird magnet. The caterpillars of the moth feed on the pods of Trumpet Creeper and pupate inside the seedpods.

Here is a picture I took of Trumpet Creeper, Campsis radicans, at Garfield Park this summer. I love the scarlet flowers! They are so inviting, especially to a hungry hummingbird.

When I told John Howard I was doing this post, he sent me a picture he had taken of Trumpet Creeper. How gorgeous! If you have this plant nearby, take a peek and see if you can find the caterpillars of this crazy moth!

That is what is great about the amazing world of insects! You never know what you will discover next!

For more amazing critters, visit the Camera Critters site.

Camou-frog

2009-08-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

I love nature's adaptations and camouflage is one of my favorites. Check closely and see if you can find the Blanchard's Cricket Frog, Acris crepitans blanchardi, in this picture.

It's there and I would never have seen it if it hadn't hopped. It blends in perfectly with the mud around the edge of our pond.

How about now that it has turned sideways?

Here you can see it now that I have cropped the photo. Check to the right of the brown leaf in the previous photos. Looks just like a clump of mud. Camouflage at its finest!

For more Camera Critters go here. To visit more Friday Ark critters visit here.

Midwest Birding Symposium

2009-08-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

I want to let all of you know about an exciting event coming up in Ohio. An opportunity to meet some of the best of the best in the birding community. What event is this, you ask? Why the Midwest Birding Symposium!!! This stellar event will take place in Lakeside Marblehead, OH Thursday September 17th through Sunday September 20th, 2009.

So why should you go to this event? Here are a few of my top reasons...

Number One: Great Birding. I have been to this area on quite a few occasions. It has tons of great birding this time of year. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is nearby. Magee Marsh (some of you know it as Crane Creek) is located nearby. You like warblers and shorebirds? They will be here. A list of some of the local birding sites can be found here. Then pair a great location with phenomenal leaders. What more could you ask for?

Number Two: Twenty-two, count 'em, twenty-two great speakers on a large variety of bird topics. There is something for everyone! Most birders will recognize many of these names. Can you say SIBLEY! He will be there with his brand spanking new tree book.

Number Three: I will be there. What more of a reason will you need? :) Just kidding! I will be there helping out. Hopefully not cleaning toilets, though I did tell Weedpicker Cheryl I would volunteer without knowing what I will actually be doing. Hmmmm. Maybe I should check on that!

Number Four: Quite a few of my blogger friends will be there. If you enjoy reading their blogs you will have a chance to meet them in person. Cheryl Harner, Bill Thompson III, Jim McCormac, Kenn Kaufman, Kim Kaufman, Nina from Nature Remains, Susan Williams from Susan Gets Native, KatDoc, Jeff Gordon, Liz Gordon, Julie Zickefoose, Birdchick, Donald the Birder, The Zen Birdfeeder, Laura Kammermeier , Chad Williams, Connie Kogler, and Scott Weidensaul will all be there. I am just going off the top of my head, so if you are a blogger buddy of mine and I forgot you, just drop me a line. I will add you to this list, no problem.

Number Five: Lots of top birders will be there. You want to become a better birder? I know personally of many, many fantastic birders that will be there that love to help beginning and intermediate birders work on their skills. Most of us are birders because we love birds and enjoy sharing them with others. You may think-Oh, I am not a good enough birder to go to an event like this. This is just the event to go to. You will learn so much and have a lot of fun doing so.

So check out the website and see what all there is to offer. Hope to see you there!

Wild Bergamot

2009-08-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went strolling around our butterfly gardens to check out what was out and about. I noticed our Wild Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa, was looking rather nice.

While snapping a few pics I notices this critter hiding among the blossoms. Can you see it? It looks just like a dead petal, or leaf.

How about now that it has moved a bit? It's an Ambush Bug, Phymata pennsylvanica, and it relies upon the element of surprise.

Sorry the crop is a bit blurry, but you can now see the little red-eyed predator much better. It has thick front legs that graps an unsuspecting pollinator visiting the flower.

And they can even multi-task. This female is eating her meal while she is mating! The male, which has a dark back is on top and the light green female is underneath, clutching a small bee.

After checking a few more flowers, I noticed about eight Ambush Bugs hiding in the Bergamot. I am glad there are no life-size Ambush Bugs hiding in my fridge! You can view some great closeups here at BugGuide.

Siebenthaler Fen

2009-06-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I visited Siebenthaler Fen near Beaver Creek, Ohio. This is another one of the field trip options for the Midwest Native Plants Conference. I had a great visit with lots of great finds.

I was greeted by this friendly critter-a Northern Pearly Eye. It buzzed my head a few times, begging me to chase after it. It finally landed on a leaf and cooperated so I could snap its pic.

