3-31-24: First Wildflower Walk of 2024…

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. We finally had a good soaking on Monday! Lighting, thunder, and lots of rain! The rain gauge said 1 3/4″ in the end.

I went Moral mushroom hunting on Saturday and found around 20, but most of them were on the small side so I left them behind. I found a few that were big enough to fill a 9″ skillet.

Then on Sunday, the day before it rained, I went to my friend Kevin’s secluded woods to look around. I didn’t go in 2023, so I was glad to get back in the woods again. This woodland isn’t really that secluded since it is along the highway, but it is very healthy. Normally, the creek is running but it was mostly dry this time. This rain will get it going and likely wash out a few areas along the hillside. Even though 1 3/4″ doesn’t sound like that much, a little goes a long way in a downpour when the water is going down a steep hillside.

Cardamine concatenata (Cut-Leaved Toothwort) on 3-31-24, #981-1.

There were A LOT of Cardamine concatenata (Cut-Leaved Toothwort) growing on the hillside along the creek. Many were blooming quite well, while even more hadn’t started yet. Most of the flowers were wide open this time.

Cardamine concatenata (Cut-Leaved Toothwort) on 3-31-24, #981-2.

I need to go back to the woods to get photos when they set fruit, dry, and split… I have to replace the ones I borrowed. 🙂

Claytonia virginica (Virginia Spring Beauty) on 3-31-24, #981-3.

There were loads of Claytonia virginica (Virginia Spring Beauty) in several areas along the creek and on the hillside in Kevin’s woods. In 2020 I found a single plant growing close to the fence in the southeast pasture (where I live), and about 20 feet away there A LOT more.

Claytonia virginica (Virginia Spring Beauty) on 3-31-24, #981-5.

Then in 2022, I found hundreds in Kevin’s woods… And again in 2024.

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s Breeches) on 3-31-24, #981-11.

The Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s Breeches) were just as plentiful as the Cardamine cucullaria and they grow together in many areas. I am going out later to dissect a flower because they are very interesting… Not only do the flowers have nectar glands in a weird place, but the seeds have masses of elaiosomes which ants use as food. They carry the seeds back to their nests and discard them which aids in the spread of the plants.

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s Breeches) on 3-31-24, #981-10.

I wrote descriptions for this species on March 5 and really learned A LOT. If you want, you can click on the link to its page above to check out the detailed photos I borrowed. I want to dissect a flower to check its inside out for myself and hopefully get a few good close-ups… Practice makes perfect. 🙂

Ellisia nyctelea (Aunt Lucy) on 3-31-24, #981-12.

I climbed the steep hillside and crawled under the fence to look for a certain plant and ran across several colonies of a species I hadn’t identified before. I took a few shots and uploaded them on iNaturalist for an ID and they turned out to be Ellisia nyctelea, commonly known as Aunt Lucy… Hmmm… It is currently the only species in the genus. There were none with flowers, but the Missouri Plants website says they bloom from April to June. Maybe next time I go out there will be flowers.

Ellisia nyctelea (Aunt Lucy) on 3-31-24, #981-13.

The common name will be easy to remember since I had an aunt named Lucy. Once I find flowers, I will be able to write its own page. 🙂 You can check out the species page on the Missouri Plants website by clicking HERE.

Erythronium albidum (White Fawnlily) on 3-31-24, #981-14.

Almost everywhere I looked along the creek and on the hillside were hundreds of Erythronium albidum (White Fawnlily/White Dogtooth Violet). They start flowering sometime in March and continue through May but I haven’t seen any YET. I am determined to find flowers so I can finish its page… The flowers are supposed to be really neat… Check out the page for the species on the Missouri Plants website by clicking HERE.

Phlox divaricata subsp. laphamii (Wild Blue Phlox) on 3-31-24, #981-15.

There were several Phlox divaricata subsp. laphamii (Wild Blue Phlox) but not as many as before. They were also very short this time…

Triosteum perfoliatum (Perfoliate Tinker’s Weed) on 3-31-24, #981-16.

The main reason I climbed up the hillside and crawled under the fence was to see if I could find the Triosteum perfoliatum (Perfoliate Tinker’s Weed). I couldn’t find it the last several times I checked because the brushy undergrowth was too tall and thick. I knew where to look, and to my surprise I found it!

Triosteum perfoliatum (Perfoliate Tinker’s Weed) on 3-31-24, #981-17.

I was very excited! This amazing plant grows fairly tall and has odd flowers, similar to a honeysuckle (in the same family). I went earlier than usual so it was only maybe around 8″ tall and there was only one…

Triosteum perfoliatum (Perfoliate Tinker’s Weed) on 3-31-24, #981-18.

Of course, the perfoliate leaves are one of the highlights of this plant. I like the way they clasp the stem making it look like there is only one with the stem running through the center.

Viola pubescens (Downy Yellow Violet) on 3-31-24, #981-19.

There are several spread-out colonies of Viola pubescens (Downy Yellow Violet) in Kevin’s woods but I only found one with flowers. It’s the fuzzy fruit that is unique to this species… Or was unique…

Viola pubescens (Downy Yellow Violet) on 3-31-24, #981-20.

Due to a taxon split, it is possibly now Viola eriocarpa (Smooth Yellow Violet)… On the list of synonyms for V. pubescens is Viola pubescens var. eriocarpa. Viola pubescens was named by William Aiton in 1789 and the variety was named by Thomas Nuttall in 1818. Viola eriocarpa was named by Lewis (or Ludwig) David von Schweinitz in 1822.

Two more attempts were made to make it part of Viola pubescens with Viola pubescens f. eriocarpa by Oliver Atkins Farwell in 1923 and another V. pubescens var. eriocarpa by Norman Hudson Russell in 1965. The last two are synonyms of V. eriocarpa… Just a little extra (useless) information. 🙂

I just found out about the taxon split when I was writing this post. I added the photos to its page and then clicked on the link on iNatualist for the species. To my horror, their page said it is an inactive taxon! While Viola pubescens is still an accepted species (with a different assigned number), apparently it was discovered most of the observations for V. pubescens are now Viola eriocarpa… My former observations for V. pubescens were automatically transferred to V. eriocarpa. Hmmm…

According to iNaturalist, V. eriocarpa differs from V. pubescens by having a virtual absence of basal leaves and having 2-3 cauline leaves clustered in the upper 2/3 of the stem, etc. They further state, “Viola eriocarpa is by far the more common of these two species, occurring over a wider geographic range, and in a greater variety of habitats. When it was included in V. pubescens sensu lato, it was sometimes differentiated as V. pubescens var. scabriuscula. Ummm… They also state “Viola pubescens is very uniform in morphology while V. eriocarpa is much more variable which it is often confused.” Hmmm… Well, according to my photos, it is likely the Viola pubescens I identified are likely Viola eriocarpa. That means I have to check the leaves and stems on the plants in Kevin’s woods. In the past, I found several in the woods behind this farm (the neighbors), and in 2022 I found a few on my side of the fence. I didn’t see them last year, and I noticed “something” has been digging in the ground where they were growing along the fence. Possibly that darn Armadillo!!!

At any rate, I will likely be overhauling the Viola pubescens page…

Hopefully, I will be going back to Kevin’s woods in a few days. The Green Dragon and Jack-In-The Pulpit weren’t up yet.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. It’s almost time for me to get my hands in the dirt. 🙂

The Crocus Are Blooming!

Crocus sp. near the southeast corner of the foundation on 2-21-24.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. February is coming to a close and I always wondered why the shortest month of the year seems to last so long. Tuesday, I was in town and a friend said his Crocus were starting to come up, so I checked the plants in the “other yard” to see what they were doing. As usual, the Crocus there were already blooming up a storm.

Crocus sp. next to the northwest corner of the foundation on 2-21-24.

They have been coming up in two areas close to the foundation of my grandparent’s old house since 2019 (or 2018) out of the blue. The first photos I took of them was in 2019, but it seems like they came up before that. I’m sure if they did, though, I would have taken photos. Dad was still alive when I first saw them, and neither one of us had seen them before. I lived in my grandparent’s house from April 1981 to July 1987, and there were no Crocus… They are all yellow in a small area fairly close to the southeast corner of the foundation while next to the northwest corner, they are yellow, and a really pale blue.

Crocus sp. on 2-21-24.

It is a very good sign that spring is almost here when the Crocus starts blooming and the daffodils and tulips start coming up.

Crocus sp. on 2-21-24.

I guess the Crocus near the southeast corner aren’t really yellow, more like a golden yellow with maroon markings. They are growing in full sun and the soil in this spot is fairly sandy. I had a flower bed in this area when I lived here before, and I had to dig a big hole in the ground once to clean out the pipe that I thought went to the septic tank… Well, folks, there was no pipe. It was what I was told was “land tile” and there was no cement between the tile. I’m not sure if land tile is the proper name or not, but they were around a foot or so long and ran under the driveway. I never did find the septic tank nor could I find any land tile on the other side of the driveway… There is a deeper pipe that drains the basement. Well, that is just a memory that popped into my head…

Crocus sp. on 2-21-24.

The pale blue flowers are nearly white. The lower flower in the above is completely white…

Crocus sp. on 2-21-24.

While the others have bluish-purple streaks.

Crocus sp. on 2-21-24.

The leaves have a silver streak along the midrib. Some species form fruit in the area where the papery sheath is, but I checked the plants growing in the yard, and there was nothing there. I checked the spent flowers where the ovaries usually are on other plants, and saw nothing… Hmmm… If there are no seeds, where did these plants come from in the first place? Well, at some point, there have to be seeds so I will keep checking… Maybe not all flowers produce seeds… At any rate, they spread through bulb division, which they have done quite well.

Crocus sp. on 2-21-24.

The flowers appear to be what is known as “perfect” having both male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers.

Crocus sp. on 2-21-24.

Some are a little farther along.

Finding out the species of these Crocus led me on a wild goose chase. You know how I need to know the species names… I figured they were a wild species, but apparently maybe not… I’m not sure.

Distribution map for the Crocus genus from the USDA Plants Database. Published on the internet at https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home. Retrieved on February 22, 2024.

The USDA Plants Database says there are no wild species in Missouri. In fact, all seven species listed are introduced… You can click HERE to see the maps for all seven species by clicking on subordinate taxa.

Distribution map of the Crocus genus from Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/. Retrieved on February 22, 2024.

Plants of the World Online lists currently lists 243 species in the Crocus genus. Areas in green are where the members of the genus are native and purple are where they have been introduced.

The above map shows where observations of Crocus have been made worldwide by iNaturalist members. The iNaturalist website is published on the internet at https://inaturalist.org. The iNaturalist website is a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic Society. This map was retrieved and shared on this site on February 22, 2024, by permission.

I checked out the observations on iNaturalist for Missouri and there were 19. None were verified. Well, except for one but it was observed in October so it doesn’t count. 🙂

As of 2-22-24, the map on iNaturalist shows 36,747 observations. I clicked on about 40 observations and less than 10 have been verified by other members making them Research Grade. Most of the observations are listed as Genus Crocus or Complex Crocus vernus. Some are listed with a species name, but still all but a few have been verified… 

So, I did some research and read a little of several scientific documents online. You know, papers written by botanists and scientists. I could understand them somewhat, but they were way above my head. In a nutshell, Crocus species are very complicated and seem to be still evolving… Many species are very similar so it takes complicated lab work to figure them out. 

Naturalized Crocus can be found on old homesites throughout the country just like Iris and daffodils. You can plant them in beds or in your yard where they come up and spread. The key is not to mow the area until the leaves have completely disappeared so they can store energy in the corms. If you mow them off before that, you will eventually lose your Crocus.

I guess what species that are growing in the yard will remain a mystery and I have to continue calling them Crocus sp. and be happy with it…

I am very glad we have been having mild temperatures this past week and will continue for a while.

Until next time, be safe and stay positive. It’s almost time to GET DIRTY!

 

 

 

 

 

Baptisia alba var. macrophylla > B. lactea > Baptisia leucophaea > Taxon Split

Baptisia lactea (Wild White Indigo, Western White Indigo, ETC.) on 7-22-21, #817-1.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all well. We have had some weird weather in January. If we don’t like something, we can usually change it but weather isn’t one of those things (unless we move). Otherwise, all is well here.

I finished updating The Belmont Rooster 20 days earlier that last year because it went so smoothly. I didn’t have to make a lot of changes as far as species names and synonyms was concerned. But, there was one snag… I remember it well… It was on December 17 when I came to the Baptisia alba var. macrophylla page. The first thing I did was go to Plants of the World Online to make sure the scientific name was the same and the number of synonyms was still correct. Well, there was a HUGE problem. POWO said Baptisia alba var. macrophylla (Larisey) Isely is now a synonym of Baptisia leucophaea Nutt……… Well, I checked out Baptisia leucophaea online, looked at photos, and my first reaction was completely blank. Baptisia leucophaea has pale yellow flowers and the stems are horizontal… Baptisia alba and Baptisia alba var. macrophylla have white flowers on erect racemes (flower stem). How in the heck could a white flowered variety (var, macrophylla) become a synonym of a species of with yellow flowers with horizontal stems?

Well, I sent an email to the editor of POWO like I always do when I have a question. He has always been very helpful, and sometimes I have found a definite error. Sometimes I think I could be a bit of a pest, but he hasn’t complained. You know, I am not a botanist, but anyone could see there was definitely something whacky. His prompt reply was that the name was changed on Flora of North America and apparently they did a study of Baptisia (maybe not in those exact words). That was also puzzling because Flora of North America didn’t have anything online about the plant Fabaceae… SO, I sent an email to my contact from FNA. His prompt reply was they had Fabaceae published but it wasn’t online yet. Fortunately, he sent a PDF of what was to be online eventually. Once I read it, the muddy water cleared somewhat.

But the question still remained… How could a white flowered variety become a synonym of a species with yellow flowers… Since I still had the synonyms of B. alba var. macrophylla, I read the original publications of every one of them. Most were vague and all but two are now synonyms of Baptisia lactea var. lactea. Hmmm… One is a synonym is B. lactea, and one a synonym of Baptisia leucophaea. WAIT A MINUTE! Baptisia lactea? 

I had work to do, so I skipped the whole ordeal until I was finished with the rest of the updates. Still the thought of the change kept popping up.

When I was finished I went back to solve they mystery behind the name change. Back to reading the original publications again. To be honest, when some “authors” wrote descriptions in the past, they weren’t quite clear. Some point to another author’s description which was just as bad.

It is quite clear that what most of the websites are and have been calling Baptisia alba var. macrophylla is definitely NOT and never will be Baptisia leucophaea. So, lets have a look at the the ONLY white-flowered Baptisia now found in Missouri, according to FNA’s PDF, which, as I said, isn’t online yet… Baptisia lactea…

Baptisia lactea (Raf.) Thieret was a synonym of Baptisia alba var. macrophylla (Larisey) Isely as named and described as such by Duane Isely in Sida (Contributions to Botany) in 1986. It was previously named and described as Baptisia pendula var. macrophylla by Mary Maxine Larisey in Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1940. Baptisia pendula var. macrophylla is now “a synonym” of Baptisia leucophaea Nutt... Ahhh… There you see the only former synonym of B. alba var. macrophylla that possibly caused that name to become a synonym of B. leucophaea… Larisey’s original publication of B. pendula says “branches… spreading, declined”…. “corolla white (?)”… If she actually saw the plant, why did she say corolla white (?). Would there be a “?” ? Just thinking…

Now going back a bit further… The former synonym Baptisia lactea (Raf.) Thieret has now been resurrected. It was named as such by John William Thieret in Sida in 1969. It was first named Dolichos lacteus by Constantine Samuel Rafinesquei in Florula Ludoviciana ( A Flora of the State of Louisiana) in 1817.

Let’s go back a little further while I’m on a roll to Dolichos lacteus Raf. from 1817 which is the basionym of Baptisia lactea (Raf.) Thieret… Starting with POWO, going to IPNI (International Plant Names Index) via “other data”, then to the original publication on BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library) via IPNI… Plants of the World Online allows you to get to the nitty gritty. IPNI doesn’t actually give a link to Dolichos lacteus, but it is on page 103 of Florula Ludoviciana (a Flora of the State of Louisiana). When you open the publication, just scroll down down and click on any species name, click on BHL, then scroll down to page 103. There you will find:

Caule erecto terei glabro, apice ramoso, ramis horizontalis; foliolis oblongis, mollibus: racemis elongatis, leguminibus caliculatis oblongis turgidus. Raf.—Josephine, Rob. p. 502, and 267. Fine perennial plant, sending every year a shoot similar to that of asparagus and glaucous; the folioles are ternated and stipulated, the flower of a milk white, seeds yellow and small; grows in meadows. It is said that it possesses the property of mitigating acute pain, and purifying the blood; the seeds may be eaten.

Latin Translated from Google:

The erect stem is glabrous, with a branched tip, and horizontal branches; oblong, soft leaves: elongated clusters, turgid with oblong caliculate vegetables

[OK, I wouldn’t eat the seeds or recommend using it for pain or to purify the blood unless you get a supplement from a reliable supplier AND get the advice of a doctor.]

That is be beginning of Baptisia lactea. You can do basically the same thing to find information on any species and synonyms… You can do the same thing through Tropicos and World Flora Online as long as there is a link to IPNI or BHL.

Basically, what I am getting at here is that even though Baptisia alba var. macrophylla is now a synonym of Baptisia leucophylla, B. leucophaea is NOT the species represented on the vast majority of websites talking about Baptisia alba. var. macrophylla. That would most likely now be Baptisia lactea.

Let me show you some current maps published on Plants of the World Online:

The genus Baptisia…

Distribution map for the Baptisia genus from the USDA Plants Database. Published on the internet at https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home. Retrieved on January 22, 2024.

As of 1-22-24, Plants of the World Online lists 18 accepted species in the genus Baptisia. It is a member of the plant Fabaceae. No map is perfect, but this is from data provided to POWO from Flora of North America.

 

Baptisia alba (L.) R.Br.

Distribution map for Baptisia alba from the USDA Plants Database. Published on the internet at https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home. Retrieved on January 22, 2024.

The above map for Baptisia alba from Plants of the World Online shows the range for only seven states in the U.S. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. There are no infraspecific names listed…

 

Baptisia lactea (Raf.) Thieret:

Distribution map for Baptisia lactea from the USDA Plants Database. Published on the internet at https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home. Retrieved on January 22, 2024.

The above distribution map for Baptisia lactea (Raf.) Thieret is from Plants of the World Online. As I mentioned above, this scientific name was a synonym of Baptisia alba var. macrophylla. This map is very close to the former map for Baptisia alba… There are two lower taxon for B. lactea… B. lactea var. lactea (autonym) and B. lactea var. pendula (Larisey) B.L.Turner. When an infraspecific taxon is named, an autonym is automatically created that is closest to the original species… In this case, Baptisia lactea var. pendula is found in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. If you remove those states from the above map, you will have the range for Baptisia lactea var. lactea… B. lactea var. pendula has a similar range as B. alba… So, for Missouri where I live, and the species have observed and photographed and have a page for, is NOW Baptisia lactea where it used to be…. Well, you get the idea…

Now for Baptisia leucophaea Nutt….

Distribution map for Baptisia leucophaea from the USDA Plants Database. Published on the internet at https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home. Retrieved on January 23, 2024.

The above distribution map for the resurrected Baptisia leucophaea Nutt. is from Plants of the World Online. Baptisia leucophaea was named and described by Thomas Nuttall in 1818. It became a synonym of Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea (Nutt.) Kartesz & Gandhi as suggested by John T. Kartesz and Kanchi Natarajan Gandhi in 1991. Well, it now once again Baptisia leucophaea. HOLY CRAP! The above map is almost the same range as Baptisia lactea var. lactea minus a couple of states… Baptisia leucophaea has no lower taxon listed.

I am honestly looking forward to seeing a Baptisia leucophaea in person… According to iNaturalist, there have been observations of B. bracteata and B. bracteata var. leucophaea not far from here. OOPS!!! The range has now changed drastically… Oh, I’m sorry… I almost forgot B. bracteata var. leucophaea is now B. leucophaea. The current native range for B. bracteata is Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina. It has been introduced to Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Time for another flag for iNaturalist. When you flag a species for a taxon change (name change) on iNaturalist, it may take a while for it to be approved. Been there done that, but it is understandable. Especially when you consider the list of flags is growing daily and not for just plants. They deal with pretty much everything living except for humans… I was getting ready to flag a species in January but someone beat me to it… Four years earlier and it is just now in the draft stage. I am certainly not knocking iNaturalist. It is a great site and I post all my observations there. The maps are continually updated as members post observations.

I apologize, I got off track… Now, where was I? Oh yeah, maps. Just remember, the maps may not be 100% accurate, but I think Flora of North America is pretty close. Some people prefer using the maps on BONAP (the Biota Project of North America) or the USDA Plants Database. They should be close since the USDA’s data came from BONAP. Even so, they aren’t always the same. Maps are just a guide and species distribution can change easily because they spread, haven’t been observed even though present, or environmental factors.

I realize most of my blog readers aren’t interested, but it will be published online and maybe others will find this post useful. Likely, the scientific names won’t change on many GREAT websites because once they publish information they never make updates for whatever reason they may have. Maybe they are short staffed or perhaps a one man operation. That’s OK in most cases, as long as the name they use is validly published and a synonym of a species that will point them in the right direction. This is not one of those times as the name change leads in at least two directions… White flowers and/or yellow flowers… Once Flora of North America’s Fabaceae is up and running online, you will be able to see all of the Baptisia species in North America, see the maps, and read descriptions.

By all means, if you see I have made an error, please let me know with a comment or through “contact” at the top of the page.

You can read my page for Baptisia lactea and view all the photos I have taken by clicking HERE. I purposely haven’t changed the URL from Baptisia alba var. macrophylla…

I’m finished blabbing now although I get the feeling I left something out…

Until next time, take care, stay positive, and always be thankful. Thanks for visiting!

1-8-24 SNOW!!!

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. It rained almost all night and up until about noon. I checked the forecast and decided I better go to town because snow was in the forecast. Well, by the time I got to the car it had started snowing. I needed to go to the church because we have a leak in the roof and I thought I better check it. Fortunately, the floor was dry this time.

I didn’t check the time when the above photo was taken, and the time on the camera was whacky. It said it was taken at 3:03, but it was more like 1:03. I fixed that issue, even though I thought I had done it before.

By the time I was back home, the snow had started to accumulate. It was 34°F… I scattered some birdseed on the ground and filled the wooden feeder on the pole. The hanging feeder was fine. I put some birdseed on the porch railing so the bird could eat where it was dry.

 

I took several photos from the bedroom window but they didn’t come out so good…

 

Sometimes I would look out the window and there would be at least 50 birds. At other times there would be none… A few times I would try to take a shot and they would fly off in the blink of an eye. GEEZ! You would think they would learn to pose for the camera…

By 3 PM, I decided to give up on the birds and publish this post… The snow had let up and it was starting to fall off the trees. BUT, it isn’t over yet… It is supposed to snow for several more hours. Plus, it is supposed to snow tomorrow and again on Friday. Friday the temp is supposed to drop to 24. Yesterday, the forecast said it would get down to 9°F Friday night, now it says 6. The high on Saturday is supposed to be 19, with a low of 12. OK, I am not going to look beyond that. I am expecting an 80° heatwave! Ummm… I may have to take a trip for that.

Yesterday I was digging in the dirt and taking photos of the Wild (or Field) Garlic bulbs for a new page.

Until next time, be safe and stay positive. Depending on where you are, keep warm and/or stay dry. No matter what, always be thankful!

 

Frosty Morning

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. Thursday night was very foggy and the temp got down to 28°F. When I went in to make a cup of coffee, I looked out the window and saw the fog had frozen to the trees and other plants.

 

I looked online and found it could called what is known as rime ice. There is hard rime ice or soft rime ice…

 

Hard rime ice is formed when wind speeds are high and trees can be covered with it.

 

It can happen when temps are in the 17-28°F range…

 

Even the guide wires on the antenna were covered.

 

Soft rime ice is more likely to happen during a freezing fog when the wind is calm. There was hardly any wind on Thursday night.

 

I walked out into the pasture to take a few more photos. The temperature was rising and the ice crystals had already started to melt…

 

Water droplets from the fog form when the surfaces of trees or other objects are at or below freezing.

 

The super-cooled liquid droplets freeze on contact with trees and the tops of grass and weeds (oops… wildflowers).

 

It makes for quite a display…

 

 

 

 

The small pond in the front pasture was covered with a thin sheet of ice…

 

 

 

Vines hanging from a guide wire on a utility pole…

 

Tufted Titmouse…

I walked back to the house since the ice had started melting more quickly in the sun. I saw a couple of Tufted Titmouse at the bird feeder. There was also a White-Breasted Nuthatch that flew up to the hanging feeder quite close to me. I was stunned it came that close but he flew off just as fast so I couldn’t get a photo. The nuthatch is quite a hoot and, like woodpeckers, I think he hides seed in the bark of the tree. Either that, or he finds the seed the woodpeckers have hidden. I like watching the birds through the bedroom window during the day when I am working on the computer.

I finished making annual updates 20 days earlier than last year. Now I am adding new pages and writing descriptions on published pages without descriptions. Writing descriptions in my own words takes a lot of time…

Did you make any resolutions for 2024? I made one last year and did great with it until right at the end… I have a few I am working on for 2024 but I am keeping them a secret. That way if I fail, no one will know. 🙂 I will tell you at the end of 2024.

Until next time, be safe and stay positive! Have a great 2024!

Something Died In My Bedroom…

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, ETC.) on 11-1-23, #969-1.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. When I moved the plants inside I had to put the Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, ETC.) in my bedroom. I tried putting it on a table in front of the sliding door in the dining room but that didn’t work. Andrew’s cats took a special interest in the buds dangling beside the table. Nuff said…

The first bud opened on October 30 and I noticed no foul odor. I took the above photo on Wednesday, November 1 and you can see the second flower starting to open… Later in the afternoon when I tried to take my nap, it smelled like something had died. I thought this might happen, but since I didn’t notice the stink with the other flower I thought maybe the other one would be OK… WRONG!!! What could I do? I lit a candle and the smell was gone within 30 minutes.

OH, I have to tell you about a goof… I was working on the 10-24-23 Cactus and Succulent Update Part 3 in the wee hours of the morning and saved it to drafts and went to bed. When I went to finish, I noticed I had comments… Ummm… Instead of saving the post as I draft I accidentally published it before it was finished. I changed it to a draft so I could finish. I couldn’t very well trash it and start over since it already had comments. I changed the published date but since it was previously published… You know the story… So, if you want to have a look click on the link above or HERE… Thanks!

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful…

10-24-23 Cactus & Succulent Update Part 3

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I went outside this morning and it is definitely getting colder…  The leaves are almost completely gone from the maple trees now. We always know it will happen sooner or later. Prepared? Not exactly but it doesn’t take long since I have been through it many times. I prefer the plants being outside, and I’m sure they do too, but it is kind of nice to have plants inside over the winter months. I neglect them outside, now I can neglect them inside with them watching. 🙂

I messed up! I was working on this post very late one night and clicked on “save draft” and went to bed. The next morning there were 3 comments. I guess I accidentally clicked publish instead. So, I clicked on draft so I could finish… GEEZ!!!

Agave ‘Inkblot’ at 9 1/2″ tall x 30″ wide on 10-24-23, #968-1.

So, I was at Muddy Creek Greenhouse in June and found this Agave  (x Mangave) ‘Inkblot’… I looked at the price and it was OK at the time because I had a little extra cash. I always liked Agave and have grown a few, but some can get QUITE large. I really liked this one, so without reading the label, I put it on the counter. I put it on the side porch and it did quite well and kept growing… To a whopping 9 1/2″ tall x 30″ wide! I measured it three times to be sure. It has at least one pup…

Ummm… I don’t have a page for this one yet…

I checked Plants of the World Online to make sure xMangave and Manfreda are still synonyms of Agave. So far, the name change has stuck… There were other genera involved in this change as well. Many Manfreda species were originally species of Agave. I also noticed many of the species names of Manfreda had to be changed when the move occurred because there was already Agave with the same name. Hmmm…

OK, I promised my wife I wouldn’t talk about taxonomy. OH, wait a minute… I don’t have a wife.

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Aloe ‘Cha Cha’ at 4 1/4″ tall x 8 1/4″ wide on 10-24-23, #968-3.

Aloe ‘Cha Cha’ has done great and the tallest plant is 4 1/4″ tall and the entire clump measured 8 1/4″ wide at the widest point. This is the only plant from Succulent Market that was shipped in 2020 that has survived. This one never had mealybugs while the others succumbed to them. I’m not going to accuse Succulent Market because the plants they shipped were AWESOME so they deserve the benefit of the doubt.

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Aloe juvenna (Tiger Tooth Aloe) on 10-24-23, #968-4.

WHEW! The Aloe juvenna (Tiger Tooth Aloe) had a close call. It was much bigger but it started having a weird issue in 2021 and and darn near died. Fortunately, it has survived and is now growing new offsets. This Aloe has been a steady grower (until its near demise). One stem still looks a little iffy…

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x Alworthia ‘Black Gem’ on 10-24-23, #968-5.

I have had the x Alworthia ‘Black Gem’ since 2019 and it was perfectly fine until last year. It started getting infested with scale. I think it is OK now and I haven’t noticed any scale lately. The plant has done much better over the summer. It is isolated from the other plants and I will keep an eye on it.

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Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Queen of the Night) on 10-24-23, #968-6.

Tony Tomeo sent several Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Queen of the Night) in December 2020 and two have grown by leaps and bounds. The others did well for a while, but eventually died for some reason. There are several common names like Dutchman’s Pipe Cactus, Princess of the Night, Queen of the Night, etc. The official name from iNaturalist is Queen of the Night which it shares with other night-blooming cactus. This plant grows several types of branches. Cactus-like branches grow from main branches that are round with odd spines. As they get older, they flatten out. Strange but true…

Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Queen of the Night) on 10-24-23, #968-7.

I really don’t know much about this species except that they grow in trees in their native habitat. During the summer, I have been keeping the bigger plant in the previous photo next to the Stapelia gigantea on a table under the roof of the back porch. In 2021, the one in the above photo was on a shelf on the back porch, but in 2022 I put it on the front porch. This past summer it was back on the plant shelf on the back porch. On the 23rd I had to move the shelf to my bedroom, so I thought I would temporarily put the plant next to the other one… Well, it had grown a branch that was all the way to the ceiling…

Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Queen of the Night) on 10-24-23, #968-8.

I laid the tall branch along the wall next to a 2 x 4 so it wouldn’t fall over… It had started growing aerial roots…

I need to repot these two and put them in more suitable pots, something that will allow them to hang. I have watched several videos on YouTube about how to grow them… They are definitely interesting and it will be exciting when they bloom. Thanks, Tony! I have a page for this species, but it isn’t finished…

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Euphorbia mammillaris (Indian Corn Cob) on 10-24-23, #968-9.

Hmmm… The Euphorbia mammillaris (Indian Corn Cob) is an oddball of sorts. The main stem and its branches keep getting longer. They don’t want to grow like I want them to, so I have to keep a brick next to the pot to keep it from falling over… Yeah, it has an intruder…

Euphorbia mammillaris (Indian Corn Cob) on 10-24-23, #968-10.

I like its small leaves that grow during the summer…

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x Gasteraloe ‘Flow’ at 6 1/2″ tall x 6 3/4″ wide on 10-24-23, #968-11.

This is my second x Gasteraloe ‘Flow’. I brought home the first one in 2016 and threw it out the back door in January 2021. I could not get rid of its mealy bugs and realized it would die anyway and the bugs could spread to more plants. It looked GREAT before its ordeal which you will see if you go to its page. Fortunately, I found this one in 2022 at the Kuntry Store in 2022. Although they had larger ones, they were all in combination planters. I settled on one 3″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide. I told the owner I wanted one of the larger plants, but not all that came with it. He just smiled… GEEZ! The plant has grown well and looks great at 6 1/2″ tall x 6 3/4″ wide. It has a faster growth rate than the old one. Now, I should mention I bought both plants unlabeled so I am just guessing at the name… There are so many to choose from that look alike, but I am sticking with this one. It is pretty well known.

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Gasteria sp. ? on 10-24-23, #968-12.

The Gasteria sp. ‘?’ survived a bout with mealy bugs two winters in a row… This plant is so tough-skinned you wouldn’t think it would have an issue. The bugs get way down where the leaves emerge and it is hard to get to them. It has been sprayed, cleaned, washed, and repotted multiple times… I have had this plant for six summers and I would hate to have to throw it out the door…  It looked very iffy when I photographed it already needs a going over. I keep it isolated or around plants that are not susceptible to unwanted critters. It grew A LOT of offsets this summer.

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Haworthiopsis limifolia (Fairy Washboard/Swati Haworthia) at 5 3/4″ tall x 7″ wide on 10-24-23, #968-23.

The Haworthiopsis limifolia (Fairy Washboard/Swati Haworthia) is one neat plant! I really like its dark green color and the raised tubercles. Common names include File-Leaved Haworthia, Fairy Washboard, and Fairies Washboard. The iNaturalist website lists the common name as Swati Haworthia… I brought it home in 2019 and it has grown to 5 3/4″ tall x 7″ wide with absolutely no issues.

Haworthiopsis limifolia and kids on 10-24-23, #968-15.

This genus is fairly new, being named in 2013 by George Douglas Rowley. There are currently 19 species in the genus, 15 of which were transferred by Mr. Rowley. There are FIVE accepted varieties of this species including the type specimen. I have no idea which this one is…

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Huernia schneideriana (Red Dragon Flower) on 10-24-23, #968-16.

