Summer Grape
Last fall, I posted a picture of a summer grape (vitus aestivalis) vine that wasn’t all that big, but I knew that I had larger ones on the property. Here is one of them: This one is climbing a black … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Nature
Post Oak
This one was easy for me to initially identify – I knew it was an oak. But which one? There are 7 different oak species in southwestern Virginia. Using my plant identification guide, I was able to identify this one … Continue reading →
Hawthorn
The hawthorn (crataegus spp. L.) family, I discovered, is a large group of shrubs and small trees that are nearly impossible to identify as separate species. Wikipedia says that “a reasonable number is 200 species” but “some botanists in the … Continue reading →
White Dogwood
Flowering dogwood (cornus florida), as all Virginians should know, is the state tree. Early on, I noticed numerous dogwoods on my property – they are gorgeous in the spring when they bloom! On this trip, a friend told me that … Continue reading →
Cucumber Tree
Shortly after buying my property, I went out to Rocky Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway and bought a copy of Trees & Shrubs of Virginia, by Gupton and Swope. While browsing through it, I noticed an entry for a … Continue reading →
Spicebush
Little by little, I am identifying the plants that are on my property. I took lots and lots of pictures, but when I got home and downloaded them, I found that I didn’t have a very good system for taking … Continue reading →
Wingstem
Ah, wingstem! A vigorous plant, indeed. Early on, in the winter, a friend pointed the plant out and told me that it was locally called “stickweed”. He said that it hadn’t been all that common when he was a kid … Continue reading →
Virginia Knotweed
When Fred First identified this plant as Virginia knotweed, I feared that it was related to the invasive exotic, Japanese knotweed. While both are in the same family (polygonaceae), Virginia knotweed is in the genus persicaria while Japanese knotweed is … Continue reading →
American Basswood
Most of the trees on my property are really tall and I didn’t have binoculars with me to be able to see the leaves in detail. Some of the trees are very recognizable, like black cherry (prunus serotina), because of … Continue reading →
Hamelia Patens
This post will complete the series of three that I promised in my post on West Indian Lilac. Hamelia Patens, also known as firebush, is a very attractive shrub with masses of orange-red flowers that are wonderful butterfly attractors. I … Continue reading →