I also saw my first ever Baltimore Checkerspot. I was so excited and was so engrossed in studying the intricate pattern, I completely forgot to take its picture! So here is one from Wikipedia.

Delicate and lacey, the elderberry was in full bloom. It had a pleasant yet somewhat strange scent. Many insects were attracted to the flowers.

Sedges are often underappreciated and there were many to admire at Siebenthaler. This one is Carex davisii, Davis' sedge. I love the golden seedheads that gracefully dangle from the stem. I will cover more sedges in my next post.

Wild Sweetwilliam, Phlox maculata, brightened the path along the boardwalk. Maculata means "spotted" and there are tiny purple spots all along the stem.

I was excited to find one Michigan Lily blooming. How beautiful! Michigan Lily has whorled leaves surrounding the stem. I have only seen this plant one time prior.

Huge cabbage-like leaves of Skunk Cabbage was all along the boardwalk. If you crush the leaf, you will soon know why it is called skunk cabbage. This plant has an interesting flower that emerges in late Feb and early March.

Swamp Rose, Rosa palustris, was prevalent along the boardwalk. It will be in peak bloom very soon.

Sensitive Fern was a welcome find. Its name comes from the fact that it is very sensitive to frost.

The oval shaped leaves of Canada Burnet. It will have a pretty white spike of blossoms in mid-July.

Queen-of-the-prairie has a beautiful pink plume that reminds me of cotton candy. It is in the rose family and has a wonderful rose-like scent.

I am always glad to see Common Milkweed because there are always plenty of interesting bugs around. Here is a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, Hemaris thysbe. The thysbe name comes from the deep red color on the moth and is in reference to the Greek tradgedy Pyramis and Thisbe. You can read more about it at my other blog here.

This is the Ailanthus Webworm Moth, Atteva punctella. I love its complex orange and yellow pattern. Look at the beautiful Common Milkweed blossom. I have no idea why this plant is not sold in garden stores. It smells fantastic and its round pink blossoms are just gorgeous.

Hope to see you at the Midwest Native Plants conference!

Wildflowers and Wildlife at Cedar Bog

2009-06-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, my sister and I went to see the orchids at Cedar Bog. We were not disappointed. Cedar Bog is one of the field trip options for the Midwest Native Plant Conference and is chock full of fascinating wildflowers and wildlife.

We were greeted by a Yellow-breasted Chat, chattering away in a nearby tree. I tried to coax him out with no luck, so here is a Wikipedia shot.

The Showy Lady's Slippers were almost past bloom, but there were still a few hanging on. What beautiful blossoms, like delicate Cinderella slippers.

Grass-pink Orchids peppered the area. My camera does not do these flowers justice. They are a gorgeous fuschia pink.

Another shot just because I really like them that much : )

I never knew that sundews lived in Ohio until last year. I had always thought they lived farther south, since the first ones I encountered were in Alabama. This one is Round-leaved Sundew. They can be found near the boardwalk, but can be easily missed if you are not carefully looking for them.

Sundews are carnivorous plants that attract tiny insects to their small sticky droplets of liquid you can see in the photo above. The insect is trapped and soon dies of exhaustion from struggling or asphyxiation from the mucilage covering their spiracles from which they breathe. Not a great way to go! The plant then secretes digestive juices and the leaves absorbs the nutrients that are released. Mmmmmm, bug guts!

We soon encountered a moth that reminds me of a paper airplane. This one is LeConte's Haploa Moth, Haploa lecontei.

We looked in vain for the Spotted Turtle, an rare inhabitant of Cedar Bog. So here is a pic from Wikipedia.

Large patches of this beauty, Fringed Loosestrife, was prevalent. Such a cheerful, sunny flower!

Great Angelica towered over the boardwalk six to seven feet high. Not really a "pretty" wildflower, Angelica can be appreciated for its interesting round inflorescences.

My sister did not know it, but I was looking for this critter, a Massassauga Rattlesnake, hoping we would see one. No luck. Thanks, Wikipedia, for the image.

This is not a bumble bee, but a robber fly imitating a bumble bee. This one is in the genus Laphria. By mimicking the bee, the robber fly can evade predators who have had an unfortunate experience with a bee in the past. The predator will take one look at the robber fly and avoid contact.

And, lastly, the Horned Bladderwort. I know, terrible pic, but it is still diagnostic. You can see the "horn" hanging below. This bladderwort has its leaves and bladders under the soil. It catches tiny organisms within the bladders and digests them. I did a previous post on the Common Bladderwort, that lives in our pond.

Such a wonderful place to visit. I hope you check out Cedar Bog sometime soon!

Check out other posts at ABC Wednesdays.