The Huernia schneideriana (Red Dragon Flower) just keeps growing longer and growing more offsets. It has grown A LOT since I brought it home in 2015. It produces a lot of small maroon flowers with black centers at several different times of the year. This is a carrion flower, but the flowers are so small you don’t notice the smell. I have repotted this plant a few times and it isn’t easy…

Like the Stapelia gigantea (farther down), it is a member of the plant family Apocynaceae, the Milkweeds…

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Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Alligator Plant) at 43″ tall on 10-24-23, #968-17.

OK, I seem to be at a loss for words… I really like Kalanchoe and for the most part, they are easy to grow. The first one I brought home from Wagler’s Greenhouse in 2014. She said it was a Mother of Thousands. Some information online said that the plant was a Kalanchoe daigremontiana, while Llifle (Encyclopedia of Living Forms) showed a completely different plant… After having it misnamed for several years, I put a photo on a Facebook Group and was told it was a Kalanchoe laetivirens (or x laetivirens)… Then finally on May 7 in 2022, Wagler’s had several really nice Kalanchoe daigremontiana… The real deal! Well, I was very excited so I brought one home that was 13 1/2″ tall and it just kept on growing… It was 27 1/2″ tall by the time I moved the plants inside on October 16. It kept growing… I had to rearrange the shelves just for this plant! Well, it started growing buds…

The above photo shows a bent-over stem where the flowers were…

Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Alligator Plant) on 11-6-22, #920-1.

The above photo shows the buds touching the bottom of the shelf on November 6 in 2022… I took it outside for a photo and measurement on November 11 and it was 40 1/2″ tall!

Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Alligator Plant) on 10-24-23, #968-18.

On the 24th, the plant has grown, without the old flower stem, to 43″ tall! I wonder if it will bloom again. Fortunately, it doesn’t have as many kids as the K. laetivirens. Let me rephrase that… Not as many per leaf, which aren’t leaves… What we think of as leaves on these birthing machines, are actually phylloclades which are flattened branches modified for photosynthesis. The Kalanchoe daigremontiana has MANY MORE phylloclades, so in reality, it produces more plantlets. I remove them before I bring them inside or they would be growing in every pot around it…

I thought this species was monocarpic, which means they die after flowering… Guess again! It didn’t die!

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Kalanchoe delagoensis (Mother of Thousands) at 16 1/2″ tall on 10-24-23, #968-20.

I found this Kalanchoe delagoensis (Mother of Thousands) at Mast’s Greenhouse in May this year. It has grown to 16 1/2″ tall and is another one that produces plantlets along its phylloclades.

Kalanchoe delagoensis (Mother of Thousands) on 10-24-23, #968-21.

This one definitely doesn’t produce as many kids…

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Kalanchoe laetivirens (Mother of Thousands) on 10-24-23, #968-22.

The Kalanchoe laetivirens (Mother of Thousands) is the one I had confused with Kalanchoe daigremontiana. I have learned a lot about Kalanchoe with this species, and we have had our ups and downs. This species is actually a hybrid between Kalanchoe daigremontiana and Kalanchoe laxiflora which many list as  Kalanchoe x laetivirens. It really doesn’t matter at this point. Like all members of the Kalanchoe genus with phylloclades, it has been in and out of the Bryophyllum genus multiple times, which is currently listed as a synonym on “most” databases.

I have often said that a well-grown Kalanchoe laetivirens is a beautiful plant and I have experienced that several times. If you don’t have time to cut the stem in half on occasion, they can get tall and just plain weird… Ummm… Like mine are now.

The common names Alligator Plant, Mother of Thousands, Mother of Millions, and so on are shared by other members of the genus that produce plantlets along their phylloclades…

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Kalanchoe luciae (Paddle Plant) group on 10-24-23, #968-23.

GEEZ! The Kalanchoe luciae (Paddle Plant)… I brought home the first plant in 2016 and it has multiplied. They grow plenty of offsets that can lead to more plants. Their stems can grow fairly long if not in full sun which mine, for the most part, haven’t been in full sun. I repotted a few of them this spring since I promised them I would. I became busy and didn’t finish. The odd thing is, the plants I didn’t repot still look better than the ones I did. Some of their stems still need cut and replanted and a couple have bent over the edge of the pot and cut themselves. GEEZ! Once I get situated, I will take care of them better over the winter. Ummm… Kalanchoe luciae are monocarpic and are supposed to die after flowering. Well, as you can see, the plant in the back bloomed last year and didn’t die… Well, not yet anyway.

There is another similar species called Kalanchoe thyrsiflora. It is so similar that most of the K. thyrsiflora being sold are actually K. luciae. Last year, I was at Mast’s Greenhouse and found a few unlabeled plants that were growing in better light and really looked good, “OH WOW! Could it be a K. thyrsiflora?” One thing different about the two species is their flowers… Well, I brought one home and it grew and grew and I knew it was going to flower. I thought it was definitely going to be a K. thyrsiflora so I wrote a page about it. Once it was inside, it started budding and bloomed. Hmmm… It was a Kalanchoe luciae… Click HERE to go to the page about this plant. I suppose being grown in a greenhouse with plenty of light, it was growing the way it was supposed to… Now I have to do something about the page… When I go plant shopping I sometimes forget what I have learned when there is a prospect of bringing home a new species.

Apparently, K. thrysiflora is fairly rare so if you find a plant labeled as such, it may very well be a K. luciae…

I intended to put a few K. luciae on the back this summer after I repotted them, but I didn’t. Possibly, if they are in more light, they will grow differently and produce flowers. I have had a few growing in the sun before and they stayed fairly compact and the leaves turned an orangy red. You can see in the above photo one of the plants has orangy leaves from being in more sun.

Hmmm… I should have written a separate post about the Kalanchoe…

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Kleinia stapeliiformis (Pickle Plant) on 10-24-23. #968-26.

I found this plant at Mast’s Greenhouse in May 2023 and just had to bring it home. It was unlabeled, and although I said no more unlabeled plants, I couldn’t help myself AGAIN. So, I brought it home and did a little research and found out it was a Kleinia stapeliiformis (Pickle Plant). Then the thought, “OH NO! I brought home a Senecio!” Sure enough, Senecio stapeliiformis is a synonym. I have had issues with other Senecio species before… This one, however, has done quite well… It has grown more offsets and there are two smaller ones on the other side of the pot.

Kleinia stapeliiformis (Pickle Plant) on 10-24-23, #968-27.

Likely, Mast’s stuck the above stem in the pot and it grew offsets… I think it is pretty neat even though it is a Senecio… I will be even more surprised if it survives the winter… Maybe changing the name gave it confidence. 🙂

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Sedum adolphi (Golden Sedum/Coppertone Stonecrop) on 10-24-23, #968-28.

I first brought a Sedum adolphi (Golden Sedum. Coppertone Stonecrop) home in 2012 and brought it with me when I homed back to the family farm in 2013. The second one almost died in 2017, but it managed to survive. To be honest, I think it would be much better on the back deck in more light so it won’t grow so spindly. You should also take leaf cuttings and put them in their own pot (s) just in case something happens. Sedum adolphi is the only Sedum species I have successfully grown in a pot inside over the winter.

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Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ on 10-24-23.

I brought this Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ home from Lowe’s in 2018. It, like the other Sedum adolphii, probably would do better in more sun than the front porch has to offer. GEEZ! There are certainly plenty of leaves to experiment with. This one has produced flowers inside over the winter.

Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ on 10-24-23, #968-30.

It gets its name ‘Firestorm’ from the orangy margins of the leaves. They get brighter with more light.

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Soehrensia huascha (Desert’s Blooming Jewel) on 10-24-23, #968-31.

This pot of Soehrensia huascha (Desert’s Blooming Jewel) used to be a pot of Echinopsis huascha until the name was changed. For the past couple of winters inside, it has had a few mealy bugs. I think it was because it got them from the Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’. It looked pretty rough in the spring, but I put it on the side porch over the summer and it now looks GREAT again. Yeah, it has a few blemishes, but that is quite normal. I think this is the subspecies grandiflorus with 39 synonyms… It has been in MANY other genera so no wonder it looks a little rough. It keeps getting passed around. I am almost impatiently waiting for it to bloom… The center plant now measures 7 1/2″ tall.

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Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant) on 10-24-23, #968-32.

Last but certainly not the least is the Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant) from the back porch. I purchased several cutting from a seller on Ebay in 2018 and have been amazed. It produced but while on the fromt porch in 2019 and 2020 but they fell off when I moved the plant inside for the winter. In 2021, I decided to put in on a table under the roof on the back porch. I figured I could move it inside in front of the sliding door when the time came without that much of a change in light. Well, it bloomed before I had to move it inside. It did the same last year as well. This year, it started blooming in September instead of October. I’m not sure how many flowers have opened, but there have been more than before.

Normally, its leaves are green, but the intense heat of the summer must have turned them a reddish color. It has been in the same spot for three years and it never happened before this year.

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant) on 10-24-23, #968-33.

There are still two buds (one behind my hand) and now this plant is in my bedroom! I had to put it in the bedroom because my son’s cats will play with this plant… Once they go, I will put it in the dining room where it belongs. It is supposed to warm up again, so I may be able to put this plant (at least) back outside after Thursday.

I took a few more photos on the 25th so I will probably be posting about them next.

If you missed update #1, you can view it HERE, and number 2 HERE.

Until next time, take care, be safe, and always be thankful!

10-23-23 Cactus & Succulent Update Part 2: Front Porch

Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Eve’s Needle) at 7 1/4″ tall, the offset on the left at 8 1/4″ tall on 10-23-23, #967-2.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. This is the second part of the 2023 Cactus & Succulent Update. This post is for the plants on the front porch that were photographed on Monday the 23rd until it became too dark to get good photos. As you can see, the leaves of the maple trees are falling…

The above photo is of the Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Eve’s Needle) I bought home from Wagler’s Greenhouse in 2019. The main plant is now 7 1/4″ tall and has many branches. It sprouted an offset in 2020 that is now 8 1/4″ tall. Another offset came up in 2021 that has barely grown. I have been intending to repot this plant, but you know how it is when you have other things to do. It has to be done because somehow there is only 2″ of soil in the pot…

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Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ at 10 1/2″ tall x 12″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-6.

The Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ I brought home in 2019 is doing well and is still 10 1/2″ tall but has grown a little wider to 12″. If a leaf or two from the outside falls off it will be narrower again. 🙂

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Espostoa melanostele subsp. nana (Peruvian Old Lady) at 9″ 1/2″ tall on 10-23-23, #967-10.

The Espostoa melanostele subsp. nana (Peruvian Old Lady) has steadily grown to 9 1/2″ tall since I bought it home in 2016. It has always been quite entertaining with its wild hair.

Espostoa melanostele subsp. nana (Peruvian Old Lady) on 10-23-24, #967-11.

I think she has been to the beauty shop…

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Euphorbia trigona ‘Rubra’ (African Milk Tree) at 30 3/4″ tall on 10-23-23, #967-13.

I have to scratch my head every time I look at the Euphorbia trigona ‘Rubra’ (African Milk Tree). It is now 30 3/4″ tall! It was only 6 1/4″ tall when I brought it home in 2021 so this one is a fast grower! If you want a cactus that grows hilariously fast, this is the one to get!

Euphorbia trigona ‘Rubra’ (African Milk Tree) branch at 9″ tall on 10-23-23, #967-14.

It grew a side branch last summer and it is even 9″ tall now…

I put it in a larger pot after I brought the plants inside last fall. They don’t have a very large root system but you need a pot that is less likely to fall over. The only thing that is keeping this plant from falling over is that it is pretty much balanced. You have to make sure that is as perfectly verticle as possible when it is repotted. I tied it to a stick so it wouldn’t jump out of its pot… I keep bricks around all the pots along the edge of the tables to keep them from falling over when they are outside. A couple of weeks ago when the wind started blowing harder, I found this plant on the floor. Pot and all… Luckily, the plant didn’t fall out of the pot and nothing broke. GEEZ!

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Gasteria ‘Little Warty’ at 6 1/2″ tall x 9″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-17.

I really like the Gasteria ‘Little Warty’. It has done very well since I bought it home in 2019 and is now 6 1/2″ tall x 9″ wide. It had tripled in height and has several offsets.

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Kalanchoe orgyalis (Copper Spoons) at 10″ tall on 10-23-23, #967-19.

Hmmm… When I look at these two Kalanchoe orgyalis (Copper Spoons) I always feel like I have some explaining to do. Not to anyone else, but to them. I feel somewhat guilty because I murdered their mother and they know it… I brought their mother home in 2018 when it was smaller than they are now. By the time I brought the plants inside in October 2020, it was 25″ tall and looking somewhat weird. In 2021, I decided to cut off its branches and a few leaves to see if they would root. I cut the main stem in half and figured the mother would grow more leaves and branches, but that didn’t happen. She completely died. Fortunately, two of the stem cuttings survived and now are 10″ tall. I hope they are happy now that I confessed publically.

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Opuntia monacantha var. variegata (Joseph’s Coat) at 14″ tall on 10-23-23, #967-31.

I really like the Opuntia monacantha var. variegata (Joseph’s Coat) even though I am usually reluctant to bring home variegated cacti. I always thought it would be hard to see parasites on a variegated plant. Fortunately, this plant hasn’t had any issues except for the small spiders that like to make webs on it… Actually, I think that is a good thing so I  leave them alone until I bring the plants inside for the winter. This plant has done well and is now 14″ tall. That is almost 10″ taller than when I brought it home in 2020.

Hmmm… I just deleted a whole paragraph of babbling about the scientific name. Reluctantly, I may have to change the name to Opuntia monacanthos, but I will still use var. variegata because it was legitimately mentioned in Gardener’s Dictionary in 1874. Nuff said… I need to rewrite the intro on the plant’s page because it even confuses me.

NEXT!

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Polaskia chichipe (Chichipe, ETC.), the tallest at 5″ tall and the shortest at 4 1/4″ tall on 10-23-23.

There were three plants in this pot of Polaskia chichipe (Chichipe, ETC.) when I brought it home in 2020. The tallest of the two remaining is 5″ tall and the shortest is 4 1/4″ tall. They are lighter green and have a few healed blemishes and growth marks.

Plants can get into trouble outside, and apparently, these two did a couple years ago. I have no idea what nibbled on them but it reminds me of what happened in 2018. The plants were around a shed under an elm tree and I noticed something had been snacking on some of the cactus. I first thought it was grasshoppers, but I never found any on them. I thought maybe it was happening at night, so I took the flashlight to have a look. Sure enough, it was crickets having a feast on the cactus! I had to start moving them into the shed at night… Since the plants have been on the front and back porch, I have had no issues…

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Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus (Paper Spine Cactus), tallest stem at almost 5″ tall on 10-23-23, #967-38.

The Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus (Paper Spine Cactus) is one of the most interesting plants in the collection. I found one segment on the shelf when I was plant shopping at Walmart in 2016, so I brought it home. I figured it would have been thrown in the trash anyway. Every time it would grow a new segment it would fall off and take root. Finally, they stopped falling off.

Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus (Paper Spine Cactus) on 10-23-23, #967-39.

The tallest stem or branch, whatever you choose to call them, is now almost 5″ tall. They have their own little colony in this pot… They need a bigger pot but that could prove tricky…

Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus (Paper Spine Cactus) on 10-23-23, #967-40.

In the wild, these segments come off easily and attach to the fur of passing critters then fall off and root in another location.

That’s it for this post. I will start working on part 3 for the plants photographed on Tuesday, October 24th. Most of the plants are inside now.

Hmmm… That’s why the plants are coming inside. On the bright side, we have received 1 1/2″ of rain this week. 🙂

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful!

2023 Cactus & Succulent Update Part 1

Agave (Syn. xMangave) ‘Pineapple Express’ at 10″ tall x 18″ wide on 10-23-23.

Hello everyone! I hope tis post finds you well. The temps have been great and we are getting some rain. We have made it through most of October without a dreaded “F”, but this weekend will be very cold. Since it would be raining all week, I decided to bring the plants on the back porch inside on the 23rd before they got wet. As usual, most of them will get measured and photographed. I started with the back porch on Monday the 23rd then moved to the front porch and worked until it was too dark to take photos then finished on the 24th.

In all, despite the heat and drought, the plants on the back porch did quite well. I kept the cactus and succulents on the front porch last summer, but I put the plants on this post on the back porch for 2023. There were no issues with sunburn or anything else.

As usual, you can click on the plant’s name to go to their own pages.

The Agave ‘Pineapple Express’, top photo, has been on the back porch this summer for a change. It changed colors in the sun, but it did very well and has grown to 10″ tall x 18″ wide. It is online as xMangave ‘Pineapple Express’, but as previously mentioned, xMangave is a synonym of Agave. I am curious, though, since Manfredia is now a synonym of Agave, does the patented name xMangave ‘Pineapple Express’ actually become Agave ‘Pineapple Express’? Hmmm…

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Callisia repens (Bolivian Jew) on 10-23-23, #967-3.

Of course, the Callisia repens (Bolivian Jew) isn’t a cactus or succulent, but it is a neat plant and it likes the full sun on the back porch. I have grown these for a few years and they grow and grow until I bring them inside for the winter. They usually fizzle out after that… Their stems take root in every pot around them and would probably be best suited in a hanging pot. Maybe next year…

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Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’ at 10 3/4″ tall x 4 1/2″ wide on 10-23-23.

The Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’ had made it through its sixth summer and is now 10 3/4″ tall x 4 1/2″ wide (at its widest part). It is a “monstrose” form of the Peruvian Apple Cactus… It is a really neat cactus and one I should buy more of. No two monstrose forms are alike.

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Delosperma echinatum (Pickle Plant) on 10-23-23, #967-7.

I have grown a Delosperma echinatum (Pickle Plant) for a few years but I haven’t had a good one… I must admit, this one has done much better despite its pot being invaded by its neighbor Callisia repens… The pot is half and half. I brought the pot inside and put it on the kitchen windowsill. We’ll see which one dies first. I haven’t been able to overwinter a Pickle Plant either… No page for this one.

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Dracaena hanningtonii ’Samurai’/‘Dwarf Samurai’ at 4 1/2″ tall x 6 1/2″ wide, the offset 4 1/2″ tall x 4 5/8″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-8.

Hmmm… This Dracaena hanningtonii ‘Samurai’/’Dwarf Samurai’ has grown to 4 1/2″ tall x 6 1/4″ wide. I noticed when I put the plants outside in May it was sprouting a kid… Now, I brought this plant home in January 2020 when it was 3″ tall and it has grown 3/4″ every year. This kid comes along and grows to 4 1/2″ tall x 4 5/8″ wide in just a few months!!! Actually, I fudged a little because the parent is actually only 4 1/4″ tall, but I couldn’t let the kid get the advantage…

If you look for one of these neat plants, it may be labeled as Sansevieria hanningtonii with a cultivar name of ‘Samurai’ or ‘Dwarf Samurai’…

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Ferocactus wislizeni (Fishhook Barrel Cactus) at 3 3/4″ tall x 3″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-15.

I have been wondering about the Ferocactus wislizeni (Fishhook Barrel Cactus) for a while… At one point I thought it was dying, but it always looks a bit pale toward the bottom. It has grown 5/8″ since last October to 3 3/4″ tall x 3″ wide. GOOD JOB Wisley!

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Gymnocalycium saglionis (Giant Chin Cactus) at 2 5/8″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-18.

The Gymnocalycium saglionis (Giant Chin Cactus) has been a great plant since I bought home in 2019. It just takes its time watching everything going on around it without complaint. It has made it to 2 5/8″ tall, but shrunk a little around the waist to 3 1/2″. Normally, this guy has no complaints, but I promised him a new pot… Well, it fell apart while I was moving the plant to the table to take his photo. He just looked at me with a “?”…

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Kroenleinia grusonii (Golden Barrel Cactus), both at 4″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-20.

Greater and Lessor Kroenleinia grusonii (Golden Barrel Cactus) have finally caught up with each other at 4″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide. Last year Lessor was a little bigger than Greater… You know they always try to fool me, but this time they were calm. Hmmm…

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Mammillaria hahniana (Old Lady Cactus) at 5 3/4″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-22.

Mammillaria hahniana (Old Lady Cactus) is looking great as always and has grown to 5 3/4″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide. It had a growth spurt last year while on the front porch growing 1 3/4″ in one year to 5 1/2″. I measured it again a month later and it shrunk to 4 3/4″. That’s normal since it didn’t have any water. You know, they swell up with water… 🙂 I really like this cactus and it is one of several of the older ones I have had since 2016.

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Mammillaria karwinskiana (Silver Arrows) at 5″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-24.

The Mammillaria karwinskiana (Silver Arrows) is another great wooly Mammillaria that is easy to grow. It has reached 5″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide and was a mere 1 7/8″ tall x 2 3/16″ wide when I brought it home in 2018.

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Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii (Golden Pincushion) at 5 1/2″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-26.

The Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii (Golden Pincushion) is another great Mammillaria I brought home in 2018. I remember it lying on its side out of its pot on the clearance rack. It smiled so I brought it home. Its blue-green color, long golden spines, and club-shaped growth habit make it a great addition to the collection. It is now 5 1/2″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide and hasn’t done much leaning this past year. This is one of a few species that divide dichotomously, meaning it will divide. It may grow offsets, but that hasn’t happened yet either… Believe it or not, a piece of the hot glue used to attach a strawflower to this plant is STILL lower down on the plant…

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Mammillaria mystax at 3 1/2″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-28.

Mammillaria mystax is a great companion that always looks great. It has been carefree and dark green since I brought it home in 2018. It was only 1 3/4″ tall then and has grown to 3 1/2″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide.

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Mammillaria plumosa (Feather Cactus) at 2 1/2″ tall x 4 3/4″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-30.

The Mammillaria plumosa (Feather Cactus) has been a charmer for sure. I bought it from a seller on Ebay in 2019 and it came wrapped in toilet paper at only 3/4″ tall with a few offsets that measured a total of 2 1/4″ wide. The tallest in the center is now 2 1/2″ wide and the clump measures 4 3/4″ wide. It may look soft and cuddly, but it does have short spines…

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Parodia magnifica (Ball Cactus/Balloon Cactus) at 3″ tall x 3″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-32.

The Parodia magnifica (Ball Cactus/Balloon Cactus) is always neat with deep ribs, soft golden spines, and an odd hairdo. It was only 1 3/8″ tall x x 2 3/8″ wide when I brought it home in 2019 and is now 3″ tall x 3″ wide.

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Peperomia ferreyrae at 6 1/2″ tall x 7 1/2″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-34.

I finally found another Peperomia ferreyrae at Wagler’s Greenhouse in May, so I had to bring it home. I brought my first one when I was living at the Mansion in Mississippi in 2012 and brought it with me when I moved back here in 2013. I don’t want to talk about what happened to it and most of my other plants, but it won’t happen again… It had nothing to do with my parents. Anyway, this plant has grown well over the summer and now measures 6 1/2″ tall x 7 1/2″ wide.

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Stenocereus pruinosus (Gray Ghost/Organ Pipe) at 7 1/4″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide on 10-23-23, #967-36.

What would life be without the Stenocereus pruinosus (Gray Ghost)? One of the oldest in my cactus collection, now measuring 7 1/4″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide. I brought it home in 2016 when it was 2 7/8″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide. I like the way the pattern of gray bloom spreads out over the stem. It does need repotting like the rest of the cactus do… The coloration at the bottom is normal.

I lost a few last winter due to a mealybug issue still lingering from the plants that were shipped to me a few years ago. Sadly, the pair of Parodia lenninghausii and Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’ were among them, just as the Mammillaria pringlei and Mammillaria rhodantha were the year before. There have been a few more than that, but I really don’t want to talk about it.

There are a few more plants on the back porch I forgot to take until the 24th that will be on the next post, or maybe the next…

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful!

What A Find: Pseudognaphalium obtusifolia (Sweet Everlasting)

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolia (Sweet Everlasting) on 10-6-23, #964-6.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I went to the south hayfield on October 6th to have another look at the Erigeron annuus (Annual Fleabane). I think I have been mistaken, even though I was fairly certain before, in identifying the Erigeron in the south hayfield as E. annuus. Now I am 60/40 in favor of E. strigosus (Daisy Fleabane). GEEZ!  

Anyway, this post is not about Erigeron… 

I had intended to stay in the front part of the south hayfield to avoid the velcro-like seeds of the Desmodium, but one plant led to another. The next thing I knew my pants were covered AGAIN so it was no use avoiding them any longer. I looked ahead and I spotted something that looked somewhat odd in the distance. It definitely wasn’t an aster of any kind… I was maybe 60 feet from it, so I had to keep going. Right through the Desmodium… 

I took a few photos of the top of this weird plant I had never seen before. I wondered how it escaped me before and realized perhaps I was farther out the in the hayfield in this section. This plant was closer to the blackberry jungle in what had been previously mowed earlier in the summer. This path was mowed just before the drought, so it was still fairly short. Here this plant was growing right in plain sight with very little else growing around it. Hmmm…

Once I returned back at the house and removed the unwanted hitchhikers on my pants, I went into the house and turned on the computer. I uploaded the best photo of the mystery plant on iNaturalist and it suggested Pseudognaphalium obtusifolia (Sweet Everlasting). 

I did more reading about this species and information said it had a faint scent of maple syrup. Well, I had to check that out and get more photos which led to ANOTHER trip to the south hayfield to get another dose of Tick Trefoil seeds… 

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolia (Sweet Everlasting) on 10-6-23, #964-7.

All the lower leaves were dried up, so I squeezed one of the weird fuzzy flowers to see if there was a scent. Well, I didn’t notice any smell at all, so I crushed some of the dried leaves and took another whiff. Well, that time there was definitely a faint scent of maple syrup. Information online says the smell is persistent while others say it is very faint. I didn’t really notice any scent with the upper leaves within the inflorescence…

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolia (Sweet Everlasting) on 10-6-23, #964-9.

I’m not sure I have ever seen more weird flower heads than this… Being a member of the plant family Asteraceae you would expect something completely different. Well, I suppose the same could be said for Erechtites hieraciifolius (Fireweed) and Lactuca species (wild lettuces). They have no ray petals and the disc flowers are barely sticking out of the top. The flowers are surrounded by many layers of tight involucral bracts. This species is similar to that but the bracts (phyllaries) are very wooly…

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolia (Sweet Everlasting) on 10-6-23, #964-10.

In the above photo, what appears to be a flower is not a flower. As the flowers mature, the head swells and the surrounding bracts open up for the seeds to disperse. Hmmm… Maybe I should collect some seeds to sow closer to the house. That way I can avoid walking through the weed seeds this time of the year.

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolia (Sweet Everlasting) on 10-6-23, #964-11.

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolia, pronounced soo-doh-naf-FAY-lee-um  ob-too-sih-FOH-lee-um, is a native wildflower to the central to eastern part of the United States and Canada. Besides the common name Sweet Everlasting, it is also known as Blunt-Leaved Rabbit Tobacco, Cat’s Foot, Fragrant Cudweed, Fragrant Everlasting, Fragrant Rabbit Tobacco, Indian Posy, Life-Everlasting, Old Field Balsam, Rabbit Tobacco, Sweet Cudweed, White Balsam, and probably others.

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolia (Sweet Everlasting) on 10-6-23, #964-12.

The Wikipedia page for this species lists what several Native American Tribes used it for in one way or another.

I do have a page for this species which you can view by clicking HERE. There are several links to other websites for proper ID and further reading.

I am always amazed when I find a new species, especially an oddity like this. So far in 2023, I have identified 13 new wildflower species, 4 butterflies and moths, and 4 other insects… Not bad for a very hot and dry summer considering I didn’t hardly go wildflower hunting for a few months (except for around the yard). Two of the wildflower species were photographed in 2018, but they weren’t properly identified this year…

That’s it for this post! As always, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful!

 

9-24-23: Second Wildflower Walk ?

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. The rain in the forecast seems to have disappeared, other than the 3-4/10 of an inch twice earlier in the last week (or the week before). Tuesday night we had a little rain, but the rain gauge only said 1/10″. There was more in the forecast for Wednesday afternoon, but it didn’t happen. So, it is still very dry. Temps have been in the upper 80’s-90 every day which is what was in the forecast.

On Sunday, September 24, I decided to take a walk to the south hayfield and the southeast pasture to see what I could of couldn’t find… The front part of the southeast hayfield gets some afternoon shade, so there is some green even though it is dry.

Ageratina altissima (White Snakeroot) on 9-24-23.

Not far from the entrance of the south hayfield, I found several Ageratina altissima (White Snakeroot). They like at least a little shade for them to do well, and this time of the year they really flourish and are in full bloom. There are a lot of these plants growing in the area north of the chicken house. They are not good plants and are toxic to humans, livestock, and deer. This is the species that causes milk sickness as its toxin (tremetol) is passed through the milk from cattle and goats. Tremetol can also contaminate the meat… Despite its toxicity, insects feed on the nectar with no issue. I didn’t see any butterflies or other insects on the flowers of these plants… I took a few more photos of, or relating to the White Snakeroot later on the walk…

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Tall White Aster on 9-24-23.

There were a few hit-and-miss Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Tall White Aster) in the south hayfield. This is not an abundant species here on the farm, in fact, I first identified it from a single small colony in the main hayfield last summer. There were so many Erigeron annuus (Annual Fleabane) last summer that one would never know unless you accidentally stumbled on a lookalike…

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Tall White Aster) on 9-24-23.

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum has 16-50 ray florets in 1-2 series so this one is certainly within those parameters… Hmmm… Am I sure? That is a secret. 🙂

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Tall White Aster) on 9-24-23.

One thing for sure, the involucral bracts say this plant is definitely a Symphyotrichum species. It is the only species in the genus on the farm that has white flowers that grow in full sun. OH WAIT A MINUTE!!! I forgot about the Symphyotrichum pilosum (Hairy White Oldfield Aster). HMMM… That species has 15-35 ray florets! GEEZ! Maybe these photos are of S. pilosum! Now I am confused AGAIN… It’s really easy to be confused with some of the species in this genus.

I started walking toward the edge of where the blackberries grow but noticed those darn sticktights were everywhere! Most of the time I call them Desmodium followed by a name I can write here. Well, we are adult humans, so I am sure you would have the same opinion. So, I walked inside the hayfield instead of the edge of where the blackberries are growing.

Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gamagrass) on 9-24-23.

I noticed some grass taller than the Purple Top and got a little excited. I zoomed in a little and took a shot before rushing to the spot…

Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gamagrass) on 9-24-23.

Now isn’t that exciting? Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gamagrass) in the south hayfield!

Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gamagrass) on 9-24-23.

WOW! To the right was a much larger bunch. I suppose this grass has been here for a while (duh) but I just haven’t noticed it. I normally don’t run around in the hayfield that much before it gets cut because it is hard to walk in. Since there was no hay to cut, this grass had a chance to get somewhere. Kevin usually cuts the hay at 3-4″ and this species doesn’t like it below 6″. That is because it needs a good amount of carbohydrates that is stored in its leaves to regrow. I attempted to collect seeds from this grass in the main hayfield, but I am not certain if I was able to get seeds or just what was left after the seeds fell out. We shall see…

Hmmm… No caption needed! I was so excited about the Gama Grass I didn’t pay any attention to the “you know what” in the midst of everything. GEEZ!

Erigeron annuus (Annual Fleabane) on 9-24-23.

There are very few Erigeron annuus (Annual Fleabane) even in the south hayfield where they are normally everywhere. Same as the situation in the main hayfield.

Erigeron annuus (Annual Fleabane) on 9-24-23.

Yes, I am certain about this one. Well, my fingers are crossed since it does have a look-alike. Erigeron strigosus is quite similar but isn’t so “weedy”. I take that to mean they don’t spread as rampant as E. annuus. One has more of a shaggy appearance but I forgot which is which without doing the research AGAIN… I had come to the conclusion the species here is E. annuus so I am sticking with it…

Oenothera sp. (Primrose) on 9-24-23.

Hmmm… I walked toward the area where the blackberries are growing and stumbled upon, of all things, a Primrose. In the hayfield!!! Ok, I suppose that isn’t so unusual except for the fact I have never seen them in the hayfield. There is A LOT of Oenothera biennis (Common Evening Primrose) growing in the cracks of what used to be the back porch of my grandparent’s old house. For the past several years quite a few have been growing in the flower bed next to the porch… The bed I made in the early 1980’s… Until now I haven’t seen them anywhere else on the farm or even on backroads. This year I noticed a small colony along the highway just past a nearby town (Calhoun). I had been working on a house in Clinton so I passed the colony several days in a row. Then one day the highway crew mowed them off…

The Missouri Plants website lists 12 species of Oenothera native to Missouri…

My internet has been quite slow for a while, but lately, it has been insane! I am having a hard time uploading photos…

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Tall White Aster) on 9-24-23.

Walking north in front of the blackberry jungle, I noticed a nice cluster of Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Tall White Aster). Perhaps I shouldn’t jump the gun on this one since I wasn’t right next to it. Yeah, I zoomed in because of what was growing around it. OUCH!!! After I took the photo, I walked away and thought, “What if it isn’t even a Symphyotrichum species?” So, I went back, reached in, and made sure. It is definitely a Symphyotrichum, but I didn’t count the petals. Well, even if I did I would be guessing. I’m not sure, but I think the plants are the only ones that know their true identity while we humans just guess… Some species I know well, but others would require a lot more time to identify in the field and I would have to carry around notes. I am sure I can come up with more reasons (excuses) to just take a guess.