Cave Lake Ohio Heritage Naturalist Hike

2009-06-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Cave Lake is located in Pike County near Latham, OH. We were visiting there as part of the Ohio Heritage Naturalist hikes put on by our fearless leader Rick Gardner. We had a great day and saw a plethera of good plants and spectacular scenery. And, ahem, I am the volunteer naturalist for the place. It helps that my Big Brother, Charlie is on the board... : )

One of our first plants Smooth Phlox, Phlox glaberrima, is somewhat of a rarity and is only listed in seven counties of Ohio on USDA Plants. Such a cheery, pretty little plant. I couldn't resist taking lots of pictures of it.

Upper leaves of Virginia Snakeroot

The flower of Virginia Snakeroot can be viewed once you push the leaf litter away

Another interesting find was Virginia Snakeroot, Aristolochia serpentaria. You have to dig under the leaf litter to find the flower on this one. The reddish flowers are designed to mimic carrion and are believed to be pollinated by flies.The flowers have an interesting pollination method. The tube of the flower is lined with hairs that point inward. This allows entry, but no exit. Once inside, the fly is trapped. The flower will shed pollen onto the insect and then the hairs will wilt giving the fly its freedom so it can do it all over again. Weird... Fascinating, but weird. Virginia Snakeroot is a cousin to Pipevine, and is one of the larval food plants for Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.

Sullivantia has an interesting story to go along with it. And since I am lazy, I will just send you to Jim McCormac's blog to find out more. Anyway, it has delicate flowers similar to baby's breath in mid-June. At Cave Lake, Sullivantia grows on the walls of Frost Cave, a cave that houses the rare Frost Cave Isopod, Caecidotea rotunda.

A beautiful waterfall is located near the dam at Cave Lake. We climbed up a nearby cliff and looked down upon the waterfall. WOW! My friend Tom Arbour is the tiny person in the center of the pic below. Heelllloooooooo, Tom!

And, of course, one of my favorites from the trip. The Firepinks. They were everywhere. Its cousin, Wherry's Catchfly, another rarity, also resides at Cave Lake.

The brilliant scarlet star-shaped flowers of Fire Pinks always make me smile.

All day we hadn't seen a reptile until the very end. Tom Arbour spotted this big Fence Lizard. At first he thought it was a rat. It scurried up the tree and I had to use my zoom to get a pic. You can tell it was finding plenty to eat, little porky!

Such an awesome place to visit. I hope I can get back there again this summer and share some more pics with you!

Flowers and such from Boch Hollow

2009-05-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to Boch Hollow in Hocking County, Ohio near Logan we had some great finds. Boch Hollow is a newly acquired property for DNAP and this was one of the first plant finding excursions. The Ohio Heritage Naturalists had scheduled a trip there.

You had to know it was a good day when you hop out of the car and are greeted with a Blue-headed Vireo singing its heart out. Had great looks at a gorgeous male Hooded Warbler, as well.

Lily-leaved Twayblade, Liparis liliifolia. Not to be confused with Lily-livered Twayblade which are fighting words, dag nabbit! This strange looking plant is in the orchid family.

Our lunchtime companion was Running Buffalo Clover, Trifolium stoloniferum. This is a federally endangered plant. Quite a good find for the new property. I am notorious for stepping on rare plants, so I was a bit nervous plopping down to eat lunch in an area where it was about everywhere. I guess I couldn't do much more damage than a buffalo, one would hope. Life plant for me and my pal, Cheryl. I did a Rico Suave life plant dance. She wisely abstained.

Firepinks, Silene virginica, were a welcome sight. Such bold, rich color. The star-shaped hummingbird-magnet is always a welcome find.

Indian Cucumber, Medeola virginiana. This is a member of the Lily family. I love the interesting flower. Another one with an unusual shape. This plant was so hard for me to photograph. I said a few choice words while trying to get in in focus. The blossom is so delicate, the camera wanted to focus only on the leaves. Bobby Sue Grenerth exclaimed I had about used up all the swear words available. Sorry, Bobby Sue! And in my defense, I think I had at least 5 more to use. :)

Dusky Salamander

I also found three species of salamanders, there: Southern Two-lined, Eurycea cirrigera, Red-backed, Plethodon cinereus, and Dusky, Desmognathus fuscus fuscus. And lots of them. I probably had a good 40 or so for the day. Pat Deering also found a rock covered with Southern Two-lined Salamander eggs.

We found this Eastern Phoebe nest at the end of our journey. How cute, their little heads barely peeping out of the nest!

Such a wonderful day with great company and lots of interesting finds!

Flora-Quest 2009

2009-05-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend, May 1st-3rd, with a wonderful group of folks in Southern Ohio enjoying the botanical gems of Scioto and Adams county at the annual celebration called Flora-Quest. And what a quest it was! We saw so many rare plants it could make one's head spin. And we were hiking in some of the most beautiful areas around. No better way to spend a weekend!