I came to the east end of the south hayfield and had to make a decision. I wanted to walk along the fence of the hayfield on my way back, but I also wanted to take a look at the back pasture… Hmmm… It was already almost 6 PM…

Shortcut to the back pasture…

I decided I should go to the back pasture and see what it looks like. There is one particular place I like to cross that isn’t that bad. Going through at the corner would be impossible since there are A LOT of tall blackberry brambles to walk through. The particular spot I walk through doesn’t even have Poison Ivy! There is a fence, but I can step right over it.

Looking toward the southeast corner…

Once out in the open, I looked toward the end of the back pasture, toward what I call the swamp. I call the whole area behind the south hayfield the back pasture. It gets good afternoon shade because of the trees growing in the fence row. There is some grass growing thanks to the Purple Stem and the Tall Fescue.

Looking north…

Looking north, you can see the trees on the left between the south hayfield and back pasture. To the right are trees on the neighbor’s property that follow a creek. The fence row has a few Multiflora Roses, Eastern Red Cedar, and of course Japanese Honeysuckle.

Solidago sp. (Goldenrod) on 9-24-23.

There has always been a good-sized colony of Solidago at the end of the grassy area of the back pasture. Past them, it is normally a mixture of blackberry briars and more blackberry briars… That may sound weird, but it is true. There is a HUGE mulberry tree in the area and past that is a band of small trees…

Into the swamp…

Just on the other side of the Goldenrod is an area that is usually grown up, but this year I was able to walk through it. Strange how a lot of “crap” seems to be missing here. When we had cattle grazing the back pasture, I had an electric fence in this area so they couldn’t farther down. Tree limbs and blackberry briars made it difficult to maintain the electric fence. As the briars grew farther into the pasture, I would move the fence.

The swamp…

In 2020, a fence was built along the boundary of the south hayfield all the way down to the east boundary fence. We decided to move the fence maybe 60′ or so in front of the old fence. The old fence runs along the boundary and is normally standing in water. There is now a cattle panel for a gate just in case the cows get out. Hmmm… Whenever and if the tenant puts cattle here. If you don’t remember from past posts, the Rock Island Railroad ran along the south side of the farm, which is now part of the Katy (MKT) Trail. On the other side is the city park with a good-sized lake. The lake was once used to fill steam locomotives with water. There is a large culvert where the lake drains. There is also a spillway on the south side of the lake.

This area has changed a lot since I returned in 2023. The swampy area was once filled with Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed) then it was taken over by a species of reed grass. Since this summer has been so dry, even it has refused to grow…

Hmmm… I wonder how many more I can get on my pants?

Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) seeds…

Walking back into the pasture, there is a lot of Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) going to seed now. The plants in the back pasture are always a little behind those in the main hayfield. Likely because the area gets shade in the afternoon.

Midway in the back pasture looking north on 9-24-23.

There were thousands of Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) in this area earlier in the summer. Now there are none. There is not even a trace of old stems and seeds…

Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) on 9-24-23.

Hmmm… I was walking along the treeline where there were quite a few White Snakeroots are in flower. I noticed this Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) so I zoomed in to get a shot. I noticed something weird… It seemed very friendly… It was DEAD! It was hanging by its tongue… White Snakeroot, as you know, is highly toxic but butterflies and other insects can feed on the nectar without harm. Do you think, since there aren’t many flowers to feed on, that too much of a good thing could be lethal?

I knew it was a Painted Lady because of past identifications, but I have no observations posted on iNaturalist nor any photos in my folders. Hmmm… Something is weird… Perhaps I took photos but they were too blurry to save but OK for an ID. According to information online, the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is the most widespread of all butterfly species…

Cirsium altissimum (Tall Thistle) on 9-24-23.

There were still a few Cirsium altissimum (Tall Thistle) blooming but most have already gone to seed. These are “user-friendly” thistles without all the prickles on their leaves and stems.

I left the back pasture and went back into the south hayfield. I walked along the fence where it had been mowed a while back.

Bidens bipinnata (Spanish Needles) on 9-24-23.

WHOA! I almost walked right into a trap of Bidens bipinnata (Spanish Needles)! In a lot of vegetation, they are hard to see. I didn’t want to add the other sticktights on my pants!

Bidens bipinnata (Spanish Needles) on 9-24-23.

I always like to avoid these and normally do a pretty good job.

Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) on 9-24-23.

Farther down I noticed another dead Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) on White Snakeroot flowers… Again hanging by its tongue…

Argynnis cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary) on 9-24-23.

Within a few feet was an Argynnis cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary) feeding on A Cirsium altissimum (Tall Thistle) flower. These are one of my favorite butterflies to photo because they don’t fly away so fast. This one isn’t so brightly colored and his wings are torn somewhat. I told it to stay away from the White Snakeroot…

I looked ahead of me and noticed I was in a little bit of a predicament… The vegetation had grown more in this area since it was mowed. I will have to walk through it… Maybe I can get more beggarticks on my pants!

The above photo is what I just walked through (toward the east). You can see where it has been mowed farther up…

Arnoglossum atriplicifolium (Pale Indian Plantain) on 9-24-23.

I ran across a colony of first-year Arnoglossum atriplicifolium (Pale Indian Plantain). I really like their tropical-like leaves.

Arnoglossum atriplicifolium (Pale Indian Plantain) on 9-24-23.

If you are unsure of the species, just turn over the leaves and look for the whiteish underside.

Abutilon theophrasti (Velvet Leaf) on 9-24-23.

I had wanted a few more photos of Abutilon theophrasti (Velvet Leaf) and here I found another plant. I think it was last year I found a single seed pod in the main hayfield.

Abutilon theophrasti (Velvet Leaf) on 9-24-23.

This one has several seed pods and even a few green leaves! The seed pods would be great in dried arrangements.

Ipomoea hederacea (Ivy-Leaved or Blue Morning Glory) on 9-24-23

It even had a Ipomoea hederacea (Ivy-Leaved or Blue Morning Glory) on its stem. I think the south hayfield is the only place I have seen this species of Morning Glory. This is a common species but I first identified it from plants sprawling along the ground in 2021. There is a nice older home in Clinton with Morning Glories planted along its wrought iron fence. Looks really good!

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed) on 9-24-23.

Finally a nice colony of Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed).

Senna marilandica (Maryland or Southern Senna) on 9-24-23.

Then I stumbled upon this plant along the fence… I identified it as Senna marilandica (Maryland or Southern Senna) but it could be another species of Senna… Another new species identified here. As you can see, it can easily be identified by its leaves and long bean-like seed pods. It is a member of the plant family Fabaceae…

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard.Frostweed) on 9-24-23.

There is always a large colony of Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed) along the fence in the south hayfield. We are getting close to the end… This colony is short since they were mowed off previously.

Ageratina altissima (White Snakeroot) on 9-24-23.

Right next to the Verbesina virginica is a good-sized colony of Ageratina altissima (White Snakeroot). As with all of this species on the farm, this colony looks great…

I walked out of the south hayfield getting ready to go back to the house. I decided to walk toward the small pond to cut across the ditch there… Guess what I saw?!?!

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) on 9-24-23.

Lo and behold it was the clump of Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster). If you remember from the last post, I thought they had completely vanished because of the drought. I must have been a little off in the location (a few feet)… What I saw before was just stems and dried leaves so I thought it was something else. Since it rained a little since then, it grew new leaves and flowered. That is a characteristic of several species of Symphyotrichum including S. praealtum (Willowleaf Aster) which hasn’t flowered yet. I can’t find it until it blooms…

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) on 9-24-23.

The flowers are not nearly as big as usual and not near as many. The plants are usually taller than I am, but this year they are MUCH shorter (which is another reason I couldn’t find them). At least the stems are standing upright where they are usually pretty much on the ground. One thing I appreciate about this species is that they stay put. The clump has gotten bigger, but they don’t pop up everywhere. I am relieved they are still alive!

Torilis japonica (Japanese Hedge Parsley) on 9-24-23.

Another plant I avoid like the plague is Torilis japonica (Japanese Hedge Parsley). I’m not going to repeat my sock story from when I was a kid. A similar species, Torilis arvensis (Common Hedge Parsley), is the same in almost every characteristic. A few years ago I became curious about the Hedge Parsley here. T. japonica has hooked barbs while T. arvensis has curved barbs. I took the magnifying glass and all I looked at had hooked barbs. A while back, a member of iNaturalist disagreed and suggested T. arvensis. I explained the difference and he thought it was the other way around… He tagged another member and he said the best way to tell was T. japonica has a whorl of bracts below the umbellets… Hmmm… I went to check and all the plants I checked were too far along to have leaves let alone bracts. Now I have to wait until next year to check… When the seed gets older, the hooks on the bristles also fall off.

I thought I would take a shot of the main pond behind the barn… It is dry and the ragweed is flourishing…

Darn! I lost a few…

Well, I better close for now. Since it is October now, at some point the potted plants will have to come inside. GEEZ!

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful.

 

 

Wildflower Walk ?

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all well. I apologize for not posting for a while. It has been a weird summer for sure with the heat and drought. I was busy with the garden picking sweet corn and green beans right up until August 17. Somehow I managed to get 455 ears of sweet corn in the freezer, and thanks to the ‘Provider’ green beans, 34 quarts of green beans. Of course, not all the green beans and sweet corn made it to the freezer. I ate some and gave some away. Some of the sweet corn went to the chickens because of pollination issues and, with some, only half an ear was good enough to go to the freezer. The ‘Tendersweet’ and ‘Contender’ green beans didn’t do well at all. It was so hot the majority of the flowers fell off despite frequent watering. I picked only 7 quarts from 4 double rows 25′ long from them. The ‘Provider’ however, made up for it with 27 quarts from only 2 double rows about the same length. It was planted 2 weeks later.

The above photo of the thermometer was taken on August 24 at 12:15 PM. I had the AC charged so the camera fogged up every time I got ready to take photos. I picked the last green beans on August 16 and 17, 10 gallons, when we had a cool spell (and we had rain). All the next week it was 100 plus every day. What hadn’t burned up before did that week.

Castor Beans on 9-7-23.

I bought a six-pack of Castor Bean plants earlier this spring. I planted them along the garage because I couldn’t figure out where else to plant them. Heck, they were in the pack for 2 weeks before I put them in the ground. They barely grew despite watering them nearly every day. Then they took off like there was no tomorrow. The first two are the tallest… One has green stems and one has red. They are LOADED with seed!

I hadn’t been on a wildflower walk since June 4, so on Sunday, I decided to see what was going on. Despite a little rain recently, it was a pitiful sight…

View of the main hayfield from the northwest corner on 9-10-23.

The wildflowers that are normally still in flower in abundance such as Black-Eyed Susan, Ironweed, and Annual Fleabane didn’t flower very well and are all dried up. Most of the stems are so bare you can’t tell what they once were. I walked along the fence on the north side of the hayfield toward the back. In the distance, I could see the dried-up patches of Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) that had already bloomed, which would be typical this time of the year. But, there are normally several hundred young plants as well. Normally, the hay would have been cut and the milkweed and other persistent plants would start growing again. This year, no hay was cut here because there was no grass in the main hayfield. I will admit that the grass in the hayfields has been scant the last few years anyway.

Solidago sp. (Goldenrod) on 9-10-23.

Several HUGE patches of Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) look great despite the heat and lack of water. Some wildflower species flourish when other species don’t and get an even bigger foothold. I haven’t been to the south hayfield for a while but I am sure there are A LOT of Goldenrod there as well. They used to only be around the fence rows but not so much inside the fields. There are many species of Solidago in Missouri that are quite similar. I think the species on the pasture is Solidago altissima and/or Solidago gogantea.

Asclepias hirtella (Tall Green or Prairie Milkweed) on 9-10-23.

Milkweeds are very drought-tolerant so they came up, flowered, and many of their seed pods have already burst open. The seed pods on this Asclepias hirtella (Tall Green or Prarie Milkweed) are still well intact. The Missouri Plants website says the common name is Prairie Milkweed, while iNaturalist says Tall Green Milkweed. I am not sure why that would be a common name since they don’t grow that tall…

Eupatorium serotinum (Late Boneset/Late Thoroughwort) on 9-10-23.

Walking farther toward the back ponds, there were very few Eupatorium serotinum (Late Boneset/Late Thoroughwort). They are a very tough species, especially around low areas where I found this small colony. There are quite a few growing along the ditch in the front pasture. Ummm… I am pretty sure this is Eupatorium serotinum instead of Eupatorium altissimum (Tall Thoroughwort). They sometimes confuse me.

Vernonia missuurica (Missouri Ironweed) on 9-10-23.

The Ironweeds have really struggled this summer which isn’t good. Most of the Ironweeds, both species, are pretty much all dried up. I think it was in 2021 when the Ironweed was so numerous from late September to early October when the Monarchs were here in mass. I had never seen them like that before or since. It was quite a sight. I wonder what they will do when they come to the Midwest this year and there is hardly any food.

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed) on 9-10-23

Ahhh… Here’s a clump that looks pretty good. This is Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed). I didn’t see any Vernonia baldwinii (Baldwin’s or Western Ironweed) that wasn’t already dried up. Hmmm… I don’t have a page for either species…

Oh, do I see a touch of yellow?

Bidens aristosa (Bearded Beggarticks/Tickseed Sunflower) on 9-10-23

Well, no doubt the Bidens aristata (Bearded Beggarticks/Tickseed Sunflower) will brighten your day. I haven’t even gotten to the pond yet where they are usually growing in abundance.

Orchelium vulgare (Common Meadow Katydid) on 9-10-23

There weren’t very many butterflies, grasshoppers, or other insects flying around because there wasn’t much food for them. On another Missouri Ironweed with a few flowers was this Orchelium vulgare (Common Meadow Katydid). They are quite common on leaves, but this one seems interested in a dried flower… Hmmm…

Agapostemon virescens (Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee) on 9-10-23

I spotted this small green bee on the same plant as the katydid. I’ve seen these before but I could never get a good shot. It could be an Agapostemon virescens (Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee). I decided to leave it alone and head toward the pond.

Back pond #1 on 9-10-23.

The first pond in the back of the farm isn’t much of a pond even when it has water but there is always a lot going on around it. It always amazes me how many species of plants grow in this pond and around it. It’s like an oasis.

Echinochloa crus-galli (Barnyard Grass) on 9-10-23.

Nearly half the pond is covered with this grass that could be Echinochloa crus-galli (Barnyard Grass). It is considered to be one of the world’s worst weeds It reduces crop yields and causes forage crops to fail by removing up to 80% of the available nitrogen in the soil. Plus it acts as a host for several mosaic virus diseases. Individual plants can produce up to 40,000 seeds per year. Hopefully, it is a species of harmless grass that isn’t an introduced invasive species. I am not really good with identifying grass species except for what is more common.

Bidens aristosa (Bearded Beggarticks/Tickseed Sunflower) on 9-10-23.

On the bank on the south side of the pond was a nice-sized colony of Bidens aristosa (Bearded Beggarticks/Tickseed Sunflower).

Persicaria pensylvanica (Pinkweed) on 9-10-23

Persicaria pensylvanica (Pinkweed) is a common sight around ponds, ditches, fairly shady areas, damp places, and around the house. This species doesn’t seem to get carried away. There is usually a colony next to a gate by the barn but I didn’t notice them.

Persicaria hydropiper (Wild Water Pepper) on 9-10-23.

The other half of the pond is full of Persicaria hydropiper (Wild Water Pepper). This species of Persicaria can get carried away if it so desires. Damp areas are certainly its preference. I have no issues with any Persicaria species since I think they are near plants. They are like a faithful friend that always comes up. There are still 7 species here on the farm…

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster) on 9-10-23.

I walked to the drainage ditch behind the pond to check on the Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster). At least they didn’t dry up, but waiting for them to flower is like waiting for Christmas on New Year’s Day.

Not sure why I took a photo of one of the two old tires in the wooded area behind pond #2. It was likely thrown back here by my grandpa so it has been here a very long time. Hmmm… There is even life growing on and in it…

Elephantopus carolinus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 9-10-23.

I walked out of the area behind the pond toward the persimmon tree to check on the Elephantopus carolianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot). They have already flowered and gone to seed. You can tell how dry it is by the way the leaves are shriveled…

Croton capitatus (Wooly Croton) on 9-10-23.

I didn’t go farther down to the southeast pasture on the 10th but maybe I can do that later. There are usually a lot of Black-Eyed Susan in the area still in flower, but not this summer. I walked north from the persimmon tree and stumbled upon several Croton capitatus (Hogwort, Wooly Croton, ETC.) that are blooming now.

Croton capitatus (Wool Croton) on 9-10-23.

I always like their felt-like leaves and small yellow flowers. There are likely several of these farther down in the south part of the pasture.

Back pond #2 on 9-10-23.

Hmmm… That’s all I can say about this pond…

Bidens aristosa (Bearded Beggarticks/Tickseed Sunflower) and Eupatorium serotinum (Late Boneset/Tall Thoroughwort) on 9-10-23.

On the bank of the back pond #2 is quite a large colony of Bidens aristosa and Eupatorium serotinum.

Bidens aristosa (Bearded Beggarticks/Tickseed Sunflower) and Eupatorium serotinum (Late Boneset/Tall Thoroughwort) on 9-10-23.

They must have deep roots to look so well…

Chauliognathus pensylvanicus (Goldenrod Soldier Beetle) on 9-10-23.

There were A LOT of Chauliognathus pensylvanicus (Goldenrod Soldier Beetle) working on the Bidens aristosa. I would normally call this critter Chauliognanthus marginatus (Margined Leatherwing Beetle), but the last time I posted an observation on iNaturalist it was suggested it was C. pensylvanicus. I went ahead and posted the observation of this bug as C. marginatus. An iN member disagreed and said it was C. pensylvanicus because it had black legs… I checked a past observation and they didn’t have black legs. So, there are two species here that look alike with different legs…

Ambrosia bidentata (Lanceleaf Ragweed) on 9-10-23.

Hmmm… I have seen  Ambrosia bidentata (Lanceleaf Ragweed) before, but I just never bothered to give them a proper ID. There were always more interesting species to identify than another Ragweed… Ummm… I was going to say something silly about the species name and President Joe Biden, but I decided I better not get into politics. After all, this is a Ragweed… OUCH! I will take more photos and get a page made for this species.

This area is normally filled with mostly Ironweed. One of the spots where the Monarch Butterflies feed. What Ironweed are here this year are pretty much all dried up…

Tridens flavus (Purpletop Tridens) on 9-10-23.

Walking up into the main hayfield, there is a purple glow from the Tridens flavus. It has several common names including Purpletop, Purple Top, Redtop, Redtop Tridens, Grease Grass, or other similar names. It is a native grass that has been here as long as I can remember and it can grow quite tall in favorable conditions. During the heat of the summer, it was completely unnoticeable, but once temps started cooling off and we received a little rain it started greening up and will soon go to seed. The seeds are somewhat greasy which is where it gets one of its common names. Dad always called it Redtop, but many websites prefer Purpletop.

Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gamagrass) on 9-10-23.

The grass I am keeping an eye on is the Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gamagrass).   I first identified this grass from a small colony I found on a backroad south of town last year. I did some research about it and thought it would be great to have it here. Well, on 6-8-23, I discovered three clumps in the main hayfield. They were blooming at the time and were easily identified. Each time I walked into the hayfield, no matter how hot and dry, this grass was still green and growing. The grass itself gets fairly tall, and the seed heads are taller than me. It is now blooming a second time. I didn’t get seed the first time, so I am keeping an eye on it so I can collect seed and scatter it around. Maybe I will sow some in the area north of the chicken house… This native grass was once very common in prairies throughout the Midwest, but grazing, farming, and planting other grasses took its toll. There are a few companies that specialize in native grass seed and one offers seed at $28.00 per ounce!

Lespedeza cuneata (Chinese Bushclover) on 9-10-23.

There are quite a few Lespedeza cuneata (Chinese Bush Clover) scattered throughout the hayfield now. They are doing great without rain…

Erigeron annuus (Annual Fleabane) on 9-10-23.

It is really weird not seeing the Erigeron annuus (Annual Fleabane) not covering the entire hayfield. They covered the hayfield earlier before the drought set in. Now there are very few with flowers that aren’t dried up…

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) on 9-10-23.

Another species that is usually quite prolific is Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan). Normally, they are everywhere but now they are in a terrible state. Before the drought, there were enormous colonies plus many scattered smaller colonies… I will head to the south hayfield and southeast pasture to see the fate of the Black-Eyed Susan soon.

Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) and Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gamagrass) on 9-10-23.

Well, now isn’t that a sight to behold! Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gamagrass) in the middle of one of the largest colonies of Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed). I somehow missed this Eastern Gamagrass earlier… Maybe it grew more since I last visited this milkweed colony…

As I left the main hayfield, which is on a hill, I entered a low area between the hayfield and the pond behind the barn. For some odd reason, the temperature drops dramatically, even on a 100° F day. I can’t explain it, but it is cool all the way from the north boundary fence, along the drainage area behind the pond, all the way to the boundary fence along the south side of the pond.

Datura stramonium (Jimson Weed) on 9-10-23.

Along the pond bank, south side, are several Datura stramonium (Jimson Weed). They get quite tall and have this weird odor to their leaves. Of course, as you may know, this is NOT a good plant. Common names include Loco Weed, Devil’s Snare, Stinkweed, Devil’s Trumpet, Hell’s Bells… You get the picture.

Datura stramonium (Jimson Weed) on 9-10-23.

You have to admit, though, they do have beautiful flowers…

Phytolacca americana (American Pokeweed) on 9-10-23.

Well, I can’t leave the area without taking another photo of the Phytolacca americana (American Pokeweed). I like Pokeweed for some odd reason and pretty much allow them to grow wherever they want. There are a few exceptions like in the garden in the rows. Along the fence is fine…

The main pond behind the barn on 9-10-23.

Hmmm… I remember when grandpa had this pond dug when I was a kid. It was so big! Over years of the cows walking on a certain spot on the south side, they created a ditch. When we would get downpours in the spring, the spot would erode until the ditch was much lower than the overflow pipe. Now, even with plenty of rain, it only gets maybe 3-4 feet deep. Right now, I think I could walk right out in the middle.

Part of the cool zone behind the pond…

The above photo is part of the cool zone behind the pond. The pond bank is on the left with a patch of Datura stramonium on the right. At the top of the photo, in the center, you can see the hayfield. Earlier in the summer, there were a lot of weeds here which I mowed. For some odd reason the weeds didn’t grow back and the grass grew. Hmmm… It could be Tall Fescue, but there are no stems. I did see one stem that looked like that Echinochloa crus-galli (Barnyard Grass) in the pond at the back of the farm. HMMMM…. I have no idea why the grass is lying down like that. It looks like a flood came through, but of course, that is impossible… One of those unexplained mysteries for now. Well, it was so hot over the summer and I was busy with the garden.

Erechtites hieraciifolius (Fireweed/Pilewort) on 9-10-23.

From there I walked along the drainage area south of the pond. I first identified Erechtites hieraciifolius (Fireweed/Pilewort) here a few years ago from a few plants growing along the entrance to the south hayfield. Now, there are several very robust plants growing along the ditch toward the small pond in the front pasture. They are pretty neat plants that know how to take advantage of a good thing…

Erechtites hieraciifolius (Fireweed/Pilewort) on 9-10-23.

They have really odd flowers that peek out through the top of the… Ummm… I haven’t got a good word to explain the flower heads. It is kind of tube-shaped. The flowers are so small I likely can’t get a good photo. If you want to get a better idea, you can click HERE to read about this species on the Missouri Plants website.

Then I spotted a plant next to one of the Fireweeds I hadn’t seen before. The flowers were kind of “nightshady”…

Solanum sarrachoides (Hairy Nightshade) on 9-10-23.

I took a few photos and used the drag-and-drop feature on iNaturalist and the only suggestion was Solanum sarrachoides also known as Hairy Nightshade. Well, I was right in my guess. I could tell from the flowers it was a nightshade but I had not encountered this particular species before. The only other nightshade I have seen here was the Solanum americanum (Black Nightshade) back in 2018. I remember it well. When I found it in 2018 it was a huge plant already. Some of the photos weren’t that good, so I went back the next day to take more. The entire plant was completely gone without a trace! WHAT THE HECK! Another mystery. The next one I found was in a flower bed at the end of the drive-up area at the bank. Whoever maintains the beds must have not known what it was, because they left it there all summer. It was growing among the yellow Missouri Primrose. 🙂 I made a comment to a teller about the deadly Black Nightshade in their flower bed. She laughed and said she wasn’t surprised. 

Solanum sarrachoides (Hairy Nightshade) on 9-10-23.

If you see flowers like that, you may have run across a species of Nightshade… I have to take more photos so I can make a page for this species.

I walked on down to where the Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) usually grows next to the front pond. Sadly, there is no sign of it. GEEZ!!!

I crossed the ditch to check on the Frostweed that decided to come up next to the walnut trees this spring. Well, it was still there but not in photo-worthy condition. So, I walked back toward the ditch toward the fence…

Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed) on 9-10-23.

I don’t really have to worry about the Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed). I think they would survive anything… When I first came back in 2013, they had taken over the swampy area in the southeast corner of the farm.  Well, that changed and they were removed from their throne. Then, a few years ago, they had gotten a hold along the fence in the south hayfield. Well, somehow, that changed as well, and last year there weren’t that many. So, I suppose although they can become quite invasive, they have their limits. They have been in this spot for several years now because nothing else wants to grow here.

Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed) on 9-10-23.

You must admit, they do have neat flowers the way they dangle…

Verbesina virginica (Frostweed/White Crownbeard) on 9-10-23.

I crossed the ditch to find the Verbesina virginica (Frostweed/White Crownbeard) kind of lying down on the job. They do that if there isn’t enough moisture to keep them standing up. They are one of my favorite wildflowers, as I have repeatedly said, with their winged stems.

Cauliognathus pensylvanicus (Goldenrod Soldier Beetle) on 9-10-23.

The Cauliognathus pensylvanicus (Goldenrod Soldier Beetle) has gone wild over the flowers of the Frostweed. Well, the males have a different agenda.

There wasn’t much to see along the fence like there usually is, so I walked on back toward the barn. I have two other species to check on…

Sida spinosa (Prickly Fanpetals) on 9-10-23

There are a few Sida spinosa (Prickly Fanpetals) in the pasture just south of the barn but not like last year. To be honest, there are A LOT of them in the garden this year. I’m not too familiar with this species since I first identified them last year. There are A LOT of these in the garden this year I just realized what they are. I had been watching them for a month or so to see what their flowers looked like.

Sida spinosa (Prickly Fanpetals) on 9-10-23.

Unfortunately, you have to get photos of their flowers early in the day or they close up… I did get photos of their flowers last year and if you click HERE you can see where the name “Fanpetals” comes from. They are neat for sure.

Opuntia sp. on 9-10-23.

Before I end this post, I wanted to show you my new Opuntia sp. (Prickly Pear). A friend of mine (and the minister where I go to church) went to an auction to bid on a cart used by the M-K-T railroad. I went to help him load it and spotted a very large pot with a VERY LARGE thornless Prickly Pear. I rescued a large Prickly Pear when I lived in Mississippi, but the thorns were ridiculous. I had wanted one without thorns for many years, so it was my chance to bring a few cuttings home. The lady who had the auction was moving, so I asked if I could have a cutting. She said I could have all I wanted and brought me a box and trowel… I went over to where they were and there were several that had grown into the dirt next to the pot, so I dug up a few, roots and all. Now, I have to figure out where I am going to put them…

Well, that’s all for now. I can’t believe it took me 11 days to finish this post! I was busy, then one thing led to another, or I couldn’t find anything to post about… Lately, I have been watching TV more than working on the blog… 

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful!

 

Garden Update 7-16-23

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. It has been very dry here and we finally received 1 1/2″ of rain a few days ago. I was very thankful there wasn’t much wind so the sweet corn didn’t blow over. I was prepared, though, because it always happens this time of the year. Just when i start picking corn… The rows have been hilled to the max so I would have plenty of dirt when I need it. Hilling also helps keep it standing to a point, but in high winds it will blow over anyway. The above photo and the one below  were taken on July 13… The ‘Silver Queen’ on the right was planted on May 23 and has been tasseling for a week or so. The beginning ear leaves are coming out closer to the top of the plant than with ‘Incredible’ (right side). There are four double rows of each variety 25′ long (or so). They look very happy.

The above photo is a view from the northeast corner.

On Friday May 14, I had been working in Clinton. I knew there was a storm on the way, and it wasn’t going to be good. Rain wasn’t all that was coming and the sky was telling the tale. I got home and was getting ready to take a nap when the phone rang. The preacher called and asked if I could pick up a lady and her daughter from the ER because he was out of town. I had to drive back to Clinton to to pick them up and bring them back to Windsor where they lived. I was happy to do but I checked the weather first. The weather channel indicated the storm wasn’t going to hit until 7 PM, so I thought I could get there and back by then. After I was on the highway about 5 miles, I didn’t believe the Weather Channel… The wind picked up about 8 miles from Clinton then it POURED!!! The pickup was blowing all over the highway and at times I couldn’t even see the lines on the road. A;; I could think about was the sweet corn. By the time I got to the ER the rain and died down to a sprinkle, but just as I pulled on the highway it hit again. It poured all the way back to Windsor and only died down once the we got into town.

When I came home, I drove by the garden and it didn’t look so bad. But, the wind and rain weren’t over yet…

The rain and wind finally stopped at 8 PM so I went to have a look. GEEZ!!! The ‘Silver Queen’ at around 8′ tall got the worse end of the deal.

The above photo is the dividing line between the ‘Silver Queen’ and ‘Incredible’.

This is a view from the front of the ‘Incredible’. Not near as bad… I had to wait until the next day to stand the corn back up because the ground was so muddy.

On May 15, I went to the garden and stood the corn back up. It took over and hour but all was well. It would have made a great new post about standing corn back up. The first one, “How Does Corn Stand Back Up”, was published on July 1 in 2017 and has had 3039 views so far. It is still getting a lot of views… July 1 in 2020 was the worse when “The Day After: A Miracle?” was published.

Sunday, July 16… Another severe storm is on the way. I think it was about 30 minutes before it was supposed to hit, so I went to the garden to work on the tomato vines. Some of them were getting carried away and needed to have their support tended to.

Bush Green Bean ‘Provider’ on 7-16-23.

The ‘Tendergreen’ and Contender’ Green Beans have been a disappointment 4 double rows 25′ or so long only produced 7 quarts of green beans after several pickings. Even though I watered them every 2-3 days (one night I forgot to turn the water off), the heat and hot wind caused the flowers to abort and fall off. Of course, the watering helped knock off the flowers as well. I had picked a few ‘Provider’ green beans but they were just getting started. While I was standing the corn up next to them I noticed I needed to get busy picking them. I picked A LOT! I wound up with a full 6-quart stock pot to put in the freezer.

Sweet Corn ‘Silver Queen’ on 7-16-23.

I was thinking about picking more sweet corn, but the weather had other plans… I went ahead and took more photos after I was finished with the tomatoes.

Watermelon ‘Sugar Baby’ on 7-16-23.

The Watermelon ‘Sugar Baby’ are doing well. The above photo is the biggest one. I like everything BIG, so I surprised myself by planting small watermelons. I planted them late, but I think they will be fine. They seem to be growing fast.

Tomato ‘Goliath’ on 7-16-23.

The ‘Goliath’ tomato plants are growing fast as usual. I like ‘Goliath’ for the size of their fruit and because I like to watch them grow.

Tomato ‘Goliath’ on 7-16-23.

They grow big clusters of HUGE tomatoes. No problems with army worms “yet”.

Tomato ‘German Johnson’ on 7-16-23.

The Tomato ‘German Johnson’ have been one of my favorite for big tomatoes with a great old fashioned flavor.

Tomato ‘Celebrity’ on 7-16-23.

Of course, I planted ‘Celebrity’ which seems to always do well and tastes very good, too.

Sweet Corn ‘Ambrosia’ on 7-16-23.

Ummm… The ‘Ambrosia’ has been so confusing this year. It was planted the same time as ‘Incredible’ on May 3 and it refused to grow (except on the other end). Corn can be weird, but I have never seen anything like it. It was watered every 2-3 days for 2-4 hours, was fertilized twice, and it has just baffled me. The plants on the other end grew taller while most of it is 3-4 feet. It is supposed to be the same size as ‘Incredible’ like it was in 2021… Even so, I have somehow picked 22 ears, some not so good, but a few have been perfect. If you have grown ‘Ambrosia’, it can be confusing to know when the ears are ready. Yellow corn, like ‘Incredible’ (for example) have good sized ears (with the husks on) that feel nice and full. ‘Ambrosia’ isn’t like that. Even though the silk is dry and appears ready, they and much narrower. You will get fooled if you pass them by. So, you wait a few days and realize they were ready before. But, there are those ears you think are ready that are not. DOUBLE GEEZ! You can check by using your fingernails to open the wrapper leaves, but if the corn isn’t ready, the bugs get in and have an easy snack…

Sweet Corn ‘Ambrosia’ on 7-16-23.

Even the smaller stalks are trying very hard…

Pardon the grass… The grass and weeds have started growing since the rain.

So, around 1:30 when the last photo was taken, the wind was blowing and the storm was about to hit. At least that is what the radar showed when I went outside. One of those where we would be right in the middle of the “orange” when was heavy rain… As I was writing this post I was waiting for it to hit and go back out afterwards for a final photo for this post. The corn had already been whipping around and I was prepared to stand it back up again… But nothing happened. I checked the Weather Channel and the storm completely disappeared!

Well, it takes a while to write a post, so at 3, I had to go check the garden…

Hmmm… The sun was out…

Everything looks fine!

The corn is only slightly leaning….

WHEW! That was a close one. It amazes me how the storm vanished like that!

Now I can take a nap and maybe pick corn afterwards. I have already picked 91 ears…

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. Get as dirty as you can, it will be OK. I know, because I have gotten plenty dirty this past week and I am feeling GREAT!

Garden Update 6-18-23

The garden from the southeast corner on 6-18-23.

Hello, everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I took photos for a garden update a few days ago, but I decided I would take a fresh batch on Sunday. Everything is growing quickly and doing very well for the most part.

We received 3/10 inch rain overnight and it was cloudy all day. These photos were taken from 1:27-1:34 PM. By early evening the sun was shining. There was more rain in the forecast a few days ago, but that has changed to sunny and 88-90° F through Friday. The intense sun causes the leaves to droop during the afternoon, but they perk back up once the sun goes behind the trees across the street. When the leaves don’t perk back up, I may have to water the next day (early evening). I don’t like to water when plants are in the sun, but I think that is just my preference. I have read the pros and cons of watering in the sun vs. early evening. Early morning could be better, but I am not an early riser…

Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum (Elephant Garlic) in the garden on 6-18-23.

The cluster of Elephant Garlic I planted a few years ago is spreading nicely. I really like it mainly for their flowers these days, but I do like using it in Italian cooking. I have A LOT in the flower bed on the south side of the house, so I will be saving some of the heads.

The row of tomatoes on 6-19-23.

The row of tomatoes is in the same row as the garlic and the asparagus is at the end…

One of the tomatoes on 6-18-23.

The tomatoes are doing GREAT for the most part. There are a couple that are kind of spindly for some reason. They are blooming up a storm and there are a few small tomatoes. Several years ago I read that tomatoes like growing in the same place year after year so that is what I have done. I think in 2014 I put them in a different area and they didn’t do so well. I was watching a video from Hoss Tools (they have A LOT of videos about gardening on YouTube) and he recommends changing locations because of soil-born diseases that affect tomatoes. I haven’t had any issues with diseases, so until I do I will keep putting them in the same location. Hoss is in a southern state and prefers growing determinate varieties over indeterminate varieties because they seem to provide better leaf coverage which prevents sun-scald. I remember when I grew tomatoes in Mississippi the flowers would fall off when it became very hot, then set flowers again once temps a little. That was frustrating because I would wind up with a lot of green tomatoes at the end of the season. My neighbor, who was also a gardener, put the green tomatoes in paper bags in a cooler where they would ripen. I set a lot of them on windowsills and they would ripen but they didn’t have much flavor…

Green Bean ‘Contender’ on 6-18-23.

I kind of screwed up when I planted the green beans which won’t happen again… I plant the sweet corn 36″ apart and normally do the same with green beans. For some reason I decided 30″ was enough between the green beans. I can barely get the tiller between the rows… That’s not really a big problem since once the garden has been tilled a few times the weeds and grass kind of stop growing between the rows. That is especially true this year with the lack of rain. If you look at the second group of beans in the back half of the garden, you can see a whacky problem… It isn’t really a problem but tilling took a bit of maneuvering.

Green Bean ‘Contender’ on 6-18-23.

The ‘Contender’ green beans are shorter and the flowers are growing under the leaves for the most part. The plants are still growing as well, so I will have to hunt for beans when I pick them.

Bush Green Bean ‘Tendergreen’ on 6-18-23.

The ‘Tendergreen’ plants are taller and still growing. Soon, all the green beans will fill the gaps between the rows. At least that’s what usually happens with ‘Top Crop… As the plants continue to grow, the vines get heavy with beans, and the wind blows, harvesting can become interesting…

So, looking at the second half of the garden you can see the fourth row of sweet corn (from left to right) matches up between the rows of green beans… I planted the second planting of corn 36″ apart, as usual, but they don’t line up with the green beans which are 30″ apart. Plus, I planted the greens beans from right to left, while the sweet corn was planted from left to right. Maybe I should say east to west and west to east… I noticed this when I was planting the corn but I couldn’t very well do anything about it. I pointed that out to my son when he was here and he said no one will notice but you. Hmmm… Anyone who sees it could tell something is off. Maybe they think I did it on purpose. Normally, everything I do is straight or level, so this is way off for me.

Bush Green Bean ‘Tendergreen’ on 6-18-23.

The ‘Tendergreen’ produces these “runners” above the plants where the flowers are produced. This should prove interesting making me wonder how many flowers will fall off in the breeze and rain (or watering). Heat will cause a lot of flowers to abort anyway. I am quite sure there will be plenty…

Watermelon ‘Sugar Baby’ on 6-18-23.

The ‘Sugar Baby’ watermelons are coming along but they are quite small. I need to how between the hills…

Watermelon ‘Sugar Baby’ on 6-18-23.

The package of watermelon seeds says to sow a “few seeds” over a hill 9-12″ tall and 2′ across. When plants are 3″ tall, thin to cutting to 3 plants per hill… Hmmm…  I’ll admit I haven’t planted many watermelons. I think I did get planting the seeds 1/2″ deep right. 9-12″ tall hills?!?!

Sweet Corn ‘Ambrosia’ on 6-18-23.

In my opinion, this planting of ‘Ambrosia’ has been a little weird. The seeds were planted at the same time as ‘Incredible’ but they haven’t grown as well. Maybe they need more fertilizer…

Sweet Corn ‘Ambrosia’ beginning to tassel on 6-18-23.

The taller plants of both varieties are starting to tassel and…

Sweet Corn ‘Ambrosia’ on 6-8-23.

The ears are starting to develop. Since most of the corn came up a week (or so) late because of lack of moisture, I may have to do some hand-pollinating.

Sweet Corn ‘Incredible’ on 6-18-23.

Here you can see the ‘Incredible’ looks much better. The ‘Ambrosia’ and ‘Incredible’ need to be hilled up and de-suckered again. I should write a post about that… Sweet corn needs to be hilled up especially if you have nice loose soil…

Sweet Corn ‘Incredible’ on 6-18-23.

One of the stalks of ‘Incredible’ has striped leaves. I noticed several when I thinned the ‘Silver Queen’.

Sweet Corn ‘Silver Queen’ on 6-18-23.

That’s the way it should look! It rained the day after the ‘Silver Queen’ was planted, so germination was perfect and the corn emerged evenly.

Bush Green Bean ‘Provider’ on 6-18-23.

Double oops! The ‘Provider’ green beans… They came up just fine and are doing GREAT. You know, when you look down the middle of two rows it looks like the plants are smaller at the end and the row becomes narrower. It is the same when you look at a street with a row of buildings on both sides of the street. It is a matter of perspective… In this case, the two rows are definitely closer toward the end because that’s the way I had to plant them. Somewhere, somehow, a row was planted crooked… I couldn’t even get the tiller all the way through. I had to back it down as far as I could go then till forward. Now I have to hoe 6-8′. Once the beans grow and fill it will look normal. These beans need hilled…

Eggplant on 6-18-23.

I almost forgot about the eggplant! The two eggplants have grown A LOT in the past week. This one has a flower…

I noticed a peanut hull in the garden this past week I thought was really strange. Half of the hull was in front of the green beans and the other half was between the tomatoes and the fence. Where in the heck it came from is a mystery… There were also rabbit tracks along the west side of the garden. I haven’t seen a rabbit here since last year. Rabbits don’t last long around here because of the foxes, hawks, and cats.

There’s always something to do in the garden every day. I am behind on re-potting the Alocasia, and I promised some of the succulents I would re-pot them as well. A weird thing happened with one of the Amorphophallus… One was starting to emerge and not the other when they usually emerge at the same time. I stuck my finger in the pot and didn’t feel anything, plus the Oxalis in the same pot weren’t coming up either… So, I decided to check out why.

I found the Amorphophallus and Oxalis rhizomes at the bottom of the pot like it had been knocked over and someone just tossed the dirt and everything in. The Amorphophallus had roots and it had sprouted… UPSIDEDOWN!

Well, that’s it for this post. Until next time, be safe, stay positive, always be thankful, and GET DIRTY!

 

Hot And Dry Wildflower Walk, 6-4-23

Leucanthemum vulgare (Oxeye Daisy) on 6-4-23, #943-60.

Hello, everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I decided to go for a wildflower walk on Sunday afternoon even though it was bright and sunny and the temperature was already almost 90° F. There was a nice breeze, so it wasn’t so bad. We haven’t had much rain and it seems many of the wildflowers I usually see are non-existent. Only the toughest can survive in the heat with no moisture.

Species highlighted in green have their own pages. Just click on the name to visit their page.

Sisymbrium officinale (Hedge Mustard) on 6-4-23, #943-78.

The first stop was the Sisymbrium officinale (Hedge Mustard) colony that decided to come up by one of the old Chinese Elms in the chicken yard. Well, it used to be the chicken yard, but the chickens are normally confined to the chicken house these days. The fence is long gone and you never know when a fox or a wandering dog will stop by. I let the chickens out when I am close by… Hedge Mustard is an interesting plant, in my opinion, because it produces a small cluster of very small yellow flowers at the tips of racemes that get longer as the season progresses.

Sisymbrium officinale (Hedge Mustard) on 6-4-23, #943-79.

Long, slender fruit, called siliques, replace the flowers that seem to hug the stems… Ummm… I am still working on the page.

From the Hedge Mustard, I walk to the wooded area north of the chicken house.

Ribes missouriense (Missouri Gooseberry) on 6-4-23, #943-73.

There are quite a few Ribes missouriense (Missouri Gooseberry) bushes on the farm growing in wooded areas. I prefer to snack on them once the berries ripen although the green berries are used in pies and jams. As a kid, I could never understand why grandma always used green berries for pies instead of the sweeter, ripe fruit… I was never a fan of gooseberry pie.

As I was walking through the jungle, I stumbled upon…

Florinda coccinea (Black-tailed Red Sheetweaver) on 6-4-23, #943-55.

This very small Florinda coccinea (Black-tailed Red Sheetweaver) was hanging around in its web waiting for a smaller visitor. What it got was a much larger human visitor with a camera. Being such a small spider with a tiny thread of string trailing from its, umm, butt, it has to weave a “sheet” to catch its victims.

Smilax tamnoides (Bristly Greenbriar) on 6-4-23, #943-80.

While I was in the area, I thought I would check on the Smilax tamnoides (Bristly Greenbriar). It may sound a little weird, but I like this species. I have tried to find its flowers for several years, but they are normally high in the trees. They produce flowers at the end of the vines…

Smilax tamnoides (Bristly Greenbriar) on 5-10-23, #938-36.

I was working on this species page on May 10 and decided to check the vines to see if I could find flowers. Fortunately, a few of the long vines were hanging low and I found flowers… Smilax tamnoides produce male and female flowers on separate vines. I checked on June 4 to see if there were fruit but apparently, the two vines I took flower photos of were male… No fruit.

I was going to proceed with my walk from there, but when I came to the new electric fence I put up, I didn’t remember if it was on or off… The guy who leases the farm (Kevin) was going to put cows here but hasn’t yet… Since I wasn’t sure if I left the fence on, I decided to take an alternate route.

Conium maculatum (Poison Hemlock) on 6-4-23, #943-33.

So, I went around the barn and took a photo of the majestic Conium maculatum (Poison Hemlock). They may be neat-looking plants, but this is what possibly killed Socrates. You can see them growing along highways and back roads, overgrown yards, fields, etc. Such a deadly plant growing right out in the open. Well, you know as well as I do there are A LOT of deadly plants we just ignore as common weeds. Last year was the first time it was growing here and I intended to get rid of them when I took photos of its flowers. But, the hay was baled along with it. I took the above photo on June 4, and on June 5 I mowed them off…

As I headed back to where I left off before, I had to walk through…

Galium aparine (Cleavers/Catchweed Bedstraw) on 6-4-23.

There was a big pile of dead Galium aparine (Cleavers/Catchweed Bedstraw) that I tried to avoid. One of those plants I love to hate. 🙂 Most of these plants are dried up already, in piles just waiting to hitch a ride. Right off the bat, I get them on my pants. 🙂

Elymus virginicus (Virginia Wildrye) on 6-4-23, #943-46.

There is a small area that is open in the middle and surrounded by trees. Over the years, I have found several wildflowers that have come and gone. It is always strange to me how large colonies can appear and disappear within one season. Sunday, I noticed two good-sized colonies of what I think is Elmus virginicus (Virginia Wildrye). It grows here and there on the farm in the borders of shady areas. Birds like the seeds…

Achillea millefolium (Common Yarrow) on 6-4-23, #943-1.

It appears the Achillea millefolium (Common Yarrow) is beginning to flower. They are a common site on the farm and throughout the countryside. They seem to take hot weather and dry conditions with no problem, although a little moisture would make them put on a better show. I have an old cultivar growing in the north bed, in front of the chicken house, and by the barn that was given to me by a friend in Mississippi (when I lived there) that I brought with me when I moved back here in 2013. I can’t forget the plant with pink flowers I found on a friend’s farm in 2019. I think his cows ate the flowers since I couldn’t find it the day after I took its photo…

Allium vineale (Field or Wild Garlic) on 6-4-23, #943-6.

In another small area in the same location, there is always a nice patch of an Allium species I was never able to identify until now. With the help of iNaturalist and the Missouri Plants website, I found out they are Allium vineale known as Wild or Field Garlic.

Allium vineale (Wild or Field Garlic) on 6-4-23, #943-5.

The Missouri Plants website lists seven species of Allium and says this species is easily recognized as the flowers are replaced by bulblets… There are a number of Allium that grow in the yard that I have let mature that don’t do this. I took several photos so now I can write a page for Allium vineale (at some point)…

Sanicula canadensis (Black Snakeroot) on 6-4-23, #943-74.

In the mix of species in this shady area were a few Sanicula canadensis (Black Snakeroot). The flowers were pretty much shot already…

Phytolacca americana (American Pokeweed) on 6-4-23, #943-66.

I walked out of the shady area and had to get a photo of the Phytolacca americana (American Pokeweed). Not that anyone doesn’t know what it is… Over the years, the bank of the pond has been the subject of many territorial disputes and this year it appears to be the Pokeweed’s turn… I would say it is much better than Ragweed! Oddly, I find American Pokeweed an interesting plant and have let it grow along the garden fence, in front of the house, along the fence around the yard… I think the HUGE plant in front of the house has become annoying and perhaps three years is enough. The one along the garden fence didn’t come up this year and the ones that came up in the garden had to go… There is a limit…

I walked around a row of trees in front of the main hayfield to see what I could find…

Dianthus armeria (Deptford Pink) on 6-4-23, #943-39.

There were quite a few Dianthus armeria (Deptford Pink) growing in this area. This species can be easily overlooked, and if it weren’t for the small pink flowers you wouldn’t even notice them at all. Walking around the farm on Sunday, I noticed they were scattered around in many areas from front to back. I think with it being so dry and the grass being so thin, it has allowed many species to flourish that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Erigeron annuus (Annual or Daisy Fleabane) on 6-4-23, #943-50.

Well, what can I say? Typically in an average year, this wouldn’t have happened until after the hay is cut but I have seen it before. Overgrazed pastures and hayfields without good grass become COVERED with Erigeron annuus (Annual or Daisy Fleabane). With the lack of grass, this species will eagerly take over…

Erigeron annuus (Annual or Daisy Fleabane) on 6-4-23, #943-62.

The flowers are kind of interesting and unmistakable as Erigeron annuus with as many as 120 (or so) white ray florets (petals). Both male and female flowers can be self-fertile. Flowers are produced until a good ZAP in October so you can see how this species can get an upper hand. Many species of insects love these plants including MANY butterflies.

Argynnis cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary) on 6-4-23, #943-14.

Among the butterflies flying around the wildflowers was this Argynnis cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary). Most of the butterflies flying around the Erigeron annuus are smaller (short-tongued) while this Great Spangled Fritillary, being larger (long-tongued) was more interested in the Red Clower. I took a few good shots then this one flew off into the brush… I suppose enough was enough. Later on, I took photos of one that wasn’t so shy… I hadn’t photographed a Great Spangled Fritillary until Sunday’s walk. 🙂

Apocynum cannabinum (Hemp Dogbane) on 6-4-23, #943-12.

Farther up into the field, maybe halfway, there is quite a scattered colony of Apocynum cannabinum (Hemp Dogbane) beginning to flower. This species is quite similar to milkweed in appearance, especially from photos. I first identified this species on the farm in 2020 from a single plant, and since then it has made itself quite at home… All parts of this plant are poisonous, the genus name meaning “poisonous to dogs.” Despite its poisonous properties, Wikipedia has a long list of medicinal uses.

It has been used as a fiber plant and also as a psychoactive drug. Native Americans used to grind the seeds down into a powder and they used the plant to make bows, nets, tie-down straps, fishing lines, and clothing.

Pontia protodice (Checkered White) on 6-4-23, #943-71.

Wandering south from the Apocynum, I found this Pontia protodice (Checkered White) fluttering about that had no time for a human visitor. I took two shots and thankfully one was good enough for a proper ID. Butterflies can be tricky and sometimes you have to chase them around. Well, I wasn’t in the mood to chase butterflies but I am glad we met briefly. I am sure there are MANY species of butterflies I haven’t identified here…

Cornus drummondii (Roughleaf Dogwood) on 6-4-23, #943-37.

Walking along the row of blackberries growing where an electric fence used to be, I ran across a few Cornus drummondii (Roughleaf Dogwood). They grow here and there along fence rows and are a favorite of the strange but true Chauliognathus marginatus (Margined Leatherwing Beetle). Hmmm… I think I spelled it right. Those critters like milkweed flowers, too.

Hmmm…

The blackberries have almost all dried up from lack of moisture…

Back pond #2.

I have never seen this pond this low. I am sure the pond behind it is already dry… I may have to fence this pond off before Kevin brings cattle here. The edge is like quicksand and I would have to have a cow get stuck. Kevin says he has had to pull cows out of the mud in the past and it wasn’t any fun.

I didn’t walk in the trees behind the pond because this time of the year it is a real jungle. I walked toward the Persimmon tree south of the pond to check on a friend…

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 6-4-23, #943-45.

I checked to see if the Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) a while back to make sure they returned in 2023. This is one of my favorite species on the farm, although I haven’t mentioned that to them… There is a story behind my first observation on a friend’s mother’s farm in 2019, and again here in 2021 but I don’t want to repeat it or this post would be much longer. You can read about it by clicking on the name above. 🙂

Leucanthemum vulgare (Oxeye Daisy) on 6-4-23, #943-60.

I first identified Leucanthemum vulgare (Oxeye Daisy) on Kevin’s farm in 2019, and then I found several in the north end of the south hayfield in 2021. Last year I had to cross the fence to get photos so I am glad a colony has made its way to the north pasture.

Leucanthemum vulgare (Oxeye Daisy) on 6-4-23, #943-62.

I like these because the flowers are much larger than the other white members of the family Asteraceae on the farm. I hadn’t been a big fan of daisy-type flowers until I read about how complex they are. Now, I have learned to respect them…

On farther down in the same area…

Helenium flexuosum (Southern Sneezeweed) on 6-4-23, #943-57.

Hmmm… I was walking fairly close to the fence where I had driven the tractor several days before (you can see where the tractor tires have been) and ran across a plant I couldn’t identify. Although it looked kind of familiar in some ways, I just wasn’t sure…

Helenium flexuosum (Southern Sneezeweed) on 6-4-23, #943-58.

Hmmm… When I uploaded photos on iNaturalist, its top suggestion was Helenium flexuosum (Southern Sneezeweed)… Could it really be true? I haven’t seen this species here, or anywhere else, since 2013!!! I guess it is true since another member of iNaturalist agreed and the observation became Research Grade.

Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardtongue) on 6-4-23, #943-64.

I walked down to the lower end of the south pasture to check on the Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardtongue). They have only been coming up here on the farm since 2020 in the lower section of the back pasture. They probably came up here before that but the cows ate them off since the colony was quite large.

Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardtongue) on 6-4-23, #943-65.

The flowers are neat, but I really like their leaves…

There were several of these growing more out in the open, but their flowers had already started turning brown. I took the above two photos in the shade among the…

Dichanthelium clandestinum (Deertongue) on 6-4-23, #943-42.

Dichanthelium clandestinum (Deertongue)… I may be somewhat strange to some, but I kind of like this grass. We have a little history because it took several years to properly identify it. In fact, it wasn’t until I started using iNaturalist in 2019… Even then, I wasn’t sure and thought it was possibly Dichanthelium latifolium (Broad-Leaved Panic Grass). Another member asked if I was sure it wasn’t D. clandestinum?

Dichanthelium clandestinum (Deertongue) on 6-4-23, #943-43.

The latter species produces normal flowers this time of the year and “exerted” flowers later on while D. latifolium only produces exerted flowers at the end of the summer. I made it a goal to keep an eye on the colony in 2021 and positively identified it as D. clandestinum… There is a lot of green in the above photos, but I am holding a stem of flowers. 🙂 Very difficult to get good photos of such thin stems and tiny flowers. I seemed to be in a bit of a hurry, so I didn’t really notice if these were flowers or if they were already in the fruiting stage. Hmmm… There was no need to be in a hurry…

Potentilla simplex (Common Cinquefoil) on 6-4-23, #943-73.

Potentilla simplex (Common Cinquefoil) grows around the same area and seems to have spread out somewhat since it was first identified here in 2021. This species seems to do best in the shade, while the Potentilla recta (Sulfur Cinquefoil) prefers a sunnier location on the rest of the farm…

The back pasture/hayfield on 6-4-23…

Looking toward the north at the back hayfield looks pretty normal at this view…

Hmmm…

Looking down into the grass shows a different story. The blades of grass are very thin and dry. Once the seed dries, we are just going to top it instead of baling it. I stopped grazing this area a couple of years before dad died because it made great hay…

I circled around to go back to the main hayfield and didn’t notice anything special. I walked along the “other” blackberries on the south side to see if they were doing better…

Blackberries…

There were a few that were fair, but still many were dried up. These are a different species from those on the rest of the farm. They are earlier, much bigger, and only produce if there isn’t a frost in early April… The last time they produced a good crop I put 10 gallons in the freezer and gave a lot away… Just along 40′ or so. They are GREAT!

Walking a little further, I looked over into the hayfield and saw purple flowers with a bird on top. I zoomed in with my camera and realized it appeared to be a new species of milkweed, and it wasn’t a bird… I had to get a closer look. 🙂

Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) and Argynnis cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary) on 6-4-23, #943-25.

Shhhhh……. What the heck?!?!?! I can’t sneak up on anything with this crunchy grass! Strangely, the butterfly didn’t fly off. This is a new milkweed to photograph and more photos of the Argynnis cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary) would be great. Which one do I choose first? Well, I already have photos of the butterfly and none of the milkweed. But, the butterfly could fly off while the milkweed will still be here. How about both at once?

Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) and Argynnis cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary) on 6-4-23, #943-17.

This milkweed species, Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) hasn’t been here before. There are two other plants 40′ or so away and not together. I feel like I am whispering in my mind even when I am writing this. Like the butterfly will fly out of the photo… GEEZ!

Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) and Argynnis cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary) on 6-4-23, #943-18.

It’s like the butterfly is so busy it didn’t even notice me…

Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) and Argynnis cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary) on 6-4-23, #943-22.

Woooo… I think it said, “Don’t push it.”

Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) and Argynnis cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary) on 6-4-23, #943-24.

You have to admit the Great Spangled Fritillary is one magnificent creature. Just look at the size and color!

Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) on 6-4-23, #943-27.

The Purple Milkweed is nice, too. Much brighter and darker than the other milkweeds here. Strangely, I didn’t notice any Green Milkweed when I saw them in flower along the highway. Maybe I just haven’t located them yet. I just found the Green Milkweed on the farm in 2021 and there were only a couple of plants last year. Hmmm…

I walked on down to the front pasture and in front of the walnut trees…

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed) on 6-4-23, #943-81.

“What are you doing here?” The Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed) just smiled and chuckled a little. It is a good 200′ away from the colony along the fence in more sun. That’s OK since it is another favorite wildflower.

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed) on 6-4-23, #943-82.

I really like the winged stems!!!

I guess that wraps up this post. We did get about 5/10″ of rain overnight (early Thursday morning). It sure cooled off.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, always be thankful, and GET DIRTY!

 

 

 

 

 

Garden 2023 And The Strawflower

Garden 2023 on 5-31-23.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I don’t know about you, but it seems summer is officially here in Missouri. I do like the way it cools off in the evening, though.

I am very thankful the riding mower didn’t break down like it did in 2022 before I was able to get the garden mowed off. That’s why there was no garden in 2022. If it is as dry all summer as it has been, the yard won’t get mowed that often this year.

I planted 4 double of ‘Incredible’ and 4 double rows of ‘Ambrosia’ on May 3. The rows are 25′ or so long and there is a 4′ space between the varieties. Well, let’s just say the space is not exactly straight for some weird reason. This is the first year I was able to get the garden all ready to plant in April. In fact, I think I tilled it twice in April when it is usually too wet until May. Since I use dad’s old rear tine Troy Built, the garden gets nice and fluffy and you have to wait a few days before it gets planted. Anyway, dad always said the ground needs to settle a little before planting, so I always thought it was best. A nice rain would have done the trick, but that didn’t happen. I went ahead and planted the corn on the 3rd with the old Garden Way seeder. I always complained about the way it planted corn… Sometimes the seed wouldn’t get in a hole and I would have to wait until it started coming up to know where to replant. In 2021 I decided the heck with the seeder and planted it by hand. Well, I still had to replant A LOT even though I put 2-4 seeds every 8″ apart. It was because the seed rotted for some reason… SO, this year I went back to the seeder, and if I noticed no seed was in the hole of the plate, I would put 2-3 in the hole. You also have to tilt the seeder somewhat. The soil was still so fluffy the wheels on the seeder left a kind of a trench. I didn’t water because rain was in the forecast…

As I mentioned in the last post, my sister and niece came to go plant shopping. Besides going to all three greenhouses here, we went to Clinton. Actually, I talked them into going because I needed green bean seed and I also wanted to buy seed for white sweet corn. Unfortunately, there was a crop failure of ‘Top Crop’ Green Beans so I had to settle for an alternate route… Normally, I would have brought home a pound of ‘Top Crop’ but I settled for 1/2# of ‘Contender’, ‘Provider’, and ‘Tendergreen’. Hmmm… I planted either ‘Contender’ or ‘Provider’ when I was in Mississippi because of crop failure, but I can’t remember which one. I could look back in the old photos to find out for sure, but what the heck. So, I bought all three varieties because that’s what they had that wasn’t white-seeded. So, I planted 2 double rows of ‘Contender’ and 2 double rows of ‘Tendergreen’ on May 8… The seed works wonderfully with the seeder. I decided I would wait to plant the ‘Provider’ until later so I wouldn’t have so many beans to pick all at once. The other reason was because I wasn’t so sure where I was going to plant them… I also bought a 1/2# ‘Silver Queen’ Sweet Corn…

Some of the corn had come up by the time I planted the beans, but most of it had just grown roots but seemed to be waiting for moisture.

I decided to give up on the weather, so on May 10 I watered down the rows of the sweet corn and green beans. The trenches made by the seeder worked great when I watered. I didn’t want to water the whole garden with the sprinkler, so I just drug the hose between the first two rows and watered the rows on each side. When I was finished with the first  2 rows, I drug the hose out, skipped a row, and repeated the process. The next afternoon, the rest of the corn was up! It was like a miracle!

Once the beans started popping up, I watered again and they were all up the next afternoon. I can honestly say, I have the best crop of corn and beans I have ever had without replanting.

I planted 4 double rows of the ‘Silver Queen’ Sweet Corn and 2 double rows of ‘Provider’ Green Beans on May 23. ‘Silver Queen’ is an SU variety so the seed is much larger than ‘Incredible’ and ‘Ambrosia’ which are SE varieties. It was a little more tricky to plant, so I had to make sure seed was in the hole of the seeder plate. The ‘Provider’ seed was also larger than the other two varieties. That night we were blessed with 9/10″ of rain.

On the 30th, I planted a few hills of  ‘Sugar Baby’ Watermelon. I checked, and the last planting of sweet corn and green beans was starting to come up. I watered again, and the next afternoon they were out of the ground. I planted ‘Sugar Baby’ Watermelon so I won’t be going through the ordeal I did with the ‘Black Diamond’ a few years ago. No getting excited about how big they are getting and screwing up to see when they are ripe. A friend of mine told me his neighbor grew these and they were great, so I thought I would give them a shot… It’s about a month late planting them, but I didn’t plan on growing any until I noticed a bare spot in the garden. 🙂

Of course, I have tomatoes. Four each of ‘Celebrity’, ‘German Johnson’, and ‘Goliath’. All I need is a few plants, but I always bring home too many. I can’t help myself! I also planted a couple of eggplants.

OH, I almost forgot to mention the new mole repellers… A few years ago, a rep from a pest repellant company in China sent me a couple of mole repellers if I would write a review for them. I agreed so he sent me two… After a few weeks, one quit working but the other one continued to work until last fall. There are A LOT of listing on Ebay, so I decided to buy a box of 4… I put 3 in the garden and one in the corner bed next to the house. One of the 3 in the garden works great and would get a 10 out of 10 rating (for now). One of the others in the garden gets a 3 out of 10, and the other one in the garden gets a 1 out of 10. The one in the corner bed gets a 0. There is a new mole run right next to it because it is so quiet! I checked it again yesterday and I think it has completely quit.  The old mole repeller came on at different intervals and stayed on at different intervals. The company said it was so the rodents wouldn’t get used to it. Well, now that theory has gone out the door. All the listings on Ebay and their website say they come on every 20 seconds and stay on for only a few seconds. Some of the reviews have a similar experience, especially if they buy more than one…

Ummm… Several weeks ago, well maybe earlier than that (like in April), I found Stouffer’s Eggplant Parmesan in the frozen section at the store. It was just enough for one meal and it was delicious. The next time I went, and every time thereafter, they didn’t have it. I even checked at Walmart… So, I decided to buy a couple of eggplants (actual plants) on May 5. I haven’t grown any since I lived in Mississippi, so it will be an experiment. I know they produce A LOT!

I already made my own Eggplant Parmesan… Despite I bought “an” eggplant before I found a recipe that called for three and didn’t buy another one for a week. I opted to make the recipe smaller, then wound up using 2 zucchini to replace the missing eggplant, had to go to the store to buy another jar of spaghetti sauce and another package of mozzarella cheese. It turned out YUMMYLICIOUS! I found out zucchini wasn’t a good substitute when baking with eggplant… The eggplant cooks MUCH FASTER than zucchini which stayed a little crunchy even after baking an additional 20 minutes. This recipe was quite a process and I took photos for a post along the way. I wrote a post and decided I better wait until I don’t use zucchini… The recipe is supposed to have a “crunch” to it, but not because of the half-done zucchini… You know what they say, FAIL means FIRST ATTEMPT IN LEARNING. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Before I wind up this post, I have to show a photo of the Strawflower…

Xerochrysum bracteatum ‘Mohave™ Apricot’ (Strawflower) on 5-31-23.

I should have brought home more of these. I have always wanted to try Strawflower and have bought seeds in the past they didn’t come up. When I was at Wagler’s Greenhouse on May 15 (to buy more plants for Kevin’s Planters), I found a few and brought one home. The tag says ‘Mohave™ Apricot’ Bracteantha. Hmmm… It is actually Xerochrysum bracteatum ‘Mohave™ Apricot’. This plant needs more water than the African Daisy next to it, but its flowers are a big hit! The colors are amazing and very bright and the flowers actually feel like paper. They really do feel like the dreaded fake “strawflowers” glued to cacti at garden centers only these are real. It is kind of late, but I need to go see if Wagler’s has more. They are GREAT!

Until next time, be safe and stay positive, always be thankful and GET DIRTY!

 

 

Planters Planted

Most of the plants for Kevin’s planters.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I finished the planters for Kevin. You know, the guy who leases my pasture/hayfield, the guy I I feed cattle for on occasion, the guy I do his landscape maintenance for, the guy I wander through his woods and take wildflowers photos, etc. He’s a great guy I have known since high school. We were in the same class so we are the same age. I have been doing his planters for several years now, so I thought I would share what I did. Maybe you can give me some pointers. 🙂

Plants I normally like to use aren’t always available. This year it warmed up in April and a lot of people made a dash to the greenhouses. Well, we had a “you know what” that killed their plants, so they went back to the greenhouses again. Needless to say, when I am late I have to use my imagination a little more. I have never been to Muddy Creek Greenhouse when it was full of plants. Where do they all go so fast? Mast’s Greenhouse still had quite a selection of plants I didn’t want for Kevin’s planters, except for the petunias. Wagler’s has always been #1 for me because I always find great plants and they seem to re-stock. The best one was Wildwood, even though they were much smaller, but they moved out of town. They had a great selection and the plants were of great quality. Plant shoppers come from the city in droves because the prices are so much cheaper…

This is the largest round planter that has a lot of space. I put a large Coleus with no tag in the center and added three Senecio candicans ‘Angel Wings’ and three Gomphrena ‘Buddy Purple’ around the outside. The Coleus could be one of the Kong series. I know the Gomphrena will bush out, but this is the first year I have tried the Senecio ‘Angel Wings’ so we’ll have to see what it does. This is a large planter, so I think it needs to be a focal point. The Coleus came from Mast’s, the Senecio from Skaggs in Clinton, and the Gomphrena from Wagler’s.