The evening talks were very enjoyable. Veteran naturalist Paul Knoop gave a great introduction to the amazing plants and animals in the region, many that our group encountered the following day. Many people were awestruck by the gorgeous photography of Ian Adams. He got a standing ovation! And, I think anyone who had not visited the Ohio Govenor's Residence and Heritage Garden wanted to after Guy Denny's fascinating talk.

I co-led hikes with Rick Gardner for Gung-Ho Botany. What a blast! Here are some of the highlights from our trips.

A view from Coyote Hollow in Adams County.

Our group is checking out this huge tree at one of our stops. Yep, this is one honkin' big tulip tree and Rick Gardner a.k.a Rico Suave is next to it for size comparison. One can easily fit inside it.

Yellow Lady's Slippers, Cypripedium parviflorum, were crowd-pleasers. This particular one has a unique double bloom.

Horse-Gentian, Triosteum angustifolium, has two small yellow blossoms near the base of the plant. It is a member of the honeysuckle family.

Showy Orchis, Galearis spectabilis, a minute orchid that is not much more than 4 inches tall.

One of the many waterfalls at Coyote Hollow.

Hoary Puccoon, Lithospermum canescens, with its cheery yellow

blossoms was a plant once used to dye cloth.

Plants with the word "puccoon" associated with

them means they were used for dye.

The rare Resurrection Fern, Pleopeltis polypodioides. This plant

will wilt and look almost deadin dry periods only to quickly

"resurrect" with a good dose of moisture.

Another beauty, the Pink Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium acaule.

I love the rich, red color of Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja coccinea.

A Lilliputian wonder in the gentian family, Pennywort, Obolaria virginica. This one was only about two inches tall.

Spotted Mandarin, Disporum maculatum,

was a new plant for me.

Spotted Mandarin from another angle so one

can view the tiny purple spots.

One of the rarities everyone wanted to see, the

gorgeous Wherry's Catchfly, Silene caroliniana var. wherryi, a cousin to Firepinks.

The showstopper that was the grand finale' for

our Sunday trips, the Crossvine, Bignonia capreolata, was

in full bloom with its vibrant yellow and red

blossoms cascading down the cliff face. What a sight!

I had such a great time at Flora-Quest, enjoying nature with some truly wonderful folks. I hope to see many of you again next year!

Looking for Something to Do Next Weekend????

2009-04-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

There are some great events coming up next weekend. Your blogger plans to be at both. Yes, I am a bit crazy, if you haven't figured that out already. Plus, the weather is predicted to be bee-yoo-tee-full!

This FREE family friendly event is held at the Hueston Woods Nature Center and surrounding area near Oxford, OH Saturday May 16th and Sunday May 17th. Adult bird walks start at 7am Saturday morning. I will be leading a few of the bird walks and possibly assisting with banding on Sunday. For more info go here.

Open to the public, the event features:
Hourly bird walks
Numerous activities for children
Bird banding demonstrations on Sunday
Canoe Excursion
Raptor Show
Seminars on: Young Birders Club, Basic Birding, Landscaping for Birds, and more
Variety of food and merchandise vendors
Live music

Next up, the Ohio Ornithological Society's Annual Conference and Meeting is Saturday May 16th. This year it is situated near the Oak Openings, an area near Toledo that is chock full of rare plants and animals.

Three great speakers are lined up. Kim Kaufman from the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Jim Berry from the Roger Tory Peterson Institute and Jim McCormac, birder/botanist/author/blogger and President of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Come hear some great speakers on Saturday, then spend Sunday in the field enjoying the amazing biodiversity of the region. One should be able to see Karner Blue butterflies, Wild Lupine and other incredible botanical treasures, including many rare plants, and of course don't forget the birds! Warblers should be still moving through in good numbers. For more info go here .

What a great way to enjoy the weekend. Hope I see some of you there!

A Few New Arrivals...

2009-04-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

My friend John Howard has taken some great warbler pictures this month and here are a few of the newer arrivals to Ohio and Indiana.

Louisiana Waterthrush. I was able to watch one for quite a while in Southern Ohio last weekend at Cave Lake. They have such a beautiful song with three loud distinct notes followed by a melodic jumble. Such sleek birds, you can find them secretively poking around the waters edge.

Yellow Warbler. Who could not like this bird? Bright yellow with red pinstriping, it is one of our more common warblers. A very cheerful song of see-see-see titi see. I usually find them in areas with lots of small trees or large shrubs.

Like animals? Visit this site for more Camera Critters.

Skywatch Friday-Southeastway Park, Indianapolis

2009-04-24T05:34:00.000-07:00

This morning I noticed how beautiful the pink blossoms of the Redbud trees looked against the bright blue sky.

For more beautiful skies all over the world, please visit the Skywatch Friday site.