Normally, there is a mass of Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ (Creeping Jenny) that has been in this planter for several years. Most of it seems to have died out, but there are still a few clumps I left in the pot. Maybe three years ago I put a Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldstrum’ in the center. It came up and spread again but I kind of got bored of it being in the planter so I removed most of it. Hmmm… Now that I think about it, I think I should remove what I left. Normally, all but one other year, I put a few Euphorbia hypericifolia ‘Starblast White’ in this planter but I couldn’t find any to suit me this year.

The above photo is what the planter looked like on August 1 in 2021. You can see how the Euphorbia hypericifolia ‘Starblast White’ filled the planter. You can see the Lysimachia ‘Goldilocks’ is flowing out around the bottom. The Rudbeckia ‘Goldstrum’ is in the center…

There are two tall urns like this, so I put a Geranium (Cranesbill) ‘Johnson Blue’ in one of them. I was hoping to find something else for it so I could keep it for myself… It looks a little lonely so I may take some Lysimachia ‘Goldilocks’ from home to stick in the pot. I have plenty. Wagler’s had several of these, so I will probably go back there and pick up another one for myself. I have to go back there anyway to dig some Mexican Petunia and Primrose from her flower bed. 🙂 Mrs. Wagler and I trade plants often.

I put another Coleus in the other tall urn. I am sure this one is a Kong, maybe Red or Scarlet. Time will tell as the color comes in on the center of the leaves. I have grown several of the Kong series and they are AWESOME! The selection of Coleus has been very wimpy the past couple of years. This one came from Wagler’s.

I have been using these HUGE Wax Begonias in the larger hex planters for several years and they look GREAT! The first time I stuck five of them in both planters and it was a bit much. This year I put only three in one of the planters so see how that works out. The Begonias came from Wagler’s.

The above photo was taken on August 1 in 2021. As you can tell, both pots are packed and the Begonias are LOADED with flowers. If you haven’t tried these begonias, you really should. There have never been any tags in the pots, so I have no idea what the cultivar name is. They are AWESOME!

Instead of putting Begonias in both of the larger hex planters, I decided to put the Osteospermum in the other one. I had a few things in mind since I couldn’t find another Penstemon ‘Blackbeard’ (Beardtongue). First, I decided to alternate the three white Osteospermum with the three colored ones. Well, that didn’t work because I still had an empty smaller hex planter and an extra Gomphrena ‘Purple Buddy’. So I stuck the white Osteospermum in this planter and put the extra ‘Purple Buddy’ in the center. I don’t know how tall the Osteospermum will get since there are no tags and I never grew them before…

Without any other choice besides going to another greenhouse, I decided to put the colored Osteospermum in one of the smaller hex planters. GEEZ! I liked all six in the other planter better, so I may have to do some switching again. Then I will have an extra ‘Purple Buddy’ AGAIN…

I put four Petunia ‘Scarlet™ Velvet’ in the other small hex planter. There were a lot of petunias at Wagler’s but none I really liked. I wanted to mix a dark flower with a yellow or red like I did last year, but there were no yellow petunias to be found that weren’t already in hanging baskets. I found these ‘Scarlet™ Velvet’ at Mast’s a few days earlier… I really like the dark petunias, especially alternated with yellow…

Hmmm… Violas make a great early flower that sometimes fizzles out once it gets hot. Kevin always does a great job watering his planters even when it gets hot and dry, so the Violas last a while longer than they would otherwise. If not… Well, I could stick the extra Gomphrena ‘Purple Buddy’ in their place if they die. I like the smaller flowered Violas rather than the HUGE flowers of the Pansies. I do like the bigger blue bi-colored pansies, the ones that are called “Beaconsfield Blue’. They are NICE!

Now, on to the back deck… I had to wait until the next day to do the planters on the back deck because Kevin wasn’t home. His house is on a hillside, so the deck is on the second floor with a walkout basement. You know what I mean… So, I have to walk through his house to get to the deck. He wasn’t home when I started and finished the planters above, so I went back to Wagler’s to pick up a few more plants for the deck. While I was gone, he came back and left again before I returned…

On the back deck are two large round planters and a pair of boots with hats. I always remove about 1/3 of the old potting soil from the planters on the back deck and put in fresh. Well, I remove some in the other planters as well before planting. As I was removing the potting soil and “weeds” that had snuck in, something jumped out of the pot. It was a tree frog that had changed color to resemble the potting soil! I had never seen one that color before so I thought I would take its photo. It sat next to the pot the whole time I was working on the planter.

I had to go to Wagler’s to find something for the center of this planter. When I went to buy plants last week, I noticed there were a few of the Dracaena. I think these are commonly known as Spikes. I have used them before as well as Cordyline (which I couldn’t find). I also picked up three Gazania rigens (Treasure Flower) last week which I hadn’t used before in planters. Normally, I put in six other plants to go around the outside of these planters. Three accent plants and three that trail over the side… But, four Gazania will have to do.

The Gazania look a little funky, so hopefully they will perk up… After I was finished, Kevin said they didn’t look too good. I told him if they didn’t work out I would find something else.

I put the tree frog back in the pot…

Then…

There was another one in the other planter… Look how well it is hidden!

The second planter looks better with a Zantedeschia ‘Virgin Art’ (Calla Lilly) from Mast’s and three Gerbera Daisies from Wagler’s. Last year I put a Calla Lilly in both planters and they looked GREAT. I also normally put Gerbera Daisies in this pot and they always look pretty good. Still, it would be better with alternating trailing plants…

I really like Calla Lilies, but they can be a bit pricey.

Gerbera Daisy #1.

 

Gerbera Daisy #2

 

Gerbera Daisy #3.

Now on to the boots and hats…

There are two pairs of boots and hats on the back deck. They don’t have very much room for potting soil so plants with shallow root systems are needed. I have used  Sempervivum (Hens and Chicks) for several years and they have done well. Sometimes they even over winter, but they didn’t survive this year.

This year I went ahead and put a Sempervivum in both hats.

Wagler’s had several succulents, so I put what appeared to be an x Alworthia ‘Black Gem’ in one of the boots. The tags with the succulents just said “Succulent”, so I’m not really sure if it is an x Alworthia or not… If so, it is a hybrid between Aloe and Haworthia.

In the second boot, I put what appears to be a Sedum adolphi… Again, I’m not 100% sure. Time will tell…

There is a boot on the front porch as well that I have been planting an Oxalis tetraphylla (Iron Cross) in for a couple of years. It works well there, so I put another one there this year. I forgot to take its photo…

So, that’s it for Kevin’s planters and this post. Of course, as always, I picked up a few more plants for myself at Wagler’s on the 15th…

Until next time… Be safe, stay positive, always be thankful, and GET DIRTY!

 

New Plants And The Garden…

2023 garden underway (photo taken on 5-10-23).

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms. All is well here and I am so happy to be getting my hands in the dirt. REAL DIRT!

My sister and niece came from KC to go plant shopping on May 8 so of course I went along. I picked up a few plants and scouted around to see what I could put in a friend’s planters. We made the round to all three local greenhouses plus two garden centers in Clinton. I needed more seeds for the garden which is why I wanted to go to Clinton. I will write more about the garden in another post.

What did I bring home?

Agave (Syn. xMangave) ‘Inkblot’

Muddy Creek Greenhouse sells out quickly so they didn’t have many plants left. I spotted several Agave that I thought were quite nice. There were two cultivars I especially liked but I decided on the one named ‘Inkblot’. Of course, its tag says Mangave ‘Inkblot’ which means it is a hybrid between cultivars of Agave and Manfreda. Manfreda species have been absorbed into the Agave genus so I am just calling it an Agave… It hasn’t met the ‘Pineapple Express’ on the back porch yet.

Callisia repens (Bolivian Jew)

I really enjoyed the Callisia repens in 2019, so I brought home another one from Wagler’s Greenhouse. These make nice mounds and eventually trail over the sides of the pot. The flowers aren’t particularly interesting in my opinion, but I brought it home for the foliage. I tried overwintering the first one inside, but it didn’t like it and eventually went on the R.I.P. list.

Osteospermum (African Daisy)

There were several colors of Osteospermum (African Daisy) at Wagler’s but I liked the white ones the best so I brought one home. Yeah, I know they would have looked better in a group in the flower bed, but funds were limited and we still had two more greenhouses to go (Wagler’s is always the first stop). I went back on the 11th and bought three colors for Kevin’s planters. These plants were in their greenhouse which usually has perennials, so I am assuming this plant is a perennial. There were no tags. If they were annuals they would be Dimorphotheca… Does that mean if it doesn’t return in 2024 it is Dimorphotheca? Hmmm… Likely it is a perennial that died over the winter and I will not be crossing my fingers.

Osteospermum (African Daisy)

You have to admit the white ray petals and dark center looks great! It won’t be treated as a wildflower so I don’t have to use botanical terminology…

Penstemon digitalis ‘Blackbeard’ (Beardtongue

This neat Penstemon digitalis ‘Blackbeard’ at Wagler’s wanted to come home and practically jumped in my arms. I agreed it could come home and knew just where I wanted it. I may go back and buy another one for Kevin’s planters. I had some problems finding center plants for a few of his planters, so one of these would be a possibility.

Pulmonaria x ‘Spot On’ (Lungwort)

Hmmm… Have you ever brought home a plant you didn’t know what to do with it? Well, this Pulmonaria ‘Spot On’ from Muddy Creek Greenhouse kind of fits into that category. I had an idea in mind at the time, but then when I got home it became a “?”. I think I will have to shove in the north bed at some point. I think I will transplant it during the night so the other plants will be shocked when they wake up in the morning.

Ricinus communis (Caster Bean)

I wanted “A” Castor Bean for the garden, but was forced to buy four at Wagler’s. They are in a 4-pack so I had no choice. I had never seen these at a greenhouse or garden center before. No doubt if I had bought seeds on Ebay I would have wound up with more than 4. I remember dad always had a few of these in our garden when I was a kid. I always liked the huge plants and leaves…

Salvia farinacea SALLYFUN™ ‘Blue Lagoon’ (Mealycup Sage)

Of course, you may know how I am about Salvia. I have grown other cultivars of this species before and they always did very well. So, we’ll give this SALLYFUN™ ‘Blue Lagoon’ a shot.

Senecio candicans Angel Wings® (Sea Cabbage)

While we were at Skaggs Garden Center in Clinton, I ran across a group of Senecio candicans Angel Wings®. I had to have one then went back on the 10th to bring home 3 more for Kevin’s planters. I think they will look great in the planter with a Penstemon ‘Blackbeard’ (that I have to get).

Kalanchoe delagoensis (Mother of Thousands)

What can I say? I found this Kalanchoe delagoensis (Mother of Thousands) at Mast’s Greenhouse when I went there on the 11th. Not like I needed another Kalanchoe that gives live birth, especially another one with the common name Mother of Thousands.

Kalanchoe delagoensis (Mother of Thousands)

HOPEFULLY, her babies will be limited to the tips and not like the Kalanchoe laetivirens, the other Mother of Thousands.

Kleinia stapeliiformis (Pickle Plant)

If you were here in person, I would go ahead and ask you to slap me. Well, maybe not. So, on the 11th, Mast’s Greenhouse had A LOT of succulents. Most I have, have had or didn’t have adequate space for during the winter. Then there it was. A weird plant that screamed Senecio (the genus). I have had issues with Senecio before (now on the R.I.P. list). But, I couldn’t help myself… Knowing that several species of Senecio were moved to the Kleinia genus was my way out. 🙂 Now that I think of it, I think it is Senecio stapeliiformis that is on the R.I.P. list. I thought it looked familiar!

Kleinia stapeliiformis (Pickle Plant)

I think it was this that caught my eye. I PREVIOUSLY bought cuttings from a Facebook group member that preferred to rot rather than run (root). The snake in the above photo was likely the cutting that was stuck in the pot, which was apparently rooted and the cluster in the previous photo was the result. So, I think we may have a shot… (WE= me, myself, and I).

Peperomia graveolens (Ruby Peperomia/Ruby Glow)

While I was browsing in another section at Mast’s, I stumbled upon an area with several succulents behind a rope with a sign on it… It said NOT FOR SALE. WAIT A MINUTE before you jump to conclusions. I did NOT take a cutting. If I had been at Walmart or Lowe’s and ran across a plant that I wanted that was expensive, maybe. Not saying I have ever done that… ANYWAY, I spotted three Crassulally-looking plants with interesting red and green leaves. I went back to the succulent section to see if I had missed any there. There was none. I went inside where Mr. Mast was and asked about the plants and if perhaps I could have a cutting. He said, “OH, you mean in the corner.” I said, “Yes.” He smiled and pointed to one of his daughters. We went back to the corner and she gave me a cutting. That was AWESOME.

I thought it was some kind of Crassula, so I searched online and found nothing even close. So, I put the photo on a Facebook group for ID. In no time, someone replied. She, who is also an administrator, suggested it was a Peperomia. SO, I checked online and found out it was a Peperomia graveolens with the common name Ruby Peperomia or Ruby Glow. I replied to her with that name and she said, “THAT’S IT.” This morning, she made the comment “I will be contacting you” followed by 4-5 hearts. WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!

North bed…

I decided to move the Hosta and Heuchera (Coral Bells) from the shade bed to the bed on the north side of the house. I have been tempted to do it the past few years but just hadn’t gotten around to it. The moles are gettng crazy there (since the mole repeller shot craps) and the shade is not dependable during the summer (Chinese Elms=Japanese Beetles=no shade). The bed on the north side of the house gets sme morning sun and part of it gets afternoon sun. I planted four Colocasia esculents rhizomes here, so they will give the Hosta plenty of shade. The only issue would be slugs and snails, but most of the Hosta are supposedly slug resistant. There were 12 Hosta in the shade bed but only 7 came up this spring. A couple has fizzled out by last spring. I transplanted 5 Hosta and 3 Heuchera to the north bed, and kept what was left of H. ‘Krossa Regal’ and H. ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ in pots and put them on the front porch. Now I can keep an eye on the Hosta better since they are along the house instead of being about 150′ (or so) feet away. I bought 4 more mole repellers.

Well, that’s it for this post. Spring has sprung and summer is here so now I can get my hands in the dirt and go wildflower hunting…

Until next time! Be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. Be sure to GET DIRTY!

Italian Arum Back From The Dead…

The last photo of the Arum italicum (Italian Arum) was taken on 6-1-13, #151-18.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. Spring is always an exciting time of the year waiting to see what comes back up and what hasn’t survived the winter. The anxiety is ridiculous especially with our mild temps this year.

I was surprised, actually quite shocked, on February 15. I was just kind of looking around to see if any wildflowers had started blooming yet. The temps were milder than average and the Crocus started blooming several weeks earlier than usual. I dug around in the leaves in the shade bed and noticed several Hosta have sprouted, but they are still very cautious. The Lamium purpureum were all still dead except in the sun along the garage and between the back deck and basement steps. Some of them were already blooming. The daffodils and Surprise Lilies were up and running as well. Now the daffodils are starting to bud. I noticed most of the Ajuga ‘Chocolate’ Chip’ next to the elm tree in the shade bed pretty much fizzled out over the winter. Like non-existent! I decided to check on the ones along the chicken house to see if they were still OK. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the bulbs that always come up in the shade bed by the hundreds that have survived since my grandparents lived here. I have not properly identified them…

What I saw stopped me dead in my tracks…

Arum italicum (Italian Arum) on 2-15-23, #929-2.

Could it be? The only Aroids I planted along the north side of the chicken house were a few Arum italicum (Italian Arum/Lords and Ladies) in 2013. I brought them with me from Mississippi when I moved back to the family farm since they were supposedly winter-hardy in this zone.

Arum italicum are a little weird in that they are summer dormant and come back up in September and grow all winter. In 2013, they did fine all spring, then did the usual dormancy deal in the summer. They came back up in September or October just fine. However, being in zone 6 in Missouri, they also go dormant in the winter and need a covering of leaves for protection. But, they didn’t come back up in 2014…

Arum italicum (Italian Arum) on 3-5-23, #934-1.

I went out to look around again on Sunday (March 5) and saw the Italian Arum, at least that’s what I think it is, has grown a second leaf…

It is so weird it would come up after being dead for 10 years! I remember when I was in Mississippi I had several Colocasia and Alocasia I was trying. I had them in pots and several died… Completely died with the rhizomes shriveled up and dry. I stacked the pots up only to find a few had somehow come back up. This has happened to other plants as well. I always said, “Just because it is dead doesn’t mean it is dead.”

Basically, everything else is still the same. The perennials are still cautious for the most part. The Achillea millefolium has been growing new leaves basically all winter. The Creeping Jenny is working on it, and the fern called Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron) never did go dormant. Weird. That’s the one that came up in the north bed from out of nowhere in 2021. I didn’t take any photos of it until 2022 because I thought it was a figment of my imagination.

Anyway, spring feels like it is here some days and feels like fall on others. The evening temps are still too cool for the most part for most plants to start popping up. I noticed on Sunday the Veronica persicaria (Bird’s Eye Speedwell) is now blooming up a storm. They are usually the first to bloom, but they are a hair late here. This time the Lamium purpureum (Dead Nettle) wins the prize for being the first.

Well, I better close for now. It is almost 1:30 AM!

Until next time, be safe and stay positive, and always be thankful. Spring is right around the corner.

Crazy Dreams…

Hello, everyone! Have you ever had crazy dreams you woke up laughing from? I had a strange dream before I woke up this morning. I was at this consignment auction and there was this long table with a lot of people standing around it. The stuff looked like someone cleaned off their workbench (and trash can) from their shop.

I was standing next to this guy in overalls that was the spitting image of a famous comedian (not to mention his name). 

He pointed to this round object on the table with a wire running from it to another smaller round object.

He said, “That thar goes to one of them lar detectors.”

I answered, “Oh really?”

He said, “yep.”

I asked, “Do you mean a liar detector to detect lairs, a lidar detector for taking 3D images of the ground, or what?”

His reply was, “Yep, it can do both.” He further said, “I put one on my metal detector a few weeks ago and it went down 20’. It said I found a gold ring. Yep, I had to get the backhoe to dig it up.”

I said, “Oh really?”

He said, “Yep. I dug up a skeleton with a big diamond ring on his finger.”

I said, “Your kidding! How much was it worth?”

He answered, “Don’t know. I wasn’t going to take a ring off a dead man’s finger so I covered it back up.”

I woke up laughing.

What are some of the crazy dreams you have had?

First Photos of 2023-Verbesina virginica (Frostweed/White Crownbeard)

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed) on 1-30-23, #928-1.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I was in the process of writing descriptions for the Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed, etc.) page Sunday evening and a thought came into my mind… I have been taking photos of this species since 2018 but had not ventured out in the cold to see if I could find any of its frost flowers. My higher self butted in to the thought and said, “You could try it tomorrow since it will be very cold.” Hmmm… The return thought was it is already January 30 and I should have tried before. My higher self returned with, “There’s that “should have” again.” ”

The White Crownbeard has been one of my favorite wildflowers with its odd winged stems and big clusters of flowers. I first published the page in 2018 and continued adding new photos and finally wrote descriptions.

I always thought the frost flowers were formed during the first hard freeze and that was it. BUT, as I was reading the page for the species on the Arkansas Native Plant Society, I found out it wasn’t a one-time thing.

It was 16° when I got up so I knew I would have to give the chickens fresh water. They don’t particularly like hard water, you know. I also needed to give the birds more seed because they hit the feeders pretty hard when it is cold. So, I got ready to go outside and somehow the camera snuck into my coat pocket. I took a bucket of chicken feed and a bucket for water to the hydrant then looked off in the distance to where the White Crownbeard/Frostweed were. All the way down to the south boundary fence of the farm… All the way and it was 16°.

I did have on an insulated flannel shirt, my heaviest coat, and the warmest gloves. I wasn’t cold yet so I started walking. On the way, the sock on my right foot started sliding down in the rubber boot (at least my boots are Dry Shods).

Once I was at the spot where the Verbesina virginica always grew, all I could see was dead stems. Not that I was expecting anything else since it is January 30.

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed) on 1-30-23, #928-2.

Lo and behold I spotted frost weed at the base of two dead stems several feet apart.

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed) on 1-30-23, #928-3.

I have seen photos online that looked like frozen waterfalls coming from the stems. Likely, I would have seen that “if” I had looked earlier when we had a first freeze.

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed) on 1-30-23, #928-4.

It looks like a blob of ice, but it is actually more like a ribbon. Very thin and brittle…

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed) on 1-30-23, #928-5.

I was glad I went out in the cold and took the camera. If anything, it is an inspiration to go out next winter when we have a first freeze.

By the time I got back, my hands were freezing but the coat I had on was making me almost sweat. I got the chickens fed and gave them fresh water and the birds have more seed.

I went to get the mail, and apparently, the mail carrier got a little to close. I noticed before I went outside (looking through the window) the mailbox was leaning a little. There are two mailboxes, one for me and one for across the street. The carrier got them both! How could that happen after so many years? At least the posts are still intact and the mailboxes are OK.

Until next time, be safe and stay positive. Keep warm and always be thankful!

 

First Annual Updates Finished…

Viola striata (Cream Violet) on 4-29-22, #875-38.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I haven’t posted for a while because I haven’t had a lot to say and I have been working on updates.

I started making initial updates on November 4 and finished on January 18. Ummm… 705 pages… But there is a catch. A lot of notes have accumulated on “the wildflower list” to make improvements (I call it tweaking) on various pages. There are A LOT of pages that still don’t have descriptions of the plant’s parts not to mention several drafts that have to be published. Heck, some wildflower species don’t even have drafts! I know there were over 500 pages of plants I am growing or have grown in pots and flower beds, but I moved several of those pages to the trash. I don’t think there is much point in having a page with a single photo, a brief description, and growing information for a plant that bit the dust after a month or less. They may do well for someone else, or br great in a rainforest.

I have identified over 250 species of wildflowers because I counted the list earlier in the spring of 2022. I have no idea how many new species were identified over last summer. Species I haven’t seen before just keep popping up. Like the Viola striata (Cream Violet) in the photo. Where did it pop up? In the flower bed along the north side of the house next to the Hosta ‘Empress Wu’. It couldn’t have picked a better and more handy spot. Where did it come from? Who knows.

It is odd because I have been wanting to locate a white violet for a long time besides the “variant” growing in the yard at the church. I wanted ferns in the north bed so I planted an Ostrich Fern there a few years ago. It died. Then a wild fern came up in the bed from out of nowhere, survived, and spread. Then, the darn dead Ostrich Fern decided to come back to life after skipping a year or two. I am not complaining at all.

Maybe I should tell the Universe what I want more often. A new car or pickup would be nice. How about a Ventrac with several attachments or a greenhouse. A really good one would be to stop aging and wake up with no wrinkles.

So, now I have to go through the list of wildflowers and write new pages and write descriptions. Making new pages is easy. It’s writing descriptions in my own words can be a challenge. I read the technical descriptions written by botanists and explain what it means in ordinary language to go along with photos I have taken.

I still haven’t published the post about the Euphorbia species I have identified here on the farm. It all boiled down to waiting to check the seeds of the Euphorbia davidii and E. dentata to see what colonies were one or the other.

Euphorbia davidii and E. dentata seeds collected from various locations.

Using a magnifying glass, I found out the seeds were all the same. Both species have different seeds which is one sure way of telling the two species apart. So, it proved all the colonies here on the farm are the same species. According to the Missouri Plants website, they are Euphorbia dentata. Unfortunately, other websites say the opposite. It seems as though botanists know their seeds are different but can’t agree on which seeds belong to which species. GEEZ!

I compared the two species on Flora of North America species comparison guide. Apparently, I also have to “count” the staminate flowers… Euphorbia davidii has 5-8, while E. dentata has 8-10… Do you realize how small they are? What if I only come up with 8?

I know the above photo isn’t that great. The seeds are fairly small…

You would think it would be easy to just go by the seeds. But when you have only one species that botanists can’t agree on, it gets more complicated. How do I write a page or post when I don’t know what I am talking about. Even if I were a botanist, I would have to choose sides and still not know what I am talking about.

The post was finished several months ago, all but the information about the Euphorbia davidii and E. dentata. I can go ahead and work on that part and publish the post if you want to read it. I’m sure it would be entertaining…

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful!

Symphyotrichum Workout

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster) on 10-9-22, #916-11.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. The past week has been fairly cool and it finally rained. This is a perfect time of the year to get dirty and do some fall cleanup.

One of the most baffling genera of plants on the farm has been the Symphyotrichum. Even pronouncing it can be a challenge. It’s pronounced sim-fy-oh-TRY-kum… With the help of a curator from iNaturalist, I have figured out the last three of seven species on the farm. That is until I find another species.

BEFORE I GET TOO CARRIED AWAY…

The above image was created by Jenn Deutscher and used here by permission. Her website is Alithographica and can be found online at www.alithographica.com. Retrieved on November 1, 2022.

My thanks to Jenn Deutscher for allowing me to use her illustration above. There is a good write-up about her on her website (linked above). She has won many awards and it is an honor for her to allow me to use just a small sample of her work here.

Explaining flower parts is somewhat confusing without something to go by, so I found the above image online. Flowers of the plant family Asteraceae are very complex. They may appear to be simple flowers, but really there are no simple flowers. Some species in the family have over 1,000 flowers in a single head. I tried writing about the parts, but it became very complex… Kind of reminded me of the old game we used to play as kids called Operation… I will explain a little as we go along.

You can read more information about the flowers in the articles supplied by Britannica article and  Wikipedia. You can also click on the plant’s name under its first photograph which will take you to its own page. There are several links at the bottom of each page.

You may not remember a previous post from last fall, but I found two species I couldn’t figure out. After a few days of their discovery, we had a good ZAP and that was that. I watched them throughout this summer but that was a waste of time since Symphyotrichum species here are fairly late bloomers. When they finally did produce flowers I was surprised…

The two species in question were Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster) and Symphyotrichum ontarionis (Ontario Aster). Last fall when I first found them was a lot different. There was a colony of S. lateriflorum along the drainage ditch behind the north pond at the back of the farm and the S. ontarionis were behind the south pond along the fence. Umm… Both ponds are next to each other and I really never got the story behind that. I seem to remember the south pond being dug when I was a kid and perhaps grandpa was going to make one big pond. The north pond is spring-fed but it does dry up. The south pond never dries up, but the water is always brownish whereas the water in the north pond is always clear. It’s just weird. When I was a youngster, and even a teenager, I didn’t think to ask about it.

Anyway, back to where I was going… Last fall, the S. lateriflorum along the ditch still had quite a few flowers, and there were only a few plants behind the south pond. The plants along the ditch appeared to have been damaged, like from deer foraging, and were short with a lot of smaller leaves. The plant I photographed behind the pond with a few flowers was erect. The flowers in both areas were similar in size and one could have easily said they were the same species. I submitted separate observations of plants in both areas on iNaturalist and then contacted a curator who suggested a different curator. This guy identified them correctly as Symphyotrichum lateriflorum along the ditch and S. ontarionis behind the south pond. Another member disagreed with one observation of S. lateriflorum (but he was correct). At the time, he didn’t say why and I just took his word. I read descriptions online, but they were clear as mud since the S. lateriflorum plants had been damaged.

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster) behind the south pond on 10-9-22, #916-26.

So, all summer long as I watched the two species growing, they all seemed to be doing the same thing. That’s when I thought maybe they were all the same species after all, likely S. lateriflorum… Then, when they started flowering there were S. lateriflorum everywhere. I was thinking that because plants along the ditch looked like the plants behind the south pond. Then, completely by accident, I spotted a few plants whose flowers were different and they didn’t have sprawling branches… I took photos, of course. Then, as I was leaving the area, I discovered ANOTHER species with hairy leaves. I took photos of that one, too, which turned out to be S. pilosum (Hairy White Oldfield Aster) that is common around where the barn is.

Symphyotrichum ontarionis (Ontario Aster) on the right and S. lateriflorum (Calico Aster) on the left on 10-9-22, #916-32.

This time, when I submitted the photos on iNaturalist, I contacted the curator from before. This time, he wrote why he agreed with the submission… The above photo shows S. ontarionis on the right with larger flowers and brighter yellow disc florets. The S. lateriflorum on the left has smaller flowers, creamy discs, and fewer white ray petals…

OK, let me just say a few things… The ray “florets” (petals, etc.) are what you likely notice first. What looks like an ordinary flat petal is actually tubular. Farther down the petal, you have the corolla that surrounds the stigma and style of the female flower. The disc flowers (florets) in the center contain both female and male parts and are considered perfect flowers.

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster) on 10-9-22, #916-23.

With Symphyotrichum species, you have to take a close look at the flowers. Count the ray petals (ray florets) and look at the color of the disc flowers. Then, look at the involucral bracts (phyllaries) under the flower head. With Symphyotrichum lateriflorum, there will be 8-16 rays (depending on what site you look at, and what flower you look at) that are usually white. Other species have MORE. The disc florets in the center will be a creamy yellow whereas other similar species will be brighter yellow. These will turn a reddish pink with age and later brown on both S. lateriflorum and S. ontarionis. The involucral bracts of S. lateriflorum, are usually appressed (meaning they lay flat), and in 3-4 layers. The bracts of other species are somewhat “inrolled” toward the base and then “reflexed” where the tips of the bracts curl slightly outward. In the above photo, the flowers are 1/3″ or so wide. The flowers of S. lateriflorum tend to grow on one side of the flowering stems which is another characteristic of the species.

Symphyotrichum ontarionis (Ontario Aster) on 10-9-22, #916-31.

The flowers of Symphyotrichum ontarionis have 16-28 ray florets (ray petals, etc.) with brighter yellow disc florets. It gets more confusing the more websites you read descriptions from. Some list different numbers. GEEZ! The rays are also in 2-3 series which seem to overlap. Information online says the diameter of the flowers are 1/3-1/2″ diameter, but this one was 3/4″. The flowers grow on panicles but when I took the photos, there were only a few flowers open. The curator from iNaturalist said these could be S. lanceolatum, but I am leaning toward S. ontarionis because they prefer growing in wooded areas. S. lanceolatum prefers full sun. There are other reasons as well…

Symphyotrichum ontarionis (Ontario Aster) on 10-9-22, #916-34.

The leaves are also controversial from site to site. It is very hard to see, but there are very tiny hairs on the upper surface, giving them a hard-to-explain feel. Almost smooth, but not quite. The undersurface of the leaves are similar, but the hairs are somewhat longer on the veins. Again, that could apply to either one or both species. I couldn’t tell the difference between either species as far as the leaf hair was concerned. Longer is still barely visible. The margins of the longer leaves are toothed from the midpoint.

Well, I think I have said enough about the S. lateriflorum and S. ontarionis. You can go to their pages, look at the photos, and go to the links at the bottom of the page to check out the other links if you want. Click HERE for S. lateriflorum and HERE for S. ontarionis. Ummm… I may be still working on their pages as far as descriptions are concerned, but there are a lot of photos. Oh yeah, I am going to move them around a bit, too. A work in progress. 🙂

<<<<Symphyotrichum lanceolatum>>>>

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Tall White Aster) on 10-9-22, #916-8.

Walking through the pasture on my way back from taking photos behind the pond, I ran across a small colony of what I thought could be Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Tall White Aster). After all, they were growing in full sun instead of in a wooded area. It was very windy, so getting good close-ups was pretty much out of the question. I tried…

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Tall White Aster) on 10-9-22, #916-9.

Typically, S. lanceolatum have flower heads that are 1/2-1″ in diameter and have 16 to 50 ray florets in 1 or 2 series (you can see this where they overlap). Different websites give different numbers, and they are usually white but can be bluish to violet. The disc florets in the center number from 15-40, are brighter yellow, turning a reddish-pink with age. The involucre is cup-shaped to bell-shaped. The bracts (phyllaries) are in 3-5 (6) unequal, overlapping series. They are appressed to slightly spreading… The plants produce quite a number of flowers on long panicles arising from the upper leaf nodes. Missouri Plants says the leaves of S. lanceolatum are very smooth, almost balloon-like, except for a few hairs along the margins.

I only found two plants on the south side of the main hayfield growing among literally thousands of Erigeron annuus (Annual Fleabane). I looked very carefully. The involucre of the Erigeron annuus is completely different and they have MANY more very slender ray petals.

<<<<Symphyotrichum novae-angliae>>>>

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) on 10-1-22, #913-15.

The clump of Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) finally came up and bloomed again. I began to wonder since they came up so late. They are a perennial like the other Synphyotrichum species, but this species hasn’t spread. I have no idea why and it is weird. The multiple stems grow so tall they can’t stand up. Last year, I measured one of the stems at 78″ tall. The Missouri Botanical Garden says they have a “robust, upright growth habit…” Hmmm… That is until they flop over. It would be a spectacular sight if they stayed upright, but they fall over even before the flowers open.

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) on 10-1-22, #913-16.

I am not particularly into pink, which I have mentioned before, but these flowers are pretty neat. The flower I measured was 1 1/2″ wide and I didn’t bother to count the ray florets. Information online says there are 50-100! You would think with all flowers that are produced they would spread by seed.

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) on 10-1-22, #913-17.

No use in denying their involucral bracts are reflexed! They are in 3-6 unequal, overlapping series.

<<<<Symphyotrichum pilosum>>>>

Symphyotrichum pilosum (Hairy White Oldfield Aster) on 10-9-22, #916-35.

This Symphyotrichum pilosum (Hairy White Oldfield Aster) is the one I found growing close to the S. lateriflorum behind the south pond. It isn’t really a good example since the plants growing close to the barn in full sun are LOADED with small white flowers. I was going to take their photos but it was getting late and the sun was going down. After that, it was either windy or rainy, and then we had an “F” which put an end to the whole idea.

The flower heads are from 1/4-3/4″ wide and have 15-35 pistillate ray flowers (florets, petals). The discs are yellow turning reddish with age. The involucral bracts are weird in that they are kind of inrolled at the base then turn outward, then curve upward.

Symphyotrichum pilosum (Hairy White Oldfield Aster) on 10-9-22, #916-37.

The fact that their leaves (and stems) are hairy (pubescent) is a definite indicator that this species is S. pilosum. These plants can grow to around 5′ tall in the right conditions.

<<<<Symphyotrichum praealtum>>>>

Symphyotrichum praealtum (Willowleaf Aster) on 10-12-22, #918-5.

Talk about spreading… The Symphyotrichum praealtum (Willowleaf Aster) has no problems with that. I have taken photos of this species since 2018 but I didn’t get them identified until last year. They grow along the south side of the farm and nowhere else here. They grow in a few areas in front of the blackberry briars in the south hayfield all the way up to the gate along the fence entering the front pasture.

Symphyotrichum praealtum (Willowleaf Aster) on 10-12-22, #918-10.

This species has 20-35 lavender rays in 1-2 series. The yellow disc florets turn reddish purple with age (and it doesn’t take long). It seems that Symphyotrichum species are in such a big hurry since they bloom so late… The flower heads are 1/2-3/4″ across (or so)…

Symphyotrichum praealtum (Willowleaf Aster) on 10-12-22, #918-12.

The involucral bracts are slightly reflexed…

Symphyotrichum praealtum can get very tall, much taller than me.

Well, I guess I should be relieved the Symphyotrichum species here on the farm have been properly identified. At least for the most part. I’m not saying I am quite sure about S. lanceolatum, but I am fairly confident. GEEZ! If I missed talking about something important, just let me know. I am no expert, but I may be able to answer your question.

Now, I will have to check the seeds of the Euphorbia davidii and E. dentata to see if they are dry enough for an ID. Seems silly to have it down to the seeds for a proper ID. What if their seeds were variable. too. After that, the Euphorbia post will be ready.

Until next time, be safe and stay positive. Always be thankful and GET DIRTY! Be thankful you can GET DIRTY!

Cactus & Succulent Update 2022

Cereus repandus f. montruosus ‘Rojo’ on 10-16-22, #919-6.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. The dreaded time of the year has arrived and I had to move the potted plants inside on January 16. I was still working on one last new wildflower ID and still needed a few leaf and stem photos. I had already taken photos, but the leaf and stem photos were blurry. I’m not sure if I can still take any since the “F”, and since then the wind has been blowing. Of course, it warmed back up…

As always, I take photos and measure the cactus and some of the succulents as I bring them back inside. Most of the plants were on the front porch this summer because the heat and the intense sun seemed a little too much for some of them last summer. Yeah, I know they are cacti, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they like intense sun. Many smaller species grow in the shade of taller plants.

Last winter was not too good… My son and his friend were still here so they used the back bedroom. I usually kept the back bedroom cooler with a plant shelf in the south-facing window for the succulents and part of the cacti. but the shelf was placed in front of the east-facing sliding door in the dining room. Instead of the cactus being on a table in front of the sliding door, they were on another shelf in my bedroom. I couldn’t very well keep the temperature cooler in either place. They are gone now, thank goodness, so the plants are basically where they should be.

As a result of more heat, for one thing, I lost a few plants over last winter from mealybugs… GEEZ! I think the worst was losing both Mammillaria pringlei and rhodantha… I also lost the Aloe ‘Lizard Lips’. I had all three of those for MANY YEARS.

Anyway, here we go in alphabetical order… You can click on the plant’s name under the photo to go to their own pages.

<<<<Aloe ‘Cha Cha’>>>>

Aloe ‘Cha Cha’ on 10-16-22, #919-1.

Aloe ‘Cha Cha’ is the last survivor of the five plants I received from Succulent Market in 2020. Ummm… I am trying not to mention… No, I’m not going to do it! I did mention A. ‘Lizard Lips’ contacted mealybugs, but not from A. ‘Cha Cha’. Somehow it never had them and has done weirdly well… Of course, as you may be able to tell, it is a miniature.

<<<<Aloe maculata>>>>

Aloe maculata on 10-16-22, #919-2.

Hmmm… I just discovered a problem with starting at the beginning of the alphabet. Maybe I should have started at the end. Although the Aloe maculata are all doing GREAT as always, I have been promising it I would divide their pot for a couple of years. Maybe three. I had one in another pot that “somehow” contacted mealy bugs last winter and they kept coming back. So, I did a terrible thing and threw it out the back door. The big pot was in my bedroom and it would get an occasional bug but nothing serious. Isolating this plant would be a problem, so I decided to put it in the basement in front of a window. I remember I kept a lot of plants in the basement during the winter before and they always did fine. Well, the bugs didn’t like the conditions and they left and the Aloe came through with flying colors like it had been in perfect conditions. These plants are descendants of the Aloe maculata I called ‘Kyle’s Grandma’ that was given to me by a good friend, Kyle, when I was living in Mississippi. The plant, actually I think there were two, were from his grandma, Brenda, in 2009.

I was just thinking maybe I should use the basement as a quarantine station. 🙂 Well, if the plants are halfway dormant…

<<<<Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Eve’s Needle)>>>>

Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Eve’s Needle) at 7″ tall on 10-16-22, #919-3.

Another hmmm… As I looked at this plant, it started tapping its feet. It asked, “Do you notice something?” I said, “Ummm…” Last fall I told this Austrocylindropuntia subulata that I would move it back to the center of the pot in the spring. As you can see, it is still not in the center. Maybe, in the back of my mind, I was thinking it would move by itself. I know the original plant was in the center when I brought it home from Wagler’s Greenhouse in 2019 when it was just a single stub at only 4 1/2″ tall. Now, it has grown appendages and its offset is 7″ tall…

<<<<Cereus repandus f. montruosus ‘Rojo’>>>>

Cereus repandus f. montruosus ‘Rojo’ at 10″ tall x 4 1/4″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-5.

At least the Cereus repandus f. montruosus ‘Rojo’ didn’t give me any dirty looks and seemed to be quite content on the front porch. It grew another 1/4″ and is now 10″ tall. The top photo is the upper portion of this plant. I brought this plant home in 2018 when it was only 5 1/2″ tall. I really like monstrous forms of cacti.

<<<<Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’>>>>

Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ at 10 1/2 tall x 10″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-7.

The Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ did very well in its usual spot over the summer on the front porch. I brought this plant home in 2018 when it was 7″ tall and it is now 10 1/2″ tall. I always like the tree-like appearance of older Crassula ovata. I had a fairly large Crassula ovata and a nice C. ovata ‘Lady Fingers’ that were AWESOME!

Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ on 10-16-22, #919-8.

They can attract brown scale (from somewhere) which are easily removed with your fingernail. If you don’t keep an eye on them, the scale can spread to all the leaves and become a pain… Especially when you have a bigger plant with A LOT of leaves

<<<<Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’>>>>

Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’ at 4 1/4″ tall x 7 1/4″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-9.

The Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts”…GEEZ! I lost my train of thought. I have thought about removing her kids, but then I think about what she would look like all naked. No doubt, her trunk would be all brown and terribly unsightly so I just keep the family together. Someday, I hope to see flowers. After all, I have had this pot since 2016 and who knows how old it was before I brought it home. The main plant was only 2 1/4″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide when I brought it home, and the offsets were growing along its ribs. Now it is 4 1/4″ tall and the whole cluster is 7 1/4″ wide. This plant was originally x Echinobivia ‘Rainbow Bursts’ and was described as an intergeneric cross between Echinopsis and Lobivia. Lobivia is now a synonym of Echinopsis, so I guess it wasn’t an intergeneric cross after all. 🙂 It was named “Rainbow Bursts” because of their “spectacular colors” (so the label said) over the spring and summer. STILL WAITING…

I was watching a YouTube video from Morris Park in the Ozarks a couple of pots that looked similar. With all the offsets and everything.

I still have the big pot of Echinopsis huascha, but they are looking very weird…

<<<<Espostoa melanostele subsp. nana>>>>

Espostoa melanostele subsp. nana (Peruvian Old Lady)at 9″ tall on 10-16-22, #919-10.

The Espostoa melanostele subsp. nana (Peruvian Old Lady) always seems happy no matter where she is sitting. She may have been happier on the front porch out of the wind so her hair doesn’t get messed up. She has grown another 1/2″ over the summer to 9″ tall. Hard to imagine she was only 2 3/4″ tall when I brought her home in 2016.

<<<<Euphorbia trigona ‘Rubra’>>>>

Euphorbia trigona ‘Rubra’ (African Milk Tree) at 19 1/2″ tall on 10-16-22, #919-11.

To say this Euphorbia trigona ‘Rubra’ has grown would be an understatement. I brought it home from Mast’s Greenhouse in June of 2021 when it was 6 1/4″ tall. By the time I moved the plants inside in October, it had grown to 10 3/4″. Every time I looked at the plants over the summer, I noticed this plant was growing and even had an offset. Well, lately, I had been busy and hadn’t paid much attention to the plants on the front porch. So, when I started moving the plants inside in 2022 I was SHOCKED! This plant had grown to 19 1/2″ tall!

Euphorbia trigona ‘Rubra’ on 10-16-22, #919-12.

Euphorbia trigona was named and described as such by Philip Miller in the eighth edition of The Gardener’s Dictionary in 1768. I don’t know where he found it exactly, but it wasn’t in the wild… You see, there are no known plants of this species in the wild, and it is possibly of hybrid origin. Information also says this species does not produce flowers. Hmmm… As with all Euphorbia, it does produce a milky latex sap.

<<<<Ferocactus wislizeni>>>>

Ferocactus wislizeni (Fishhook Barrel Cactus) at 3 1/8″ tall x 3″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-13.

The Ferocactus wislizeni (Fishhook Barrel Cactus) has done quite well on the front porch and has now reached 3 1/8″ tall. This guy always got a little sunburned on the back porch, but it has had no problems on the front porch. It was only 1 5/8″ tall when I brought it home in 2019, so it has done well.

<<<<x Gasteraloe ‘Flow’>>>

x Gasteraloe ‘Flow’ at 4″ tall x 4″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-14.

I had to throw out my older x Gasteraloe ‘Flow’ in January because of mealybugs. I had sprayed, washed them off, etc. and I finally had to give up. Repeatedly working the plant over seemed to make the plant suffer more (especially during its rest period). I was happy to find a new one at the Kuntry Store in July that was 3″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide. There were some really nice larger plants in combination planters, but I only wanted ‘Flow’. GEEZ, I hate it when that happens. It has grown to 4″ tall x 4″ wide since I brought it home. The plant didn’t have any sort of label, but I am assuming it is x Gasteraloe ‘Flow’.

<<<<Gasteria ‘Little Warty’>>>>

Gasteria ‘Little Warty’ at 6 7/8″ tall x 7 1/8″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-16.

The Gasteria ‘Little Warty’ continued to do well and is now 6 7/8″ tall x 7 1/8″ wide. I really like this little guy. It was only 2″ tall x 2 13/16″ wide when I brought it home in 2019. The mealy bugs tried to infect this plant but had no luck.

<<<<Gasteria sp. ?>>>>

Gasteria sp. at 5 1/4″ tall x 7 1/8″ wide on 10-19-22, #919-16.

I thought I was going to lose this Gasteria last winter because of its issues with mealybugs. It still isn’t quite back to normal but it is OK. It even grew to 5 1/4″ tall x 7 1/8″ wide. I think I may put it in the cool front bedroom with plants that aren’t bothered by critters and keep an eye on it. Maybe I should put it in the basement… I would hate to lose it after almost 5 years. I was kind of surprised it had mealy bug issues since its leaves are so hard, but they attacked way down where the leaves attach. A very hard spot to get to.

<<<<Gymnocalycium saglionis>>>>

Gymnocalycium saglionis (Giant Chin Cactus) at 2 3/4″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-17.

The Gymnocalycium saglionis (Giant Chin Cactus) had never had one single issue. No rust spots, sunburn, bugs, or anything. It has grown from 1 1/8″ tall x 2 5/8″ wide in 2019 to 2 3/4″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide. It had its biggest growth spurt in the first 7 months after I brought it home, and since then it has just grown slow and steady. At least it is still alive and well.

<<<<Haworthiopsis limifolia>>>>

Haworthiopsis limifolia (File-Leaved Haworthia) at 5 1/8″ tall x 6″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-18.

Formerly Haworthia limifolia, the Haworthiopsis limifolia continues to do remarkably well without a hitch. These plants are normally sold under the name Haworthia limifolia ‘Fairy Washboard’, but that is actually a common name along with File-Leaved Haworthia, Fairies Washboard, Swaiti Haworthia, and possibly others. The last name is possibly what it is called in Southeast Africa where the species grows in the wild. There are five varieties of the species… This plant has now grown to 5 1/8″ tall x 6″ wide from 2 3/8″ tall x 3″ wide when I brought it home in May of 2019. Who wouldn’t like its dark green color with all those ridges on the leaves?

<<<<Kalanchoe daigremontiana>>>>

Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Alligator Plant) at 27 3/4″ tall x 7 1/2″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-19.

I finally found a nice Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Alligator Plant). You may remember the “other” Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Mother Of Thousands) I have… I always thought something was a little whacky with the name, and then I finally figured out it was a Kalanchoe laetivirens. Anyway, when I was plant shopping at Wagler’s Greenhouse this summer, I saw they had quite a few of real Kalanchoe daigremontiana. Of course, I had to bring one home… It was 13 1/4″ tall x 13 1/2″ wide when I brought it home in May and now it is a shocking 27 3/4″ tall. Some of the lower leaves have fallen off, so the width has shrunk to 7 1/2″ wide.

Normally, I would have repotted this plant, but since I was a bad parent in 2022 it is STILL in its 4 1/2″ pot I brought it home in. GEEZ! Luckily, it performs a balancing act quite well. It was between two bricks on the plant table, which most of the plants were (or tucked in pot-to-pot) so the wind would blow them around. Right now, it is standing next to the kitchen sink. I am trying to figure out where to put it for the winter…

Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Alligator Plant) on 10-16-22, #919-20.

Like the Kalanchoe laetivirens (or x laetivirens since it is a cross between two species), this one also gives birth to plantlets along its leaves (which aren’t really leaves). I removed them before I brought it into the house. I learned a lesson from before…

Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Alligator Plant) on 10-16-22, #919-21.

This species has the purplish marking on its, umm… You know what I mean. A spider decided this plant’s “leaves” made a good home and it was COVERED in webs. I should have taken a photo, but that would have proved my neglect… I guess I could have said it was decorated for Halloween. 🙂 I don’t have a page for this plant yet.

<<<<Kalanchoe thyrsiflora>>>>

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora (Paddle Plant) at 14 1/4 ” tall on 10-16-22, #919-22.

I found several awesome Kalanchoe thyrsiflora (Paddle Plant) at Mast’s Greenhouse in May and thought I needed to bring one home. I was surprised with buds when I was bringing the plants inside since they weren’t there the week before (unless I wasn’t paying attention). It was 6″ tall x 7 3/4″ wide when I brought it home, and now it is 14 1/4″ tall including the buds. Won’t this be interesting? Ummm… I have no page for this plant yet either.

The Kalanchoe beharensis ‘Fang’, K. laetivirens, all the K. luciae, and K.orgyalis (Copper Spoons) are still alive but need some work… Sadly, the K. gastonis-bonnieri (Donky Ears) and K. beharensis didn’t survive last winter. The K. marmorata (Penwiper Plant) also finally gave it up. We had our ups and downs since 2018.

<<<<Kroenleinia grusonii>>>>

Kroenleinia grusonii (Golden Barrel Cactus)… Greater (green pot) at 3 1/2″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide, and Lessor (orange pot) at 3 3/4″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-23.

These two comedians of the group are still alive and well. The Kroenleinia grusonii (Golden Barrel Cactus) both continue growing head to head. I named them Greater and Lessor in 2016 because the one in the green pot has always been a little taller than the other. Lessor, in the orange or red pot (I can’t decide what color it is), has always been a little shorter and wider. Well, this year they are both 3 1/4″ wide, but Lessor is 1/4″ taller than Greater. Of course, they tried their best to convince me they traded pots. Crazy guys! Measuring them is tricky enough with them jiggling around and standing on their toes.

Apparently, the orange spots on these two guys was rust. Rust can be treated if you know what it is in the first place. Well, the rust issue has gone away, and the orange spots have turned white. Now that I know what it was, I will keep an eye on them.

<<<<Mammillaria hahniana>>>>

Mammillaria hahniana (Old Lady Cactus) at 5 1/2″ tall x 3 3/8″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-24.

This Mammillaria hahniana (Old Lady Cactus) is now the oldest Mammillaria in my collection since M. pringlei and M. rhodantha died. This awesome cactus has now grown to 5 1/2″ tall x 3 3/8″ wide from 1 7/8″ tall x 2 3/8″ wide in 2016. It has been a great cactus and is a free bloomer when it gets in the mood. Old Woman Cactus is the common name iNaturalist gives this species…

<<<<Mammillaria karwinskiana>>>>

Mammillaria karwinskiana (Silver Arrows) at 4 1/2″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-25.

When I was measuring Mammillaria karwinskiana (Silver Arrows) it told me it had an itch and asked me to give it a scratch. I was kind of speechless. It has barely ever spoken to me and now it wants a scratch. GEEZ! It just as well ask for a massage. Anyway… This cactus has done very well and has grown another 1/2″ taller and is about the same width as last year. It now stands at 4 1/2″ tall and is 3 1/2″ wide. To think it was just 1 7/8″ tall x 2 3/16″ when I brought it home in 2019. I really like its wool, hairiness, and those long, straight, white spines. But a scratch is out of the question.

<<<<Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii>>>>

Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii (Golden Pincushion) at 5 1/4″ tall x 3″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-26.

The Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii (Golden Pincushion) has been a great plant since I brought it home from Lowe’s in September in 2019. Its pot was lying on the plant shelf with the plant not even in the pot. I am sure it appreciates being brought home. I have always admired its blue-green color and all those golden spines, but the long central spines and short radial spines are also neat. It has grown to 5 1/4″ tall x 3″ wide and was 3 1/4″ tall x 2 1/8″ wide when I brought it home.

<<<<Mammillaria mystax>>>>

Mammillaria mystax at 2 3/4″ tall x 3 1/8″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-27.

Very funny… The Mammillaria mystax shrunk! The measurement from last year was 3 1/4″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide and now it is 2 3/4″ tall x 3 1/8″ wide. Heck, it was 2 3/4″ tall in 2020. It has grown quite a bit, though, since it was just 1 3/4″ tall x 2 1/4″ wide when I brought it home in 2018. Sometimes that happens with cacti when they don’t have enough water. That is likely the case since they were under the roof of the front porch and most of the time just received rain as it blew in on them. I am not complaining that it shrunk especially since it is partly my fault. OK, it was likely all my fault. But, it was safe from the scorching sun on the front porch which I know it appreciated. How do I know? Well, it was smiling at me when I measured it and took its photo.

<<<<Mammillaria plumosa>>>>

Mammillaria plumosa (Feather Cactus) at 2″ tall x 4 1/4″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-28.

It is certainly a good thing this Mammillaria plumosa (Feather Cactus) hasn’t had any problems with mealybugs. How would you tell? I bought this cactus from a seller on Ebay in 2018 and it has been great. In fact, it is the only cactus I bought from Ebay that has survived. Even though it was very small at 3/4″ tall x 2 1/4″ wide it has done very well. The main plant has grown to 2″ tall and the whole cluster is now 4 1/2″ wide. This one you can pet if you so desire…

I lost several Mammillaria since last winter including M. decipiens (Bird’s Nest Cactus) that did very well since 2018, M. elongata (Lady Finger Cactus) that I brought home in 2018, M. pringlei and M. rhodantha I already mentioned, M. senilis (the one with the hooked spines I could never tell if it was alive or dead) since 2020, both M. vetula including ‘Arizona Snowcap’, and M. compressa from 2020. The M. spinosissima ‘Un Pico’ is still alive but looks terrible with A LOT of rust or something… One of the plants in the pot of 3 already died… I have learned that even though many species of Mammillaria are some of the best cacti to grow, when you bring home very small plants you are taking a risk. Also, many species on the market haven’t been in cultivation that long and may not be good choices. Big growers plant seeds by the thousands and don’t necessarily care if they are good choices for pot culture. These days some companies aren’t even putting the names on the pots because they have no clue.

<<<<Opuntia monacantha var. variegata>>>>

Opuntia monacantha var. variegata (Joseph’s Coat) at 12 3/8″ tall x 4 1/2″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-29.

You know, I really haven’t been into variegated cacti, but this Opuntia monacantha var. variegata (Joseph’s Coat) I saw at Wagler’s Greenhouse in 2020 caught my eye. It was only 4 3/4″ tall when I brought it home, and it has grown to 12 3/8″. It is very interesting…

Opuntia monacantha var. variegata (Joseph’s Coat) on 10-16-22, #919-30.

Actually, Llifle (Encyclopedia of Living Forms) has it listed as Opuntia monacantha f. monstruosa variegata (syn. Opuntia monacantha var. variegata cv. Maverick variegata). Which is a synonym of Opuntia monacantha… You know, someone always has to give it a cultivar name when it isn’t necessarily a cultivar. It is one of very few naturally occurring variegated cacti and it is a monstrose form. It is a dwarf, teratological variant of the larger Opuntia monacantha. Anyway, something weird is going on with its main stem… What are those protruberances? Could they be buds? I checked out photos on iNaturalist for the species and that could be very possible… Time will tell and keep your fingers crossed they don’t fall off if they are buds. You never know since I moved it into the house in a different light.

<<<<Parodia lenninghausii>>>>

Parodia lenninghausii, the orange pot on the right is 6 1/2″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide, and the green pot on the left is 7″ tall x 2 1/8″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-31.

The two Parodia lenninghausii (Golden Ball or Lemon Ball Cactus) are more serious than the two Kroenleinia grusonii, but they do have their moments. Sometimes these two agree with each other, and at other times they seem to have had a disagreement and won’t even look at each other. I kind of screwed up and named them Greater and Lessor as well, so I may have to change that. They have also done the switch… Lessor, in the green pot, is now taller than Greater… Lessor is now 7″ tall x 2 1/8″ wide, and Greater is 6 1/2″ tall x 2 1/8″ wide. Hmmm… I have been enjoying these two since 2-1-16. That was when I bought several cacti from Walmart and didn’t notice I bought two Parodia lenninghausii and two Kroenleinia grusonii until I was home… I am glad I brought two of each home to compare with each other as they grow.

<<<<Parodia magnifica>>>>

Parodia magnifica (Ball or Balloon Cactus) at 2 7/8″ tall x 3 1/8″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-32.

The Parodia magnifica (Ball or Balloon Cactus) has done very well and has grown to 2 7/8″ tall but has shrunk 1/8″ to 3 1/8″ wide. It has a few brown spots that I am not sure what the cause is. I was watching a video on YouTube from Morris Park in the Ozarks where he talked about several issues with his cactus. This could be scarring from getting cold or perhaps from stretching as it grows… Apparently, it isn’t hurting it since it is growing and seems healthy otherwise. The marks are smooth without any sign of any kind of infection, past or present.

Parodia magnifica from the top on 10-16-22, #919-33.

I really like the top view with its wool along the tips of the ridges and golden spines.

<<<<Polaskia chichipe>>>>

Polaskia chichipe (Chichipe), the taller plant on the right was 3 7/8″ tall x 1 1/2″ wide, and the one on the right was 3 1/4″ tall x 2 5/8″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-34.

The Polaskia chichipe (Chichipe, ETC.) has done pretty well considering they don’t look that great. I’m not sure what happened to the one on the left, but the one on the right had straw flower damage. You know, those silly fake flowers they stick on with some kind of glue. Perhaps the other marks are naturally occurring as the plants grow. The big scar on the one on the right is likely from the straw flower. There were three plants in the pot, but one died last winter. The plant on the right now measures 3 7/8″ tall x 1 1/2″ wide, while the one on the left is 3 1/4″ tall x 2 5/8″ wide.

<<<<Stenocereus pruinosus>>>>

Stenocereus pruinosus (Gray Ghost, ETC.) at 6 1/4″ tall x 3 1/8″ wide on 10-16-22, #919-35.

The Stenocereus pruinosus (Gray Ghost, Organ Pipe, ETC.) is still alive and well. This has been a great cactus. It now measures 6 1/4″ tall x 3 1/8″ wide from 2 7/8″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide when I brought it home in 2016. I always liked the V-shaped pattern on its trunk. This seems to be an easy-to-grow species, so if you find one…

<<<<Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus>>>>

Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus (Paper Spine Cactus) on 10-16-22, #919-36.

The Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus is always the last on the list but is usually one of the first to be photographed. This Paper Spine Cactus caught my eye when I was plant shopping at Walmart on February 9 in 2016 because of its unusual spines. I was about to put it in my cart when I found a segment lying on the shelf. I decided to take the segment and put the pot back on the shelf. It has been very interesting to watch grow to say the least.

Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus (Paper Spine Cactus) on 919-37.

In the wild, their segments fall off and take root wherever they land. If an animal passes by, they also hitch a ride on its fur and do a little traveling. When I notice a segment has fallen off I just face it upward in the pot and it takes root. It has done well for the last couple of years and none of the segments have fallen off. The tallest has made it to 4″ tall without falling apart. The pot is getting crowded, so I should give it more space. Ummm… It has been in this pot since 2018. I did put a segment that had fallen off into another pot and it is doing well. I may give it to Mrs. Wagler of Wagler’s Greenhouse since we share plants. I haven’t seen any of these for sale at Wal-Mart or Lowe’s since 2016, so I am very glad I brought the stub home.

Overwintering “desert” cactus isn’t that hard as long as you don’t water them. If you do, just a little no more than once a month )or so) is sufficient. Tropical cacti, like Christmas Cactus and Epiphyllum, need a comfortable temperature and pretty much regular watering. I still have the three Epiphyllum that Tony Tomeo sent and they are doing well. They are quite interesting and somewhat entertaining. One was on the front porch and two on the back porch over the summer with the Stapelia gigantea. The Schlumbergera have had their ups and downs over the summer because they didn’t get enough water (bad parenting). One has buds already and it was outside!

Anyway, there are many websites online about overwintering cacti inside. Reading one is sufficient because if you read several you might be confused. The care they suggest is somewhat controversial especially as far as the temperature. Once temps outside cools off and the day length decreases, they go into dormancy mode. I always put them somewhere the temperature will be about the same when I bring them in. You don’t really want to bring them in from 40° F outside temp to 70° inside. Typically, I water them pretty well a week or so before I bring them inside so I won’t have to water them for a while. Well, I didn’t do that this time because I simply screwed up then evening temps started getting too cool. The debate right now is do I put the cactus in the south-facing window in a cool bedroom, or the west-facing window in the front bedroom, also kept cool. Cool temps do help control parasites, but the light really doesn’t matter because the cactus are sort of dormant. Then again, the cactus did fine with no parasite issues until last winter, and only a few at that. Cactus don’t like to be bothered with sprays over the winter. At least that is my opinion.

Anyway, I will close for now. I have two posts in the making. One about Euphorbia (wildflowers) and the other about the Symphyotrichum species on the farm. I am waiting for the Euphorbia dentata and E. davidii seeds to dry which will determine the species. At least I hope. Both genera have been quite entertaining.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful!

 

Wildflower Mysteries Along The South Fence…

Humulus lupulus (Common Hops) on 9-2-22, #908-14.

Hello everyone I hope this post finds you all well and enjoying the cooler temperatures. I have been enjoying the cooler temps, but that means wildflower hunting for the year is coming to an end. I suppose that is OK for a while. That means I can update the plant pages and add new pages for what was discovered in 2022. I added 47 new species for 2022 to the list, 31 were wildflowers (including 4 ferns). I am still behind writing posts and it is getting a bit confusing. I try to write a page before I post about the species which isn’t working out so well…

This post is about what I found back on September 2 after 7 PM. The wind was blowing slightly, with little gusts when I would start to take a photo.

Humulus lupulus (Common Hops) on 9-2-22, #908-15.

On September 2, I set out toward the front pasture to check on the progress of the New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). They were still “working on it” as far as flowers are concerned even though the plants are taller than me. They are now blooming up a storm… GEEZ!

I walked around the back side of the old pond and as I approached the fence I noticed the hops vine had climbed up the guide wire of a utility pole. The funny thing was the Japanese Honeysuckle was right behind it. It may have give one the impression the hops fruit belonged to the vine below it. I took a photo but unfortunately it didn’t come out well. The next time I went back the hops had already turned brown.

Humulus lupulus (Common Hops) on 9-2-22, #908-16.

The leaves of Humulus lupulus can be quite variable and always reminded me of a grape vine. In fact, I always thought the vines were grapes. I had checked a few websites before and they showed their leaves were more lobed. Well, this time I confirmed the grape vines were growing hops fruit! Imagine that! Maybe next year I can get to the fence and take photos of their weird flowers…

Amphicarpaea bracteata (American Hog Peanut) on 9-2-22, #908-1.

Then I found something that left me scratching my head… The Japanese Honeysuckle covers the fence, which is an understatement but this flower growing from the honeysuckle left me very confused. Well, I figured if the grape vines could grow hops the honeysuckle may as well do something weird as well.

Amphicarpaea bracteata (American Hog Peanut) on 9-2-22, #908-2.

I dug around a bit and found bean leaves… As you can see in the above photo there were more along the ground (which I didn’t notice until I looked at the photo). I put the flower photo on iNaturalist and it said it was Amphicarpaea bracteata, commonly known as the Hog Peanut or American Hog Peanut… Hmmm…

Amphicarpaea bracteata (American Hog Peanut on 9-2-22, #908-3.

I never saw anything like it. Those are definitely weird flowers!

Amphicarpaea bracteata (American Hog Peanut) on 9-2-22, #908-4.

Then I found a few clusters of seed pods… Well, that got me to wondering why a bean was called a hog peanut? I did some reading and found out the genus name, Amphicarpaea, is Greek for “two-seeded,” referring to the two types of seeds: above and below ground. What? Apparently, there are two types of flowers that both produce different fruit and seeds. The upper flowers (on the vine) are “normal” (chasmogamous) that pollinate like most other flowers. The plant also produces vines, or stems, that spread on the ground that have cleistogamous flowers, which means fertilization occurs inside a permanently closed flower. These flowers are inconspicuous and have no petals…The fruit (seed pods) of the upper flowers contain 2-3 seeds, while those of the lower flowers only have one. What is even weirder, is that they burrow into the ground. Information I read on one site (Climbers by the University of Michigan) that E.J. Trapp’s description in the American Journal of Botany (1988) says “runners (ground level stems) are produced that search out dark crevices in the soil. If these are found, the plant produces an underground flower.” How weird is that?

Pisaurina mira (American Nursery Web Spider) on 9-2-22, #908-28.

While looking around in the leaves, this Pisaurina mira (American Nursery Web Spider) ran for cover. She didn’t seem to appreciate me snooping around.

Fallopia scandens (Climbing False Buckwheat) on 10-2-22, #908-11.

Farther up the fence, since I am walking uphill toward the gate, I noticed another odd creature. What in the heck?!?! The wind was blowing a little, so getting a good photo was a little difficult. I had to have my trigger finger ready and must have took 20 photos!

Fallopia scandens (Climbing False Buckwheat), 9-2-22, #908-13.

I uploaded the good photos on iNaturalist and they came up with Fallopia scandens, the Climbing False Buckwheat. Hmmm… That makes a hop-bearing grapevine, a honeysuckle growing beans, and a fake buckwheat! What a day!

Fallopia scandens (Climbing False Buckwheat), 9-2-22, #908-12.

They have neat little leaves with twining stems that turn red in the sun. But what is it growing on? Hmmm…

Hmmm…

And it has fruit…

Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy), 9-2-22.

GEEZ! Poison Ivy!!!

Well, that’s it for this post and the Euphorbia post is getting close. Just waiting for the seeds to mature so I can confirm two of the species or one…

Until next time, be safe and stay positive. Always be thankful and GET DIRTY. The cooler temps are making it more pleasant to work outside.

Variations Of Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan)

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) in the south hayfield on 9-17-22, #912-24.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I have been working on a Euphorbia post since the last one, but it is proving somewhat complicated. So, I thought I would work on an easier one for now.

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) on 9-17-22, #912-26.

There are Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susans) from one end of the farm to the other. You see them everywhere along highways, backroads, pastures, gardens, etc. Pretty much everyone knows what they are. For years, all the Black-Eyed Susans I have seen have been the basic orange-yellow flowers with dark brown discs (receptacles…) in the center. To be honest, I thought a Black-Eyed Susan was a Black-Eyed Susan. Once you see one, you have seen them all. Even so, I read in their descriptions they can have flowers with reddish markings on their petals and I have seen photos online but never in person.

On September 17, I went to the south hayfield to take photos of the Euphorbia nutans (Nodding Spurge) where I knew there were several colonies. Once I did that, I thought I would walk through the Black-Eyed Susans. I certainly didn’t have to look for them since 2/3 of the hayfield is covered with them. There are other wildflowers growing among them so it was no telling what I would find…

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) on 9-17-22, #912-25.

After I took several photos of the Euphorbia nutans, I walked about 20′ or so north and spotted something weird… Can you see the difference between the flowers on the right and left…

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) on 9-17-22, #912-30.

I have seen some weird things, and this was definitely one of the newest. Not exactly what I was hoping to find, but this was definitely interesting.

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) on 9-17-22, #912-32.