A Rattlesnake Request

2009-04-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

Lisa at Greenbow commented that she would like to see pics of the Timber Rattlesnake. My encounter was very brief, so I didn't get any photos, but my friend John Howard shared with me some amazing ones. These are all of of juvenile Timber Rattlesnakes, which by judging from the thickness of the snake, is like the one I encountered.

Crossvine and the Critter

2009-04-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I had a work day at Cave Lake YMCA camp near Latham, OH. It was a great day and I had all kinds of cool encounters that I will cover in another post. Since I was so close to Shawnee and the Crossvine, Bignonia capreolata, was not in bloom yet a couple weekends ago on the Wild Ones trip, I shot down there afterwards hoping to get a few pics and see this amazing flower. I was not disappointed.

I got to the cliff face where the Crossvine was located. I scanned the wall and found a lovely patch blooming not too far up. I took a few pics and realized-hey, if I step there and climb up a bit here, I could get a really good view.

I am a bit of a clutz. One of my nicknames is "Grace" because of my awkwardness, so I was being very careful. I have broken a few ribs, a finger and have sprained ankles on past forays. I did not want that to happen. So I cautious stepped to make sure I had secure footing, then up I went slow and easy.

The blossoms were even more breath-taking close up. I was standing there cheesing like a Cheshire cat. I had asked my brother to come along, but he was pooped from the work day. So it was just me and the flowers and I was taking it all in. Then I heard a rustling noise...

Just where I had stepped, I noticed a tan snake with a dark-brown block shaped pattern disappear into the cliff face. My heart went into my throat. Yes, boys and girls. A Timber Rattler. Right where I had just stepped in my Keen sandals moments before.

Oh, but did that stop me. Oh, no! I had been wishing to see a wild Timber Rattlesnake for quite a while. I will willingly pick up most non-venomous ones, to the shock of some of my friends. And, I needed a few more pics. So, I figured I was going to make sure Mr. Snake had a chance to go his way, before I stepped back down. Click, click, click...

So I got my Crossvine and a Timber Rattler to boot! What a nice way to end the day! I called my friend, John Howard, and he let me know that Timber Rattlesnakes here in Ohio are fairly docile. Good information to know!

Shawnee State Forest-Henry's Elfin

2009-04-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went butterfly watching with my friend Jim Davidson and a few others from the Ohio Lepidopterist Society Butterfly Observers Group. What fun! A gorgeous day and great company is always welcome.

We were in search of a small butterfly called Henry's Elfin. In Ohio, Henry's Elfin caterpillar feeds on the host plant Redbud, Cercis canadensis. The adults also like to nectar from it, as well. We walked along a horse trail off of Forest Road 5 and found 50-60 of these little wonders. It was amazing!

Redbud blossoms

I took quite a few pics of the minute beauties. They are masters of camouflage. See if you can spot the Henry's Elfin in the pic below.

Can you see it? I know where it is at, and I still lose track!

Camouflaged to look like a dead leaf, here is a closer look.

Still can't find it? How about now...?

Perched on the light colored stick in the middle of the pic. Perfectly camouflaged.

Here is another Henry's Elfin, also camouflaged, sitting on the rocks along the road. If you don't keep your eye on them when they fly, they virtually disappear.

Nature never ceases to amaze!

Your Cup of Joe Can Make a Difference

2009-03-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

Yellow-throated Warbler, formerly known as the Sycamore Warbler for its
fondness for sycamore trees, has a sweet melodic song. Photo by John Howard.

"Don't these birds look like candy? Flying candy...?", a quote from the great orator, Rocky Balboa. Come to think of it, they kinda do, Rocky! And, I am like a kid in a candy store when I am around them. Warblers! They are so colorful and animated. I love chasing them, watching them and sharing them with others.

"TEA-cher, TEA-cher, TEA-cher!" screams out the Ovenbird, like
an overeager student. I love its orange crown. Photo By John Howard.

I look forward to each spring when the migrant birds come back from Central and South America with their cheery songs and gorgeous plumage. Normally, I like to hit the snooze, but during migration it is somehow much easier to get up. I find myself eager to jump up at the crack of dawn to be greeted by these little bundles of energy that hop and flutter from limb to limb while gobbling up tasty caterpillars and other insects.

Common Yellowthroat, the masked marauder of
the wetlands. Photo by John Howard.

About five years ago, I learned about the importance of shade-grown coffee and the link to my bird friends. I found out that this coffee is grown in a more natural way. This process allows birds to safely occupy the plantations; they use very little, if any, pesticides or herbicides. Fewer pesticides means lots of juicy insects are around to help the birds put on fat before their big trip up north. Fewer herbicides means there is plenty of cover so the birds feel safe while they feed.

Chestnut-sided Warbler with its flashy yellow cap. Photo by John Howard.