I had never seen Black-Eyed Susans with light brown receptacles… The disc “florets” are supposed to be dark purple to purplish-brown. The ray florets (petals) are also darker toward the center… I looked the plants over pretty good from top to bottom, and they are definitely Rudbeckia hirta… You never know since there are several species of Rudbeckia in Missouri. Maybe this is the Black-Eyed Susan’s idea of an albino…

I walked farther out…

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) on 9-17-22, #912-33.

HA!!! Would you look at that! I had often wondered if larger colonies would have more variation, and perhaps this is proof of that. Hmmm… Maybe it is from inbreeding.

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) on 9-17-22, #912-34.

I was glad I finally found Black-Eyed Susans with reddish color on the petals.

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) on 9-17-22, #912-37.

Among the whole area, there were quite a few smaller colonies here and there with these two-one petals.

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan) on 9-17-22, #912-38.

The colonies with the reddish markings usually were mixed with flowers with two-tone petals.

I am glad I walked out into the Black-Eyed Susans and found the different flowers. I must admit I was surprised.

I will continue working on the Euphorbia post and others at the same time. I am a little behind, but I guess that’s OK.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, always be thankful, and GET DIRTY!

 

Two New Species South Of The Barn… Both Herbals

Sida spinosa (Prickly Fanpetals) on 9-1-22, #907-25.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. You know, time flies when you put things off. Tomorrow seems to come so fast and the next thing you know, weeks have passed! Well, that’s what happened again. I photograph new species I find but maybe some of the photos didn’t turn out very well, so I have to wait until “tomorrow” to take more. Sometimes it is not tomorrow… Then there are “those” plants whose flowers only open in the morning. Well, I am not a morning person, which is another thing I am working on. HA! I have been working on that for a long time. Anyway, on September 1 (yeah, September 1), I needed to go to the hayfield to get photos of the ovaries of the Euphorbia corollata. You read that right, the ovaries. I will post about that later, but the first thing is first. I have to first post about what came first. 🙂

So, I walked through the gate by the barn and headed straight south then after 100′, more or less, I stumbled upon a good-sized patch of a species I hadn’t noticed before. I think the proper word is colony but I am using patch. Neither word really makes botanical sense to me, so I can use either one. I have walked through this area many times and hadn’t noticed them. In a way, I can understand that if the plants are shorter than the grass and everything is green. The only way to notice is if something unusual catches my eye. Sometimes you may find a species that looks like a different species until it does something weird… At a VERY QUICK passing glance, these plants could possibly remind you of Croton glandulosus (Sand Croton). Mind you, a VERY QUICK glance…

Sida spinosa (Prickly Fanpetals) on 9-1-22, #907-29.

This is what caught my eye… The very small wilted flower was waving like a flag in the breeze! “WHAT IS THAT?!?!” I looked around to see if I could find better flower photos but they were all wilted. And there was A LOT!!!

Sida spinosa (Prickly Fanpetals) on 9-1-22, #907-30.

So, are those weird pods buds or fruit? Hmmm… Well, I took enough photos to get an ID on iNaturalist. It is Sida spinosa… Of course, you already know from the captions, huh? The preferred common name on some sites is Prickly Fanpetals, but other common names include False Mallow, Indian Mallow, Prickly Mallow, Prickly Sida, Spiny Sida, Teaweed, Thistle Mallow, White Broomweed, and possibly others.

I looked up the species on the Missouri Plants website and found out Sida is an unusual genus in the plant family Malvaceae and scrolled down to look at the flowers. I could have found that out on iNaturalist, but my habit is always to check on Missouri Plants (since I am from Missouri) and old habits are hard to break.

Flower photos would have been great because they are particularly weird… Well, like I said before, time flies. Missouri Plants says they flower from June through October so I had plenty of time…

Sida spinosa (Prickly Fanpetals) on 9-14-22, #911-1.

I finally made it back to the “patch” a little after noon on the 14th. As you can see from the top photo (top two on the plant’s page), the flowers can be hidden lower down inside the plant. In fact, when I went out this time, the flowers on top were already beginning to close and wilt…

Sida spinosa (Prickly Fanpetals) on 9-14-22, #911-3.

THEN, I finally took this good one. I couldn’t tell if the photos I took were good or not when I was taking them because the sun was bright and the images on the screen weren’t clearly visible. The flowers are very small and I was using a magnifying glass in front of the lens. 🙂

The flowers have a spiral look and the petals are kind of sideways. One side of the petals are longer than the other. How neat is that?!?! The pistol is typical of other members of the family.

When I did my initial research on this species, there wasn’t much at all. Just photos and descriptions. Some sites tell about it as a common weed and how invasive they are in some areas. One thing that caught my eye was how many countries it is considered a native.

I decided to type in “Sida spinosa herbal” and was very surprised. Several Sida species are used by indigenous tribes in South America and other countries for a variety of ailments. Other studies have found out they are good for many other conditions because of its chemical properties. You can read more about this plant, and its contribution to society by going to its own page HERE and scrolling down to the bottom to the links. NOT JUST A WEED! I haven’t written descriptions on its page yet. That is a winter project… 🙂

Now for the other plant on September 2nd… I was headed toward the boundary fence along the front pasture. On the way, I walked through the “patch” of Sida spinosa and stopped DEAD IN MY TRACKS!!! I was shocked at what I had finally found!!!

Physalis angulata (Cutleaf Groundcherry) on 9-2-22, #908-20.

HOLY CRAP! I could hardly believe my eyes! Right there in the grass was a single Physalis species. I looked around for more and couldn’t find any. I hadn’t seen any since 2019 when I found a Physalis longifolia (Smooth Ground Cherry) in a friend’s pasture. The one I found and couldn’t find again. Then, in November 2019, I found a plant here east of the chicken house that I supposed was, or had been, P. longifolia. Since it was November, all that was left were a few dead leaves and dried fruit. This plant had been very tall.

Physalis angulata (Cutleaf Groundcherry) on 9-2-22, #908-23.

The Physalis longifolia looked like a horsenettle, but this new plant didn’t look like that at all. I took photos and uploaded them on iNaturalist for ID. Lo and behold, the new plant is Physalis angulata… Now I am wondering if the dried-up plant that was north of the chicken house was actually the same species. Anyway, I have been looking for them to come up again in the same area, but they never did. The seeds had to go somewhere. I figured unless they had been eaten, they would likely just fall on the ground. I should have picked the husked fruit and planted them myself… Live and learn!

Physalis angulata (Cutleaf Groundcherry) on 9-2-22, #908-21.

Unfortunately, there weren’t any open flowers and it was a little after 7 PM. I would have to go back another day to see if I could take photos of its flowers.

Physalis angulata (Cutleaf Groundcherry) on 9-2-22, #908-26.

Common names for the Physalis angulata include Angular Winter Cherry, Balloon Cherry, Country Gooseberry, Cutleaf Groundcherry, Gooseberry, Hogweed, Mullaca, Sunberry, Wild Tomato, Winter Cherry, and probably others. This species fruit IS EDIBLE! You know, like those husk tomatoes you sometimes see in the grocery store.

Physalis angulata (Cutleaf Groundcherry) on 9-3-22, #909-1.

I went back to this plant on September 3 at about 1 PM and was able to find one of the flowers open. As you can see in the photo, the flowers are small…

Physalis angulata (Cutleaf Groundcherry) on 9-3-22, #909-2.

The flowers of this particular Physalis angulata have no purple marking around the center, but apparently, they can have.

Interestingly, the Physalis angulata and Sida spinosa have a similar native range in North and South America. Both were used by indigenous tribes in South America.

You can visit the page for the Physalis angulata by clicking HERE and going to the links at the bottom of the page as well.

It is amazing how many wildflowers are used as herbals and even in pharmaceutical medicine. We have definitely learned a lot about rainforest plants from the tribes in South America and the Native Americans in the U.S.

I suppose the next post will have to be about the ovaries of the Euphorbia corollata and what else I found on September 1. Then it’s on to the fence along the front pasture. I need to stop watching episode after episode of Game of Thrones and get to work. 🙂

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. The temps are cooling off nicely, so it is a great time to GET DIRTY. The only problem is the day length is getting shorter. No putting off until tomorrow. 🙂 Take my advice, I am not using it. 🙂

 

 

Revisiting The Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot)

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 8-20-22, #906-1.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I have been watching the Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) under the persimmon tree in the back of the farm all summer. Waiting for flowers can be a pain…

I found my first Leafy Elephant’s Foot on a friend’s mother’s farm while herding cattle in 2019.

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 10-12-21, #843-9.

Then, last October 12, I found a single plant in the south hayfield. I wasn’t quite sure what it was at first because the leaves were a maroonish color since it was in full sun. The flowers were wilted but the leaves did have a suspicious shape. The three leafy bracts surrounding the flowers were also a clue. I found it twice, but the day I went to mark the spot I couldn’t find it!

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) at 37″ tall on 10-25-21, #852-4.

Then, on October 25 (after an “F”), I found a small colony behind pond #2 in the back of the farm. They still had a few leaves but the flowers had run their course. I measured the plants at 37″ tall. Ummm… I did mark the spot with an electric fence post.

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 4-27-22, #874-1.

I was glad when they started coming up this spring.

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 6-26-22, #896-18.

They had grown quite a bit by the time I took the above photo on June 26. But, so were the weeds and brush around them…

THEN… LO AND BEHOLD!!!

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) under the persimmon tree on 7-9-22, #898-1.

On July 9 while looking at the persimmon tree, I found another small colony. I was happy about that! This one is maybe 100′ or so from the patch behind the pond and is very easy to get to.

By July 28 the flowering stems were getting taller but it was still a ways to go before the flowers emerge… GEEZ!

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 8-8-22, #903-8.

I went back to check on them a little after 7 PM on August 8 and there were a few flowers but they were closed. It was a “what the heck” moment!

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 8-19-22, #905-1.

I was busy for a while and didn’t get to go back and check on their progress until 6 PM on August 19. WOW! There were A LOT of flowers, but they were all kind of closed and wilted… GEEZ! I did some reading and found out their flowers only last a day. I think it is more like half a day!

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 8-20-22, #906-1.

I decided I would go check earlier in the day, so on August 20, I went back at around 12:30. BINGO! Well, perhaps a little earlier would have even been better…

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 8-20-22, #906-2.

So, you may wonder what is so special about the flowers of the Leafy Elephant’s Foot… Well, let’s have a closer look…

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 8-20-22, #906-3.

The above photo is two flowers, but I need to try to find one I can separate it a little without dissecting it…

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 8-20-22, #906-5.

I tried a few, but they didn’t cooperate very well without holding them. With the camera in one hand and the magnifying glass in the other, I couldn’t very well hold the flower at the same time. Finally, one paid attention somewhat.

The complicated part is explaining what is going on… First, you have three leafy bracts that surround a cluster of involucral bracts. Each involucral bract produces 2 sets of 2 phyllaries from which (typically) 4 flowers emerge. The flowers produce 5-lobed corollas (petals) that are positioned to one side of the flower. The flowers grow close together giving the appearance of a single four-petaled flower with 20 lobes. Luckily, all four flowers bloom the same day… Since there are quite a few bracts, blooming will continue through sometime in October.

The Missouri Plants website gives a very good technical description, but it can leave you wondering what you read. I found the write-up by Sid Vogelpohl from the Arkansas Native Plant Society to be very helpful.

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 8-20-22, #906-7.

Of course, I have to talk about the leaves because the flowers only help partially identify the species. If you run across a plant with large spatulate leaves before it flowers, you may have found an Elephantopus carolinianus…

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 8-20-22, #906-8.

It also has VERY hairy stems…

The next few posts will be about a couple of species I found south of the barn and my confusing adventure along the fence in the south pasture. Four new species right under my nose in one day!

Until then, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. Temps are cooling off and it is a great time to GET DIRTY!

Six on Saturday-Short Walk on the Wild Side

Asclepias hirtella (Tall Green Milkweed)

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. We had a nice week with temperatures not too unbearable at all. I took a walk through the hayfield a couple of days ago to check on the progress of the Elephantopus carolinianus in the back of the farm. It always amazes me how some wildflowers start growing like mad after the hay is cut.

#1-Asclepias hirtella (Tall Green Milkweed)

Asclepias hirtella (Tall Green Milkweed)

There were several Asclepias hirtella, the Tall Green Milkweed, blooming again. Normally, they don’t flower the second time but they are this year. I can’t quite figure out why they call this species Tall Green Milkweed when there are other species that grow much taller…

 

#2)-Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot)

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) under the persimmon tree.

I have walked to the back of the farm several times over the summer to check on the progress of the Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot). These are really neat wildflowers that I only noticed growing on the farm last fall after they had already dried up. I found the dried up flowers and leaves in an area that grows up in poison ivy and other brush but I marked the spot…

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot)

I was very happy when I found a colony under the persimmon tree so I won’t have to walk to the spot I found them earlier. Well, I usually go there anyway… The plants have mostly buds with a few flowers beginning to open up. Until the flowers are fully open, I can’t show you why I think they are so neat.

I walked through the brush behind the ponds to check on the Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster) and S. ontarionis (Ontario Aster) but so far no flowers. At this point, they still look the same. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are both the same species but only time will tell…

#3)-Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed)

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed)

This area in front of the two back ponds is LOADED with Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed). The wind was blowing so there wasn’t as much activity on the flowers as usual.

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed)

The above photo isn’t that great because, as I mentioned, the wind was blowing… Many species of butterflies and other insects love ironweeds. Later on, they will be swarming with Monarch Butterflies and the always interesting hummingbird moths.

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed)

The Vernonia baldwinii (Baldwin’s or Western Ironweed) grow in another area. Baldwin’s Ironweed have recurved involucral bracts where Missouri Ironweed’s bracts are appressed. To be honest, some of the flowers in this colony have recurved bracts and some don’t… The two species do hybridize which can drive a person batty…

#4-Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster)

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster)

I walked to the pond in the front pasture to check on the Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) which is also a late bloomer. They are also kind of late to come up in the spring which had me wondering if they survived the winter. The New England Aster grows to over 6′ tall. I put a water bottle at the base of the plant for size comparison…

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster)

I only found this species last fall because we had a late “F” and the flowers are pink. Their clusters of flowers caught my attention from quite a distance. I am hoping the same will be true this fall. They are working on it.

#5-Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed)

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed)

One of my favorite wildflowers on the farm is the Verbesina virginica also known as White Crownbeard and Frostweed. These are also very tall plants that grow much taller than me… They are always in the same location every year.

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed)

They aren’t exactly early bloomers either, but they are getting there.

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed)

They do have neat white flowers in time, but the neatest thing is their winged stems and very long leaves.

#6-Strophostyles helvola (Amberique Bean)

Strophostyles helvola (Amberique Bean/Trailing Fuzzy Bean)

Even though seeing the Elephantopus carolinianus beginning to flower was exciting, I believe the find of the day was the Strophostyles helvola (Amberique Bean/Trailing Fuzzy Bean). The first time I found this species there were only a few flowers and the leaves had all dried up. Since then, I have kept an eye on them. This year I found a few growing closer to the gate and was able to get some good photos.

Strophostyles helvola (Amberique Bean/Trailing Fuzzy Bean)

From a distance, they resemble an off-color sweet pea. I kind of like this color much better than pink. 🙂

That completes my Six on Saturday kindly hosted by The Propagator. Be sure to check out the other Six on Saturday posts.

Well, I better get going for now. Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. Be sure to get dirty if you can!

 

 

Tales From The Ditch…

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. We had more rain, up to 3 3/4″ through Thursday with more in the forecast. A few days ago I was trimming the ditch in front of what I always call the “other yard.” It is where my grandparent’s house was and where the garden is. Well, I didn’t plant the garden this year but that is beside the point. The part of the ditch in front of where the garden normally is can get a little wild. I can’t mow it with the riding mower because the ditch was cut too deep. I have mowed the front part with the riding mower in the past but it keeps getting hung up. Then I have to turn it off and pick it up and move it over. I can mow with the push mower, but my son finally moved out and he needed it for his yard. He hasn’t brought it back yet so I have to use the trimmer… Anyway, when I got to the mailbox I stopped dead in my tracks because of what showed up… Then I found more behind the mailbox. I continued trimming until the battery ran out of power then I went to the house to get the camera…

Euphorbia davidii (David’s Spurge) on 7-26-22, #901-17.

I was pretty excited I found what I “thought” was Euphorbia dentata (Green Poinsettia) right in the ditch!

Euphorbia davidii (David’s Spurge) on 7-26-22, #901-18.

Then I saw more behind the mailbox! Look how tall they are! It had been a while since I trimmed this part of the ditch, so perhaps I shouldn’t have been that surprised.

Euphorbia davidii (David’s Spurge) on 7-26-22, #901-19.

There was fruit and what was left of the flowers. NICE!!!  I took quite a few photos and noticed something weird…

Euphorbia davidii (David’s Spurge) on 7-26-22, #901-20.

A lot of the leaves are SPOTTED! Hmmm… It is normal for there to be some maroon tinting on the leaves, but SPOTS?!?!?! I thought only Euphorbia davidii has spots plus the leaves are shaped more like E. dentata… After uploading the photos on the computer and giving them a good look, I realized some of the leaves looked a little iffy… Then I did the drag-and-drop thing on iNaturalist and the top suggestion, actually, the only suggestion, was Euphorbia davidii. GEEZ! That made me scratch my bald head! I wondered how in the heck could it figure that out from the first photo or even the second one? You can’t see spots. Honestly, I was wanting them to be Euphorbia dentata so I was trying to argue to prove my point. I have learned not to label the photos before I use iNaturalist because I think the algorithm can read… But, the more I wanted them to be E. dentata, the more I was beginning to see I was “possibly” mistaken. The leaves are somewhat more pointed than E. dentata, which are more bluntly pointed. Plus, the leaves of E. davidii are somewhat variable, more so than E. dentata.

Euphorbia davidii (David’s Spurge) on 7-26-22, #901-21.

Look at this photo… I know I am new when it comes to Euphorbia davidii and E. dentata, but this is weird among plants… What was a cluster of flowers and fruit with a short pedicel separated into three and grew longer peduncles (flower stems). The flowers and fruit are on one side and the leaves are on the other. That is weird…

Apparently, Euphorbia dentata is a native of Argentina, northern Mexico, California, New Mexico, and Arizona. The species has moved all the way up to Idaho all the way to the east coast and up into Canada. It normally is found hit and miss in a few counties, but it seems once it gets started… I have been trimming the ditch since 2013 (when I moved back here) and never saw it until now. Well, if I disregard the plant I found in the basement of the old foundation last year I identified it as E. dentata. Now there is the huge colony along the park which I wrote about a couple of posts ago…

It was found in a couple of places in Europe 15 or so years ago and is considered an invasive weed in several countries there.

For now, Euphorbia davidii and E. dentata are neat plants to photograph and write about. Time will tell what happens in the future. Sometimes plants show up and then all of a sudden disappear. You just never know…

Apocynum cannabinum (Hemp Dogbane) in the ditch on 7-26-22, #901-7.

Here we go again! Of all the species on the farm, the Apocynum cannabinum (Hemp Dogbane) has definitely spread the quickest since I found the first plant in the hayfield in 2020. Oh, there are plenty of other plants with much larger numbers but they have been here forever. When the conditions are just right for several years in a row, they spread. Remember the Persicaria a few years ago when I identified seven species? They are still here but the colonies aren’t near as large. You never know what will come and go…

Honestly, I think I need to stop mentioning this species and taking their photos. I think it thinks I like it but too much of a good thing…

Ampelamus laevis (right) and Convolvulus arvensis (left) on 7-26-22

I remember many years ago when I was a kid morning glories would come up in the garden. They would twine up the sweet corn and anything else if allowed. I always liked their flowers. Here in the garden, they are always the first plants to come up within a day or so of tilling. One came up and climbed on the asparagus a few years ago, so I left it so I could get photos. Then I noticed a few climbing on the sweet corn, which I left as well. But, then they started blooming they were NOT morning glories… They turned out to be Cynanchum laeve commonly known as the Honey-Vine Climbing Milkweed. I could never get good photos of the flowers until now. I can now write a page for this species since I have more photos. 🙂

Ampelamus laevis (Honey-Vine Climbing Milkweed) on 7-26-22, #901-1.

They definitely have morning glory-looking leaves…

Ampelamus laevis (Honey-Vine Climbing Milkweed) on 7-26-22, #901-6.

But their flowers tell a different story…

Many websites use the scientific name Cynanchum laeve, including iNaturalist with Ampelamus laevis as a synonym. I am sticking with what Plants of the World Online says for now.

Convolvulus arvensis (Field Bindweed) on 7-26-22, #901-9.

The other morning glory-looking vine is Convolvulus arvensis (Field Bindweed). I first identified this species on a friend’s pasture in 2019. It has been growing in the ditch for a few years but I didn’t give it much thought. The flowers are either white to mostly pink…

Convolvulus arvensis (Field Bindweed) on 7-26-22, #901-13.

The underside of the flowers is somewhat strange. When I first saw their flowers on Kevin’s farm, they appeared to have pink stripes on the petals. I haven’t found a website that mentions this feature, but from the underside, the center of the petals seems to have a “thicker” stripe that is sometimes pink. In bright light, the pink color shines through to the upper surface. With this species, mostly single flowers appear on long peduncles produced from the leaf bracts. Another look-alike produces mostly doubles…

Convolvulus arvensis (Field Bindweed) on 7-26-22, #901-14.

From the above photo, you can see the calyx with five short sepals, the outer 3 being slightly shorter and narrower. Farther down the peduncle (flower stem) are a couple of bracts… These bracts fall off during the fruiting stage. In most species of plants, the bracts are part of the calyx…

I seem to be missing something…

Lathyrus latifolius (Bread-Leaved Pea/Everlasting Pea) on 7-26-22, #901-26.

Oh yeah! The sweet peas! Well, that’s what we always called them when I was a kid. The Lathyrus latifolius has been growing here since I was a kid, and even on the fence where I grew up. There is quite a patch of them growing in the area north of the chicken house in varying shades or pink and white. This species is actually a European native that was imported as an ornamental. Other common names include Broad-Leaved Sweet Pea, Everlasting Pea, Wild Sweet Pea, Perennial Pea, Perennial Peavine, Everlasting Vetchling, and probably more.

The ditch is where a few of the daylilies also grow. They don’t normally produce many flowers, but like I mentioned in an earlier post, this has been a day lily year… Another patch in the shade and they rarely flower. There are A LOT of other species of “weeds” and grass in the ditch like the trumpet vine, Horse Nettle, etc. The ditch in front of the house has its own species, including Ruellia humilis (Wild Petunia).

I am not going to talk about the ditch in front of the pasture. It is a complete disaster. Well, there are some interesting plants there, too. For the most part, the sumac has gone mad with threats of a complete takeover. I guess it is doing that because of my threats…

Well, that’s it for now. I am still waiting for the Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) and the two asters to flower in the back of the farm to flower… It’s almost August, for crying out loud, and they haven’t a single bud yet! I think possibly the New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) I found by the front pond last year may have come back. It is another late bloomer. I have been looking for it all summer, but it appeared they didn’t come up. Last week, I think I finally spotted it. I didn’t notice it until the end of September last summer when it was blooming… Keep your fingers crossed!

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Little Catching Up Part 3…

Auricularia americana (Jelly Tree Ear) at 2:22 PM on 6-26-22, #896-9.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all doing well. It has been hot this past week. It is 99° F as I am starting to write this post. There is rain in the forecast for next week so hopefully, the temps will cool off a bit.

I had an interesting walk in the hayfield on June 26, just a couple of days before the hay was cut. It was kind of difficult to walk in the tall grass, but I was on a mission and needed to get to the back of the farm.

Auricularia americana (Jelly Tree Ear) on 6-26-22, #896-10.

I made my way through the trees in an area north of the chicken house to get to the pasture. I ran across a couple of Auricularia americana (Jelly Tree Ear) on a limb that had fallen. I have seen these before and they are very weird and kind of slimy.

I did a little reading on the MushroomExpert.Com and found out a few things… There are several species of jelly fungi (even in other genera) that differ somewhat in characteristics. The issue is “this species is NOT actually Auricularia americana… Auricularia americana grows on conifers, NOT deciduous trees… You can click on the link above to get the whole story.

Interestingly, it was recently discovered there are several genetically distinct species of Auricularia in the United States but there was a snag in naming them. As with other plants, there are strict rules that apply when naming new species. New species of fungi have to be registered online and given an identifier number. When submitting their publication about the new species, they didn’t include the identifier number, so their publication was invalid…

Hmmm… That was in 2015, seven years ago. Did they resubmit the publication again with the correct numbers? It’s like watching a series on TV and being left hanging in the end!!!

Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) on 6-26-22, #896-5.

By 2:32, I had made my way to a nice group of Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed). There are plenty of them here on the farm, as I have probably mentioned before, and are hard to miss because of their height.

Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) on 6-26-22, #896-7.

There is always A LOT of activity on milkweed. Not only on their flowers but sometimes on their leaves as well. Milkweed plants serve our ecosystem quite well. More about those little black bugs farther down…

Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (Red Milkweed Beetle) on 6-26-22, #896-28.

Ummm… I was taking photos of the flowers, minding my own business, when a pair of Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (Red Milkweed Beetle) appeared. She started to blush and he said, “Do you mind?” I’m not sure if he was talking to me or the other bug…

Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (Red Milkweed Beetle) on 6-26-22, #896-29.

I moved to a different plant and found another one. I was trying to get good photos of its back, but these guys move rather quickly. I did some reading on several websites about this critter and found out it is very interesting. Interesting facts include:

The genus and species names mean “four-eyes” because their antennas actually separate their eyes, giving them four eyes instead of two.

Tetraopes tetrophthalmus prefers Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) over other milkweed species. Other members of the genus are also generally host-specific and prefer other milkweed species.

Adult Red Milkweed Beetles feed on the plant’s leaves, buds, and flowers. When feeding on the leaves, they cut a slit in the veins and feed on the sap as it runs out of the cut. They have to wipe their mouths on the leaves so their mouth won’t get gummed up… The toxins from the sap is absorbed into the beetles, which also makes them toxic to predators. I read where the toxins give the beetles their color, which is a warning to predators that they are distasteful and toxic.

Females lay clutches of reddish eggs toward the base of the plants and the larvae burrow into the soil and feed on the roots. Perhaps depending on when the eggs are laid, some information says they hibernate in the cells they make around the roots.

If they are startled, they make a shrill noise but they purr when interacting with other beetles… Hmmm…

Red Milkweed Beetles only live for one month…

Chauliognathus marginatus (Margined Leatherwing Beetle) on 6-26-22, #896-11.

Then I ran into a very busy Chauliognathus marginatus (Margined Leatherwing Beetle) which didn’t want to stand still either. Another common name is Margined Soldier Beetle. To its right, hiding, is another one of those small black bugs… These insects are beneficial pollinators and they feed on nectar, pollen, and small insects such as aphids. Their larvae are also vicious predators. The coloration of the adults is quite variable. These are a farmer’s and gardener’s friends, so if you see them in large numbers on your flowers, don’t worry. They have their own mission and they will not damage your plants.

Oebalus pugnax (Rice Stink Bug) on 6-26-22, #896-19.

Then, I ran this Oebalus pugnax (Rice Stink Bug)… I have identified several species of stink bugs here on the farm that look similar, but this one was different. This bug IS NOT a friend, especially for farmers who grow rice, sorghum, wheat, etc. They feed on wild grasses and then migrate to fields to do their damage. They feed on the endosperm of the seed leaving an empty shell or shriveled kernels.

Adults overwinter near the ground in grass then lay their eggs in clusters of 10-30 in double rows on the leaves or seed heads of grasses. The nymphs molt 5 times to become adults in 18-50 days, depending on temperature. They can produce 2 to 5 generations per year…

Tragia betonicifolia (Betony-Leaf Noseburn) on 6-26-22, #896-30.

I moved on a little northeast from the milkweed and stumbled across another plant I hadn’t seen before. I took quite a few photos and uploaded the one above on iNaturalist to get an idea. Its top suggestion was Tragia urticifolia (Nettleleaf Noseburn), the second was Tragia ramosa (Desert Noseburn), the third was Rhynchosida physocalyx (Beaked Sida), then they went downhill after that. The first was a possibility but not the other two.

I checked on the Missouri Plants website and it wasn’t on the list but three other species were. The only one I saw that looked close (from the photos) was Tragia betonicifolia (Betony-Leaf Noseburn). At the bottom of the page it says T. urticifolia closely resembles the species but isn’t found in Missouri. I checked the maps on Plants of the World Online, Flora of North America, USDA Plants Database, and BONAP and all agreed T. urticifolia isn’t in Missouri. Well, one would have been enough but I had to try. 🙂 The maps do show Tragia betonicifolia is in Missouri but not in Pettis County where I live. However, the species has been found in Henry County which is across the street, and Johnson County which is only a few miles away. How many times has that happened? Too many to count… Even the tree frogs that like my house are a species not found in Pettis County but they are in Henry, like 100′ away. 🙂

Even though I had my doubts the species was Tragia urticifolia, I went ahead and submitted the observation as such with seven photos. The more detailed photos you have the better especially when you are in doubt… Oddly, no one agreed or suggested a different ID even after a month (when I am writing this). I decided I would go back and do more exploring… There were only two observations of Tragia urticifolia posted in Missouri and one was mine. However, there were seven for T. betonicifolia and three were from botanists. SO, I sent them a message along with a link to my observation. One replied the next day and said “…I hate basing IDs on geography alone, so I keyed it out to confirm the ID. Your plant is T. betonicifolia. They are difficult to distinguish from photos (keying requires an angle of the flowers that shows the right character), so it doesn’t surprise me that iNat’s algorithm had trouble with it.” I can certainly understand that… Out of 909 observations (402 different species) I have submitted to iNaturalist, they have only been a little off a few times. I think that is pretty darn good!

Tragia betonicifolia (Betony-Leaf Noseburn) on 6-26-22, #896-34.

Tragia species are monoecious and produce separate staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers on the same plant but in an odd sort of way. Unlike members of the Asteraceae, for example, which produce male and female flowers on the same flower. They produce a single pistillate flower at the base of the inflorescence (floral stem), then a raceme of up to 30 staminate flowers. Compared to other photos I have seen online, the inflorescence in the above photo is, ummm, somewhat short and apparently, the pistillate flower has already been fertilized…

Tragia betonicifolia (Betony-Leaf Noseburn) on 6-26-22, #896-36.

The above photo was taken of a different inflorescence where you can see the fuzzy fruit that has started to develop from the ovary of the pistillate flower. Above the fruit, you can see the remains of a few staminate flowers. There were more staminate flowers at the top of the inflorescence but those photos were all blurry… By the time I went through the photos, the hayfield was cut along with this plant… GEEZ! You know what they say? “He who hesitates…” The ovaries have three large carpels…

OH, I better not forget to mention that Tragia species are members of the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. They are covered with STINGING hairs that are said to cause intense pain. One website said as much pain as you could ever have. When I read that, I was reminded of my kidney stones…

if you want to read more about this species, the Missouri Plants website has some good photos with technical descriptions. The Arkansas Native Plant Society also has great photos and a lot of very good information.

Moving right along…

Apocynum cannabinum (Hemp Dogbane) on 6-26-22, #896-1.

I ran across a good-sized colony of Apocynum cannabinum (Hemp Dogbane), which is beginning to be an old story. I first identified this species from a single plant I found in the south side of the main hayfield in 2020. Since then, they have spread like you wouldn’t believe! In 2021, I found one along the road in front of the garden so I let it grow… After the hay was cut in the south hayfield in 2021, a HUGE patch came up toward the front. This year, the single plant along the road in front of the garden turned into a HUGE colony… GEEZ!!! I think this species could be somewhat invasive…

Apocynum cannabinum (Hemp Dogbane) flowers on 6-26-22, #896-4.

They produce LOTS of flowers. Ummm… There are those darn black bugs AGAIN… Maybe we should have a closer look…

Corimelaena pulicaria (Black Bug) on 6-26-22, #896-13.

Well, I took several photos to get a good one… I uploaded the photos on iNaturalist and they listed several suggestions of species seen nearby. At first, I thought they were possibly Sehirus cinctus (White-Margined Burrower Bug), so I selected that name on the list and went with it hoping someone would have an idea. The color looked similar, but so did the other suggestions. Within no time, a member suggested the genus Corimelaena, a member of the family Thyreocoridae (Ebony Bugs)… So I checked the genus out and found a website that listed several species and what plants they preferred. Low and behold, it said Corimelaena pulicaria feeds on Apocynum cannabinum (among other plants). So, I went with that species and changed the name on the observation. Even though iNaturalist gives the common name Black Bug, many websites don’t even give a common name. There are many species of “Black”, “Ebony”, and “Negro” bugs in several genera that look exactly alike to me… I didn’t feel like catching one looking at this and that part with a magnifying glass… Looking again, they could be Corimelaena obscura… I think I will stop thinking about it for now and just stick with Corimelaena pulicaria or maybe just some kind of a Thyreocoridae. Well, since I can’t pronounce that either, how about just a black bug… 

I went on the back of the pond AGAIN to check on the Calico and Ontario Asters which basically looked the same as they did a month earlier only a little taller… Nothing exciting to report.

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 6-26-22, #896-18.

I walked over to where the Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) are growing and they were looking GREAT! I don’t remember if I mentioned it before, but there are two small colonies. One behind the pond and one under the persimmon tree. The plants under the persimmon tree are much easier to get to.

Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon) on 6-26-22, #896-17.

The persimmons are coming along nicely…

Time has sure flown by The next post will be more or less up to date.

Until then, be safe and stay positive. Always be thankful and try to GET DIRTY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Little Catching Up Part 2…

Lotus corniculatus (Bird’s Foot Trefoil) on Brandon Road along the south side of Farrington Park on 6-12-22, #890-36.