Traditionally, this was the way coffee was grown until 1972. Most varieties of coffee prefer to grow under a canopy of shade trees. The coffee plants are protected from direct sun and the fallen leaves from the trees provide mulch to retain soil moisture. The abundant birds feed on insects and naturally reduce damage from insect pests. In 1972, new sun-tolerant coffee hybrids were introduced that produced higher yields of coffee beans. Growers started switching their crops to the new form, cutting down trees in the process. Unfortunately, the new sun coffee needed high volumes of pesticides. Because the areas are cleared of other plants, erosion and mineral depletion required additional fertilizers to be applied to the soil.

Bee-buzz!!! Bee-buzz!!! I love that sound and then the subsequent chase to
find where it is hiding. These little guys are great ventiloquists. You
think it is located in the shrub right in front of you and realize it is actually
180 degrees behind you! Blue-winged Warbler photo by John Howard.

The brilliant flame-colored throat of a Blackburnian Warbler

always stops me in my tracks. Photo by John Howard.

So what is a birder to do? We love coffee; it is essential to help us roll out of bed at 4am to go looking for birds. There is an option that can make a huge difference if all of us would climb on board. Shade-grown coffee is bird-friendly and healthier for you, as well. Sun coffee is sprayed with more chemicals than any other food product. Shade-grown coffee uses very little, if any, chemicals. The coffee beans ripen slowly in the shade to develop a deeper, richer flavor. Because the crop grows in the shade, local farmers can grow fruit and nut crops along with the coffee to give them multiple sources of income. It is estimated that shade-grown coffee plants can live twice as long as sun-grown plants and some shade-grown plants can live up to 50 years!

The" zee zee, zoo zoo, zee" of the Black-throated Green Warbler was one of
the first warbler songs I learned. Photo by John Howard.

Black and White Warbler, with its beautifully patterned
zebra-striped plumage. Photo By John Howard.

So, an ordinary, everyday task of making a cup of coffee, can make a big difference to the migrant birds that visit the midwest. If nature lovers would switch to shade-grown coffee and convince a few of their friends, it could make a huge impact. If we create a demand for shade-grown coffee, this may slow the clear-cutting to produce more sun-grown fields and possibly some of the fields may be converted back to shade-grown coffee. Shade-grown coffee is good for the growers with a better livelihood and health. It is good for us becuase the coffee is grown with less chemicals. And, it is great for the birds by supplying much needed habitat. Less pesticides and more flavor! What a bargain! So, please consider the simple switch next time you make a cup of joe. There is always room for more warblers in this world!

Summer Tanager, another gorgeous visitor of shade-grown
coffee plantations. Photo by John Howard.

For more information, please visit Birds and Beans and Audubon Coffee.

For more posts on birds, visit I and the Bird.

Adams County Exploring

2009-03-22T12:32:00.001-07:00

Sorry about the absence of posts, lately. I have been very busy with many projects. Anyway, Sunday I had a chance to visit Adams county and hang with a few of my pals. We went exploring in search of Micro-botany, lots of tiny amazing things that are sometimes overlooked. Here are a few of the treasures we discovered.

Here is the organizer, John Howard, standing behind a Dwarf Hackberry. (The twisty, skinny tree smack dab in the center). He was our chauffeur and very knowledgeable guide, knowing just where to find all the rarities. Cheryl Harner and I joked that he could be the new Brawny towel guy , with the red flannel.

One of the first plants we encountered, I had been wishing to see for quite a while. Last year, I found it when the petals were just beginning to unfurl at Clifton Gorge. Snow Trillium, Trillium nivale was open in all its niveous glory. Gorgeous!

A little further in our journey, we encountered some interesting lichens on the path, Pixie Cup Lichen, Cladonia chlorophaea, looks like miniature goblets fit for a mythical woodland creature. If you drink out of them, will you see these creatures??? Hmmmm.... I need a willing guinea pig to test this out. Photo by John Howard.

On the same log was Common Powderhorn Lichen, Cladonia coniocraea. They look like little bony fingers coming out of the wood.

After climbing up a steep ravine, I knew what it was like to be a mountain goat. Baaaaaaaah! But after reaching the top, we were well rewarded with all kinds of cool finds. The basal rosette of Wedge-leaved Whitlow-grass, Draba cuneifolia, is not much bigger than a nickel. John Howard's "mad skillz" with the camera was able to capture the minuscule downy hairs on the leaves. In a week or so, a stem will shoot up from the center and will grow about two inches tall. It will be topped with beautiful tiny white flowers. Drabas are in the Mustard family along with other favorites that will be blooming soon like Cut-leaf Toothwort and Purple Cress.

Here is a view from atop Walton's mountain. Ummm, well, I don't really know what this spot is really called, but it sounds good to me. :)

Another find from atop "WM" was Michaux's Sandwort, Minuartia michauxii. It is in the Pink family, the same family Fire Pinks are in. This plant will also have tiny white flowers that you can view here. Photo by John Howard.

Back down "WM" we went, while trying really hard not to slide down the slope on my bottom. We cut through a field and made a fascinating discovery.

Here is a shot of the gang, left to right: John Howard, Cheryl Harner, Jessica and Jeff Huxmann. What are they all intently scrutinizing?

American Hazelnut, Corylus americana, in bloom. I had never seen the female flower of hazelnut before. It is a diminutive wonder, a tiny fuschia firework. John took this awesome photo. It is nearly impossible to focus on such a small, delicate subject.

Just for fun, here is one of my attempts. This would be a great "What is wrong with this picture" quiz. Sigh...

Here is a shot of the male catkins. Hazelnut are dioecious, possessing both male and female flowers.

Off to another site with more micro-botany. This time we were in search of two more tiny mustards.

Michaux's Leavenworthia, Leavenworthia uniflora with its compound basal rosette. Note the acorn cap in the picture for size reference.

Also present was Carolina Whitlow-grass, Draba reptans. This one was farther behind and was not ready to bloom, yet. Note the dense hairs on the leaves.

One last plant from our micro-botany foray. This one is a real rarity. Canby's Mountain-lover, Paxistima canbyi. It is in the same family as bittersweet and euonymus.

It has unique evergreen foliage and lovely pink teensy-weensy flowers. I loved it. The pink petals and the contrasting yellow stamens were fantastic.

Hopefully, you will get out soon and look for some of natures small wonders, as well.

Wordless Wednesday-Cedar Bog, Showy Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium reginae

2009-03-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

Visit this site for more Wordless Wednesday pics.

Field Trip Choice-Clifton Gorge

2009-03-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

At our upcoming Midwest Native Plant Conference, we have ten field trips from which to choose. One of those will be the breath-taking Clifton Gorge, located in Greene County. This 268-acre preserve was registered as a National Natural Landmark in 1968. Two miles of the Little Miami State and National Scenic River runs through deep, winding channels. A few of these unique channels were shaped by potholes formed in Silurian dolomite bedrock that became interconnected over time. The site has scenic waterfalls, spectacular spring wildflowers and fascinating geology.

The day I had decided to visit had been a bit stressful and I was exhausted. As I scrambled down the rock steps, I could hear the water swiftly coursing through the gorge. Soon I felt tiny droplets of mist on my cheek and I could feel the tension melting away.

A tiny bee was visiting these lavender lovelies

It was early April and the Hepatica, Hepatica nobilis, was really putting on a show. One hillside along the gorge was blanketed with petals of delicate pink, white, lavender and blue.

This handsome deep blue variety is my personal favorite

An unusual candy-striped white and pink variety

A waterfall will always brighten one's mood, especially when accompanied by interesting botany. Near the falls I found Carex plantaginea, Plantain-leaved sedge. I had originally learned the common name as Seersucker Sedge. It was easy to remember because the leaves have a puckered appearance.

Puckered leaves of Carex plantaginea

Giant slabs of rock were peppered with stands of hemlocks and arborvitae. All along the river, massive blocks that once formed the cliff overhangs had tumbled into the gorge.

While poking around near another waterfall area, I stumbled upon this brilliant red Sarcoscypha sp. fungus. I was fascinated with how it was curled about itself. It was very fleshy and a tiny bit slimy to the touch.

Clifton Gorge is such a fascinating place to explore; one could easily spend a day there. I plan for a return visit soon and hope to find the rare Snow Trillium in full bloom.

Wordless Wednesday-Swamp Rose-mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)

2009-03-04T09:19:00.001-08:00

A Skunk, not a Robin, is the True Sign of Spring

2009-02-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

Many people believe if they spot American Robins in their yard, spring is on the way. Actually, a type of skunk is the first sign of spring.

No, not that kind of skunk!

This kind of skunk-Skunk-cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus. It is one of the earliest wildflowers that pushes its odd-looking gnome's hat through the mucky ground of wetlands in late February and early March. The structure that looks like a gnome's hat is called a spathe.Skunk-cabbage is a common North American member of the Arum Family(Araceae). The largest member of this family is the spectacular Titan Arum from Sumatra, while the smallest is the tiny duckweed that floats on many of our ponds. Another member of the Arum Family many plant enthusiasts may be familiar with is the Peace Lily, a favored indoor plant.

These amazing plants are thermogenic; they can generate their own heat. The internal temperature of the spathe on Skunk-cabbage can reach temperatures well over 70 degrees F! Skunk-cabbage also produces foul-smelling chemicals called putrescine and cadaverine. They conjure the smells of death or putrifying flesh. The putrid smell plus the warmth attracts beetles and flies. These insects pollinate the tiny flowers found upon the ball-like spadix contained within the maroon spathe.

Above is a closeup of the spadix with the tiny flowers evenly spaced over the surface.

Soon the spathe and spadix will begin to wither and the furled leaves push through the mucky soil. In mid-summer and fall, a 2-3 inch oval fruit, shaped like a brain, will form. Inside, one will find ten to fourteen smooth, round seeds.

In late spring and early summer, the giant leaves of Skunk-cabbage can reach lengths of 20 inches and can measure 16 inches wide. When crushed, they also produce a pungent odor similar to a skunk. Native Americans would crush the petioles of the leaves containing the chemical calcium oxalate and apply to the skin to help heal deep bruises. If ingested, this chemical produces a sensation of hot, burning needles that can last for hours. This helps deter animals from eating the plant.

Look for Skunk-cabbage in wet woods and swamps. You can find the spathe and spadix in February and March and the leaves in early spring and throughout the summer.

The end.

(Photos of robin, skunk and skunk-cabbage leaves from Wikipedia)

Midwest Native Plant Conference Logo

2009-02-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

For our inaugural post I thought I would give you a little info on our logo for the Midwest Native Plant Conference, July 24th-26th. Go here for pre-registration and more info. There are four species represented in the logo; two flowers, one grass and one butterfly are skillfully weaved together by artist Ann Geise.

A field of Sideoats Grama at Green Lawn

Cemetery. Photo by Jim McCormac.

The grass that forms a graceful arch in our logo is Sideoats Grama, Bouteloua curtipendula. This short grass, which reaches one and a half to three feet in height, is a handsome plant even in winter. In the above photo, Sideoats Grama makes a welcome addition to a prairie planting at Green Lawn cemetery in Columbus, OH. In the photo below, Sideoats Grama creates an amber sea of grass surrounding the large wire bison statue on the White River Canal in Indianapolis.

Photo by John A. Lind.

Graceful, delicate stalks of Sideoats Grama. Photo by Kevin Tungesvick.

Each individual stalk creates a unique look, with seed heads forming along one side of the stem. This plant can grow in rocky, sandy and shallow soil, so it could be a nice addition to an area you cannot grow other grasses.

The golden flower head of Ohio Goldenrod welcomes butterflies. Photo by Jim McCormac

The yellow flower in the logo is Ohio Goldenrod, Oligoneuron ohioense . You may also see this plant listed as Solidago ohioensis. The goldenrod group went through some name changes a few years back. This beautiful plant, with large golden blossoms, is a butterfly magnet! It is especially attractive when paired with the rich lavender hues of New England Aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (also known as Aster novae-angliae), which blooms about the same time. Absolutely gorgeous! I used to work at Spence Restoration Nursery and we had a few long rows of Stiff Goldenrod, a cousin to Ohio Goldenrod, planted for seed production. I looked forward to checking the row each day and seeing all the butterflies that smothered the blossoms, taking advantage of the nectar source. I marvelled at the variety of species I observed. By the way, the goldenrod species gets a bad rap for causing allergies in the fall. It is actually ragweed that is the culprit for most allergy symptoms.

This closeup shot by John Howard shows the purple

filaments of Dense Blazing Star, Liatris spicata.

A beautiful lavender field of Dense Blazing Star. Photo by John Howard.

The purple flower in the logo is Dense Blazing Star, Liatris spicata. This plant is another butterfly attractant. We, also, had a row of Dense Blazing Star at the nursery which monarchs really enjoyed. One day, I counted over 25 monarchs feeding on the Liatris in our field. The dense flower stalks are covered with seeds attached to fluffy pappus in the late fall and winter that many birds find irresistible.

Male Monarch butterfly on Common Milkweed.

That brings us full circle to the monarch butterfly in our logo. Monarchs are great ambassadors for nature. Adults and children alike delight in spying a monarch on the wing. Their bright orange and black signature colors may attract humans, but birds know it is a warning sign to stay away. Monarchs pick up cardiac glycosides from their host plants, poisons found in the milkweed family. The caterpillars munch away on leaves of milkweed, all the while protecting their delicate bodies from harm. If a bird eats a monarch caterpillar or adult, they will soon learn that it will cause vomiting and they will shun them from then on.

Migrating monarchs. Photo from. US Fish and Wildlife Service Digital Library.

Monarchs' annual migration to Mexico each year links many citizens from both countries. School children participate in many projects pertaining to the monarch migration. Citizen science tagging projects through Monarch Watch and Monarch Larva Monitoring Project involve many people in the U.S. on the tagging end of the project and Mexico on the recovery of the tags. The monarch is a very appropriate mascot, considering these insects truly connect people to nature and that is our goal, as well.