Hello everyone! I am back again with part two. It has been very hot but we had a little more rain which cooled things down a bit for a couple of days. It will be in the upper 90’s again this week. It’s OK as long as I can keep working in the shade and there is a little breeze.

Nothing exciting to report before I begin on the update for June… The hay has been cut which makes it easier to walk around in the hayfields although all the wildflowers there have also been cut down. There are still wildflowers in the wooded areas, along the fence rows, and around the pond to watch. Oh, yeah, and the trail.

So, let’s continue with June 5.

Tragopogon dubius (Yellow Salsify) on 6-5-22, #887-2.

There are two groups of these darn plants that keep evading getting photos of their flowers taken. They are growing in the jungle along the road in front of the southwest pasture/hayfield. I took photos of the plants and submitted them on iNaturalist for an ID and found out they are “likely” Tragopogon dubius (Yellow Salsify). Supposedly, the large yellow flowers are quite a sight and face the sun (like sunflowers). Unfortunately, on sunny days, the flowers usually close by noon. Even though I drive by them sometimes between 9-10 in the morning, I STILL haven’t managed to see them. They flower from April-August so maybe I still have a shot for a shot. The seed heads are around 5″ across and are a good 3′ in the air. This is the first year I have noticed them and I haven’t run across any on back roads or along the highways. It is also related to Tragopogon porrifolius which is used as an ornamental and their roots which taste similar to oysters. The USDA Plants Database lists 7 species and a few hybrids in North America… Tragopogon dubious (Yellow Salsify), T. porrifolius (Salsify), and T. pratensis (Jack-Go-To-Bed-At-Noon) are found throughout most of North America. All species are introduced species (not native), mainly from Europe and Africa, and have several common names…

JUNE 11… 

Colinus virginianus (Northern Bobwhite Quail), 6-11-22, #889-1.

You know, I have often wondered what happened to all the Bobwhite Quail. They were everywhere when I was a kid. When I moved to the farm in 1981 after grandpa died, there was always a pair that nested in the fence row around the yard and several elsewhere on the farm. When I moved back here in 2013, there were none. Dad said between the hawks and cats, they just disappeared. So, on my way back from a friend’s farm (Jay), a pair was walking down the road in front of me. I slowed down and they didn’t seem to be in any hurry. I stopped to take a few photos. I was very happy to see them and even happier I had my camera. 🙂

June 12…

On the way back home from Jay’s on the 11th, I took the road along the south side of the park. I noticed the Winecup Mallow was blooming up a storm. I had my camera so I’m not sure why I didn’t go ahead and take photos. Heck, it was almost a month ago. SO, I went back on the 12th… Ummm… I got a little carried away because I found A LOT of plants to photograph including a new species (new to me)…

Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) along the south side of the park on 6-12-22, #890-7.

I drove down Brandon Road which runs along the south side of the park. I passed what I went for and had to turn around in a driveway on the other side of the road just past the park. On the way back, I had to stop to take a few photos of a good-sized colony of Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed). There seems to be an abundance of these along the back roads and highways (at least the few I travel on).

Callirhoe involucrata (Winecup Mallow) on 6-12-22, #890-11.

Then I drove back up to where the Callirhoe involucrata (Winecup Mallow) was. The colony seems to get bigger every year. It is a spectacular sight that brightens up the whole area.

Callirhoe involucrata (Winecup Mallow) on 6-12-22, #890-18.

The flowers are so bright it can be difficult to get photos in bright light.

Euphorbia davidii (David’s Spurge) on 6-12-22, #890-24.

There were several other species of plants growing in and around the Winecup Mallow I had previously identified. But what caught my eye was one I hadn’t seen before but I knew what it was.  Euphorbia davidii (David’s Spurge)…

I read about it before while working on the page for Euphorbia dentata (Green Poinsettia/Tooth Spurge) I found growing inside the old foundation last year. I “think” I found several plants growing along the front of the foundation this year, but they haven’t flowered yet…  Ummm, they may have gotten trimmed off earlier… Well, I was looking inside the foundation for them. I did get some seeds from them but I neglected to plant them. GEEZ!

Euphorbia davidii (David’s Spurge) on 6-12-22, #890-27.

The Euphorbia davidii has longer, narrower leaves with maroon spots…

Euphorbia davidii (David’s Spurge) on 6-12-22, #890-30.

Like the Euphorbia dentata, it has these interesting fruits… As with other members of the family, they exude a milky latex sap that is not good for you.

Euphorbia davidii is native to mainly the southwest United States and Argentina, but has spread eastward and can also be found in southeast Canada.

After I was finished taking photos along the road next to the park, I went to the trail. I am still in search of the allusive Cutleaf Grapefern… It was about 6:15 PM.

Sanicula canadensis (Black Snakeroot) on 6-12-22. #890-41.

One of the first plants I ran across was a nice Sanicula canadensis (Black Snakeroot). I first identified this species around the same area in 2021. This year I have found it in several areas on the farm. Despite its name, it is a neat plant that can grow around 4 1/2′ tall. It has odd flowers and neat leaves and has been used as a heart remedy…

Triodanis perfoliata (Clasping Venus’s Looking Glass) on 6-12-22, #890-49.

I then ran across an old friend, the Triodanis perfoliata (Clasping Venus’s Looking Glass). What a neat little plant! I first identified this species from a single plant in the back of the farm in 2020, then found A LOT of them in the south hayfield in 2021.

Anemone virginiana (Tall Thimbleweed) on 6-12-22, #890-1).

Then I ran across the stately Anemone virginiana (Tall Thimbleweed). I first identified this species along the trail a year ago and there aren’t that many. These plants can also grow to around 4′ tall and have neat, good-sized leaves. They grow from a single stem and branch out at the top.

Anemone virginiana (Tall Thimbleweed) on 6-12-22, #890-5.

The flowers emerge at the top of long petioles, while the involucral bracts are 5-15″ below the flowers…

I was finally able to get into the trees in several spots… I looked here and there and there was no sign of the fern…

THEN FINALLY!!!

Sceptridium dissectum (Cutleaf Grapefern) on 6-12-22, #890-46.

There it was!!! The Sceptidium dissectum (Cutleaf Grapefern). I found several in April here and there but they seemed to have disappeared and the one I did find was small and weird… Well, at least I managed to find this one!

Galium circaezans (Forest or Licorice Bedstraw) on 6-12-22, #890-31.

I continued looking to see if I could find more of the Grapefern. I walked into this one spot and turned around and saw this plant that resembled Silene stellata (Starry Campion) but something was a bit off… Silene Stellata isn’t supposed to have flowers like that! I took several photos to upload on iNaturalist and found out it was yet another Galium species called Galium circaezans, commonly known as Forest or Licorice Bedstraw.

Silene stellata (Starry Campion) on 6-12-22, #890-47.

There are A LOT of Silene stellata (Starry Campion) along the trail but finding them in flower is a different story! Missouri Plants say they bloom from June to September, so I thought I could keep an eye on them since they are right next door! Well, I went back to the trail on July 17 and all I found were dried-up flowers. GEEZ!!!

Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Woodsy Thyme-Moss) on 6-12-22, #890-37.

I found several clumps of Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Woodsy Thyme-Moss) which are always neat with their long fern-like leaves.

Entodon seductrix (Seductive Entodon Moss) on 6-12-22, #890-22.

Then, I ran across a new moss called Entodon seductrix (Seductive Entodon Moss).  Hmmm…

Entodon seductrix (Seductive Entodon Moss) on 6-12-22, #890-23.

Mosses are interesting and some species look A LOT alike. I did get some close-ups but they weren’t good enough to save. They did prove the species name, however, with a little imagination and help with iNaturalist and a few other websites.

JUNE 14…

Erigeron divaricatus (Dwarf Conyza or Dwarf Fleabane) on 6-14-22, #891-2.

I decided it was high time I identified these weird fuzzy-looking plants that like growing in the cracks in the driveway. They turned out to be Erigeron divaricatus commonly called Dwarf Conyza or Dwarf Fleabane. Hmmm… It’s an Erigeron species? Related to Erigeron canadensis (Syn. Conyza canadensis) (Horsetail) and Erigeron annuus (Annual Fleabane) Weird! You would never imagine they are related…

Parietaria pensylvanica (Pennsylvania Pellitory) on 6-14-22, #891-8.

Then this other plant said, “WHAT ABOUT ME? I have been here forever and you always pass me by”. So, I said, “OK, OK. I’ll take your photo.” It turned out to be Parietaria pensylvanica (Pennsylvania Pellitory). Considered a common weed found in almost every state in the United States, in Canada, and even down into Mexico.

Parietaria pensylvanica (Pennsylvania Pellitory) on 6-14-22, #891-9.

Their flowers have no petals and appear along the stems at leaf nodes. This species is a non-stinging member of the nettle family Urticaceae… The genus name means “walls” and the common name “Pellitory” also refers to it growing along walls… Hmmm…

JUNE 16…

Galium circaezans (Forest or Licorice Bedstraw) on 6-16-22, #892-6.

Then when I was working on Kevin’s landscaping on June 16, I found another Galium circaezans (Forest or Licorice Bedstraw)! It was growing through the ivy in front of a blue spruce! You just never know what you will find or where when you least expect it…

Galium circaezans (Forest or Licorice Bedstraw) on 6-12-22, #890-34.

Some day I will get better photos of the flowers…

JUNE 22…

When I was driving along the back roads on June 22, I noticed a few clumps of these yellow flowers I hadn’t noticed before. Some of the colonies kind of had a raggy appearance and wasn’t sure if I could get good photos…

Hypericum perforatum (Common St. John’s Wort) on 6-22-22, #894-3.

Then, along a curve, I found a patch that looked a little better. I didn’t recognize the species, so I took A LOT of photos. The wind was blowing and the sun was fairly bright in this location, so I knew some of the photos wouldn’t be that great. When I got home, I uploaded the photos on iNaturalist. The first suggestion was Hypericum perforatum also known as the Common St. John’s Wort. Hmmm…

Hypericum perforatum (Common St. John’s Wort) on 6-22-22, #894-7.

It’s a good thing I was able to get a good close-up or I would have had to go back and take more photos. Even so, you can’t hardly see the spots along the margins of the petals. You may have to use your imagination…

OK, here’s a zoomed-in screenshot…

In 2019, I found a few Hypericum punctatum (Spotted St. John’s Wort) in the southeast corner of the farm. The petals and buds were covered with spots. I have searched for it every year since but never saw the little “wort” again…

JUNE 24…

Hypericum perforatum (Common St. John’s Wort) on 6-24-22, #895-2.

After a couple of days, I went back to the same curve and got a shot of the colony of the Hypericum perforatum…

Mimosa nuttallii (Catclaw Briar) on 6-24-22, #894-3.

Right in the same area, I noticed these weird fluffy pink flowers. I went over to examine them and realized it was a plant I had been wondering about for several years. I actually never saw them in bloom, but I could tell from their leaves. When I uploaded the photos on iNaturalist, it confirmed Mimosa nuttallii whose common names are Catclaw Briar, Sensitive Briar (or Brier), and probably others. If you get stuck by their thorns you would likely call them something else…

Mimosa nuttallii (Catclaw Briar) on 6-24-22, #894-5.

The small leaves resemble those from mimosa or locust trees, or a few other plants with similar ferny leaves… I remember as a kid I would find them and tough their leaves to see what happens. I am now 61 and I still do it!

Mimosa nuttallii (Catclaw Briar) on 6-24-22, #894-7.

It was kind of an exciting nostalgic moment when I touched the leaves and they closed up!

Mimosa nuttallii (Catclaw Briar) on 6-24-22, #894-6.

One thing I don’t remember as a kid is the thorns. YIKES! I guess they protect the sensitive leaves…

It is weird how many species of plants are on this same corner. I have stopped there several times in the past to take photos.

Hemerocallis fulva (Orange Day-Lily), 6-24-22, #895-1.

Across the road was a small colony of Hemerocallis fulva (Orange Day-Lily). This has been a great year for them because I have seen them growing here and there on just about every road I have been on (some very large colonies). They are native to several Asian countries but now grow wild in other countries and a good part of the United States. According to the Wikipedia article, they were planted and naturalized in Europe as early as the 16th century. They are listed as wildflowers on several websites, including Missouri Plants. As you know, there are HUNDREDS of cultivars these days, but the plants on my farm (planted by my grandparents) and on many old homesteads have the same old orange flowers. Common names include Orange Day-Lily, Tawny Daylily, Corn Lily, Tiger Daylily, Fulvous Daylily, Ditch Lily, Fourth of July Lily, Railroad Daylily, Roadside Daylily, Outhouse Lily, Wash-House Lily, and probably others…

I think I will close this post and get ready for part 3… It will be about the photos I took on June 26. There are too many to include in this post.

Until then… Be safe, stay positive, keep cool, always be thankful, and GET DIRTY if you get a chance!

 

 

A Little Catching Up Part 1…

Ranunculus sardous (Hairy Buttercup) in a friends pasture on 5-22-22, #882-30.

Hello everyone! I hope this post find you all very well. It has been a while since my last post, but I am alive and well. I get busy doing this and that during the day then in the evening I watch something on the TV, sometimes longer than I want. Heck, I haven’t posted since April 24! I have been photographing wildflowers like before and am still finding a few new species on the farm. It seems odd how they just pop up. How did they get here and where did they come from?

I will start the post with the Ranunculus (Buttercup) then begin the update with April 29.

Ranunculus sardous (Hairy Buttercup) on 5-22-22, #882-31.

I did have a breakthrough with the Ranunculus (Buttercup) species here. I am pretty sure I have them figured out, but how sure is a secret. It sometimes seems “we” make things harder than they really are. I don’t want to point the finger at myself so I am saying “we”. My higher self is reminding me that “we” in this case means me, myself, and I… I then remind my higher self I don’t even know what my higher self really is. It just sounds good and makes me sound spiritual. I started writing a post about the Ranunculus, but it was saved to the drafts. You know how it is… I start writing a post about particular wildflowers and once they fade the post is out of date.

Ranunculus sardous (Hairy Buttercup) on 5-22-22, #882-36.

I had been feeding the cows at Kevin’s and noticed his main pasture was LOADED with what I assumed was probably Ranunculus hispidus (Bristly Buttercup) even though I didn’t think they grew like that. Fortunately I was mistaken because I learned something. When I was taking photos, I took some close-ups of the leaves, stems, flowers, and fruit. I had just been working on the pages of Ranunculus and was writing descriptions, so the descriptions of R. hispidus was fresh in my mind. SO, as I was taking photos of the leaves, I noticed something a bit off… The first two leaflets of R. hispidus leaves “usually” have small petiolules but these didn’t have any. Hmmm…. Also, the fruit, which I had disregarded before, were supposed to be different. SO, I took photos of the fruit to compare them with what was on the Missouri Plants website. USUALLY, flowers and leaves are enough to get a positive ID with most species. But since there are many Ranunculus species that look alike, you have to go further. Unfortunately, the close-ups of the fruit were blurry…

Ranunculus sardous (Hairy Buttercup) on 5-24-22, #883-21.

Later in the evening, I went to check the plants around the pond on my farm but I stopped at the gate by the barn to take photos of a colony of Ranunculus parviflorus. Then I took a few other photos on the way to the pond of this and that… I checked the leaves on the Ranunculus there and was SHOCKED to see the same as the plants at Kevin’s. The darn HUGE colony I had been stumped over for several years were the same!!! By then, it was getting to dark to take good photos. On the 24th I was able to take some good photos, even of the fruit, which confirmed Ranunculus sardous, commonly known as Hairy Buttercup. The fruit of Ranunculus hispidus have long tips (beaks), while R. sardous are more stubby with short tips… Then I realized most of the photos of what I thought were R. hispidus were actually R. sardous. The only R. hispidus were taken in 2020 in another area on Kevin’s farm across the highway along a creek in a shady area. Ranunculus hispidus prefers a damper and less sunny habitat than R. sardous. That’s why I thought it was odd for them to ge growing in mass right out in the sun in the pasture. Ranunculus species are toxic to cattle but usually won’t eat them when they have other vegetation to graze on. Ranunculus sardous can take over when pastures are over-grazed…

Ranunculus parviflorus (Stickseed Crowfoot or Smallflower Buttercup) on 5-24-22, #883-10.

There are some good-sized clumps of Ranunculus parviflorus, known by the common names Stickseed Crowfoot and Smallflower Buttercup (and probably others) growing behind the barn and around the pond.

Ranunculus parviflorus (Stickseed Crowfoot/Smallflower Buttercup) on 5-24-22, #883-11.

Ranunculus parviflorus grow in thick mats and their long stems get tangled up. No mistaking this species here for sure.

Ranunculus parviflorus (Stickseed Crowfoot/Smallflower Buttercup) on 5-24-22, #883-12.

The weird flowers and fruit are very small…

Ranunculus species can be somewhat difficult if you are in an area where you have several species that are very similar. The Missouri Plants website lists 13 species of Ranunculus in Missouri and I thought I had identified six here on my farm and R. sardous wasn’t even in the running. After several years of deliberation, I think there are only three which includes the earlier flowering R. abortivus (Small-Flowered Buttercup/Crowfoot), Ranunculus parviflorus, and now R. sardous… The others I thought were here are likely R. sardous.

There will be more photos and descriptions on the page once I get it finished. I worked on writing descriptions during the winter for plants, but when May came I started taking more photos and pretty much skipped R. parviflorus. I will get back to writing descriptions and making updates once we get an “F” in October…

This post is catch up on new species I found since the last post until now but I have thrown in a few previously identified species as well.  Previously identified species, if they have a page,  are highlighted in green which you can click on to go to their own pages if you want to read more and see more photos. Some of those pages don’t have descriptions… It is a work in progress… 🙂

Starting with April 29…

Viola striata (Cream Violet) on 4-29-22, #875-38.

I really enjoy finding new species of Violets and this Viola striata (Cream Violet) just happened to come up in the north bed close to the Hosta ‘Empress Wu’. The Missouri Plants website says it is the only “stemmed” violet in Missouri with white flowers.

MAY 1…

Viola pubescens (Downy Yellow Violet) on 5-1-22, #877-16).

Then, on May 1, I found the first Viola pubescens (Yellow Downy Violet) on my side of the fence in the back of the farm. The first one I found was along the creek on the other side of the fence and on a friend’s farm in 2020. I went back several times to see if I could find it again to photograph its fuzzy fruit. Unfortunately, I have yet to find it the second time… I am going to start taking old electric fence posts to mark locations… You can go to the plants page to see the fruit, but I haven’t written descriptions.

MAY 5…

Chelydra serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle) on 5-5-22, #578-9.

On May 5, I was walking around the back pond and this snapping turtle was being really weird. It was putting its head in the water and then back up, kind of like it forgot how to swim. The water was pretty shallow and just a few days earlier it was almost dry. After a few minutes, another turtle shot out from under it. Hmmm… Like I have said before, it would have made a great video…

MAY 12…

Potentilla simplex (Common Cinquefoil) on 5-12-22, #881-6.

Almost as exciting as finding a new species, is one that returns in the same area the second year. Well, it is highly likely that the Potentilla simplex (Common Cinquefoil) has been coming up along the fence in the southeast part of the farm for several years. I just found it last year…  Unlike its cousin, Potentilla recta (Sulfur Cinquefoil), this one has much smaller and brighter yellow flowers, and it has trailing stems. The southeast corner of the back pasture/hayfield is the only area I have found it. The Potentilla recta grow everywhere else.

Potentilla simplex (Common Cinquefoil) on 5-12-22, #881-9.

The flowers are rather flat. Some websites say the green calyx has 5 triangular tips that are a little shorter than the petals. The Missouri Plant’s website show flowers with multiple sepals, but they are shorter than the petals.

Potentilla simplex (Common Cinquefoil) on 5-12-22, #881-10.

I think its way of fruiting to be quite strange since the flowers were so flat looking. I have not seen any species except this one whose “receptacle” comes out of the flower. OK, technically, with this species (or genus) it is the hypanthia (hypanthium) which is a tubular or cup-like receptacle on which the stamens, petals, and sepals are borne (Missouri Plants glossary). Hmmm… Looking at the above photo, you try to make sense of that description. It looks like the petals and “cup” the sepals grow from slid down or it grew a longer peduncle… Anyway, I am glad I got a good shot as confusing as it is. 🙂

Valerianella radiata/Valeriana woodsiana (Beaked Corn Salad) on 5-12-22, #881-16.

I also ran across a few nice-sized colonies of Valerianella radiata/Valeriana woodsiana (Beaked Corn Salad) in the pasture. I first identified this species in the area north of the chicken house in 2020. This is certainly a neat plant with small clusters of white flowers and weird leaves (especially the upper leaves.

Although Plants of the World Online says the species is Valeriana woodsiana, basically all other websites and databases say Valerianella radiata. I contacted the editor of Kew and he said Valerianella species have been moved to Valeriana. Sometimes I ask him if he is sure… Some botanists disagree and the curators of some databases don’t either.

ANYWAY…

Tyrannus tyrannus (Eastern Kingbird) on 5-12-22, #881-13.

I continued my walk along the edge of the south hayfield when this bird came along for a visit. At first, it resembled a male Purple Martin, but as I looked at it close-up with the camera I realized it wasn’t. I found out it was an Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) which I had never seen before. Rather than flying high in the air, this bird flies just over the grass searching for low-flying insects.

MAY 22…

Thlaspi arvense (Field Penny-Cress) on 5-22-22, #882-44.

SOOOO, on May 22 when I was talking to myself about the Ranunculus, I saw this oddity sticking up in the Ranunculus parviflorus next to a gate by the barn. Previously in the day, I had photographed Lepidium virginicum (Poor Man’s Pepper) which had MUCH smaller fruit. Heck, it is so common along my driveway I hadn’t even bothered to identify it until now… Well, the plants along the driveway get mowed off so I photographed a much larger one on a friend’s farm. It was the same day I photographed the Ranunculus that turned out to be R. sardous on Kevin’s farm, which is why I was talking to myself. I was walking through the gate next to the barn and there it was, sticking up through a clump (understatement) of Ranunculus parviflorus… There were NO leaves on this stem so I took a couple of shots of the fruit then went on to the pond to check out the Ranunculus there… Later in the evening, I drug and dropped the photo on iNaturalist and it suggested a species by the name of Thlaspi arvense, also known as Field Penny-Cress…

Conium maculatum (Poison Hemlock) on 5-22-22, #882-2.

A friend of mine (Kevin) sent a photo of a HUGE colony of Conium maculatum (Poison Hemlock) in 2021 from one of his pastures. I see them all along the highway and backroads but had never seen any up close and personal. Then in April, I saw one growing along the edge of the yard of the church next door that had been mowed off. On May 1, I spotted one right behind my own yard! It had no flowers, so I thought I would let it grow and then cut it down after it bloomed. Then on May 22, I noticed it had flowered so I went to take a few more photos. The plant was HUGE, taller than me. This is a plant you should be careful with as it is what killed Socrates… I also noticed a few more close to the same area. Time went by and the next thing I knew the hay was cut and they got baled up…

Cruciata pedemontana (Piedmont Bedstraw) on 5-22-21, #882-4.

Previously, on May 1, I photographed this plant when it was much smaller and submitted it to iNaturalist. I thought I had identified it before but apparently not. It turned out to be a large cluster of Cruciata pedemontana, commonly known as Piedmont Bedstraw… It is growing here and there in a few somewhat bare spots.

I am almost certain I identified a similar plant growing at the base of a sycamore tree in my yard last year. Hmmm… I have to do some checking.

Cruciata pedemontana (Piedmont Bedstraw) on 5-22-21, #882-5.

Now, if you look at the above close-up photo it may remind you of the dreaded Galium aparine, also known as Cleavers or Catchweed Bedstraw. Of course, it is a plant we love to hate because of those darn stick-tight seeds that stick on our clothing (the entire plant will stick to you even when green). In fact, the species name of this one used to be Galium pedmontanum… and it doesn’t appear to be sticky…

Cruciata pedemontana is an introduced species that Missouri Plants says was unknown in Missouri when Steyermark’s Flora of Missouri was published in the mid-1970’s. Since then, it has spread like wildfire and was reported in 43% of the counties in Missouri in 2020. The map on the USDA Plants Database is completely whacky for this species…

MAY 24…

Thlaspi arvense (Field Penny-Cress) on 5-24-22, #883-23.

Then, on May 24 after taking more photos of the Ranunculus, I started walking in an area north of the pond. LOW AND BEHOLD I found a good-sized colony of Thlaspi arvense!  Usually when I am walking in this area I am 20′ or so north and headed to the main hayfield which is why I hadn’t noticed them earlier.

Thanks to Dave’s Garden, I learned the scientific name is pronounced THLAS-pee ar-VEN-see. Hmmm…

Thlaspi arvense (Field Penny-Cress) on 5-24-22, #883-26.

These plants still had leaves but they can be absent at flowering. I always like clasping leaves. Just look at the ribbed stems!

Thlaspi arvense (Field Penny-Cress) on 5-24-22, #883-30.

A few feet away was several smaller plants that were still in flowering mode. As you can see the flowers are very tiny. It was windy, so I had to take A LOT of photos!

MAY 25…

Packera glabella (Butterweed) on 5-25-22, #884-4.

On May 25 I was walking in an area behind the chicken house that had been covered in chickweed. I had never seen it so insane! Anyway, I spotted this yellow flower sticking up through the chickweed so I decided to check it out. Hmmm… It was definitely a new species I hadn’t seen before! Sticking up through the chickweed was a single plant of Packera glabella also known as the Butterweed, Cressleaf Groundsel, and Yellowtop. Missouri Plants lists four species of Packera in Missouri and says they can be very hard to tell apart and there is A LOT of controversy which is which. According to the maps on the USDA Plants Database, of the four found in Missouri, three are found in Pettis County where I live but none in Henry County (which is across the street). Not that the USDA maps are up-to-date, but you can still get a good idea. You can zoom in on your state and see the counties the species was found in. According to BONAP (Botia of North America Program), they provided maps for the USDA and all I have seen were updated in 2014… A LOT has changed since 2014!

Packera glabella (Butterweed) on 5-25-22, #884-5.

There weren’t many leaves and what there were had been chewed on. Fortunately, judging my the leaves and stem, I believe this plant is definitely Packera glabella. The other two possibilities, Packera obovata (Groundleaf Ragwort) and Packera plattensis (Prairie Groundsel) have different leaves and one is very hairy…

The USDA Plants Database lists 73 species of Packera in the United States and Canada. The species in the genus were formerly species of Senecio…

MAY 28…

I decided I needed to go to the back of the farm again to check the progress of the Elephantopus and the asters behind the back pond. I didn’t want to write the “S” word. OK, I’ll do it anyway… The Symphyotrichum lateriflorum and S. ontarionis. I can’t spell those names without looking them up let alone pronounce them! Anyway, I went the same route as on May 25 behind the chicken house.

Sisymbrium officinale (Hedge Mustard) on 5-28-22, #885-38.

I crossed the ditch and was surprised to see the Sisymbrium officinale (Hedge Mustard) had moved to a new location! It was in the vicinity where I found the Field Penny-Cress last year, but it was nowhere to be found in 2022.

In May 2021 I was having difficulties with my camera and it completely went bonkers for good at the end of a wildflower walk with my son. I had already taken quite a few photos with much difficulty and on the way back to the house I ran across a patch of Sisymbrium officinale which was a new species. I tried AGAIN to get the camera to work and it wouldn’t. The viewfinder was completely shot! I had watched a video on YouTube about replacing it, but just watching all that had to be done was exhausting in itself. BUT, Nathan is always eager to take photos, so he showed me how to take photos with his cell phone. He sent them to me once we got in the house but they were HHHHUUUUGGGGEEEE! It took a long time to download all of them and the photos filled my computer screen! At least I did get the species identified… SO, I was very glad to find them again on May 28th, just around 30′ or so west from where they were in 2021 and maybe 20 feet north of where the Field Penny-Cress is located.

Sisymbrium officinale (Hedge Mustard) on 5-28-22, #885-40.

While the plants are young and not flowering, the leaves could easily be mistaken for a species of Lactuca of even a non-spiny Cirsium. The lower leaves are fairly broad with several lateral lobes.

Sisymbrium officinale (Hedge Mustard) on 5-28-22, #885-44.

This species is a member of the plant family Brassicaceae and has very small yellow flowers. The odd thing about this species is that the fruit (seed pods) lay parallel to the stems…

Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed) on 5-28-22, #885-1.

Toward the end of the main hayfield, I ran across an Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed). I have several milkweed species on the farm but this was the first time I had seen the Green Milkweed here.

Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed) on 5-28-22, #886-2.

These are one of my milkweeds I suppose because of the color. I just went back to this plant’s page and realized I need to work on descriptions. GEEZ! The flowers are quite complex…

I made my way to the back of the pond along the drainage ditch to check out the, ummm…

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster) on 5-28-22, #885-45.

The anticipation is terrible since the Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster) won’t flower until August or later! There is another species, S. ontarionis (Ontario Aster), that is also behind the pond but farther south. Both are so similar they are hard to tell apart. The arrangement of the flowers and hairs on the leaves are somewhat different. I hadn’t noticed them until last fall and one of the curators on iNaturalist filled me in on how they were different and both species became research grade. You remember we had a late “F” last fall, otherwise, I wouldn’t have even noticed them. There are quite a few of both species growing behind the pond, or should I say “ponds” since there are two side by side. The Calico Aster is growing along the drainage ditch behind the old pond, while the Ontario Aster is growing along the fence behind the other. I think probably grandpa had a new pond made with the intention to make one big pond. Likely, the new pond filled with water before it could be finished because of a spring…

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 5-28-22, #885-13.

I walked on past the area where the Ontario Asters are to the location I found the Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) last fall. I didn’t know they were there until they had gone to seed and the leaves had dried up. The plant’s looked suspicious, even dead, and I realized what they were. Made me scratch my head for a few minutes because, until 2021, the only Elephant’s Foot I had seen was on a friend’s mother’s farm in 2019. Then last year, in October, I ran across a single plant in the south hayfield. Well, after a couple of days, I went to mark its location and couldn’t find it again. SO, I was surprised I found it behind the pond and I did mark the location. I was glad they had come up again in 2022. Then came another surprise, but that is for another day…

Then, I walked toward the southeast part of the farm. You never know what you will run across…

Leucanthemum vulgare (Ox-Eye Daisy) on 6-28-22, #885-22.

I was walking along the fence and spotted a nice colony of Leucanthemum vulgare (Ox-Eye Daisy)… Hmmm… They were on the other side of the fence behind a Multiflora Rose bush. I first identified this species on Kevin’s farm north of town in 2019, then I found them in the hayfield here in 2021. They are pretty neat plants, so I crawled through the fence to get a few more photos.

Leucanthemum vulgare (Ox-Eye Daisy) on 6-28-22, #885-25.

They have neat leaves…

Leucanthemum vulgare (Ox-Eye Daisy) on 6-28-22, #885-27.

Plus their involucral bracts make a great photo…

Coccinella septempuncata (Seven-spotted Lady Beetle) on 5-28-22, #885-12.

I ran across a Rumex crispus (Curled Dock) with aphids being fed on by several Seven-Spotted Lady Beetles (Coccinella septempuncata). I had to take a lot of photos to get one good one. Thank goodness for Lady Bugs always at work…

MAY 29…

I decided to go to the Katy Trail next to the farm to walk around in the trees again to check on the ferns. Yeah, most people walk the trail so I have to be quiet if someone is coming. I may scare the crap out of someone. GEEZ!

Botrypus virginianus (Rattlesnake Fern) on 5-29-22, #886-1.

I did find several Botrypus virginianus (Rattlesnake Fern) but I didn’t find any Sceptridium dissectum (Cutleaf Grapefern). I wanted to photograph the Rattlesnake Fern in flower, so I was glad that mission was accomplished. I have been wondering if I should dig some up in the spring and bring them home with me. Walking through the trees along the trail is not easy when the underbrush starts taking off.

Ilex opaca (American Holly) on 5-29-22, #886-3.

Hmmm… I ran across a couple of  Ilex opaca (American Holly) trees which I thought was quite odd. What was a holly tree doing in the brush along the trail. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, there are four species of Holly that grow in the wild in Missouri. The other three species lack spiny leaves. When I lived at the mansion in Mississippi, the shrubs in front of the house were holly. I kept them trimmed back and always looked like I had been in a cat fight when I was finished. There was also a tall holly tree in the back yard. They can grow to around 50′.

Polygonatum biflorum (Smooth Solomon’s Seal) on 5-29-22, #886-6.

Then I ran across a Polygonatum biflorum (Smooth Solomon’s Seal) that was actually blooming. The plants along the road in front of the pasture are always in bud or the flowers are closed.

Silene stellata (Starry Campion) on 5-29-22, #886-14.

There are quite a few Silene stellata (Starry Campion) in the woods along the trail. I first identified this species from Kevin’s secured woods in 2020 but I have yet to see their flowers. According to Missouri Plants, they flower from June through September. I better get back to the trail…

I walked back home after I left the trail. It was about 8 PM and still light enough to get a few photos I needed.

Sisymbrium officinale (Hedge Mustard)on 5-29-22, #886-16.

I wanted to get a photo of the fruit (seed pods) of the Sisymbrium officinale (Hedge Mustard) to show how they lay parallel to the stems. The other species in the family kind of hang outward.

Rumex acetosella (Sheep Sorrel) on 5-29-22, #866-7.

I then walked to the back of the farm again where I found a good-sized colony of Rumex acetosella (Sheep Sorrel). I first identified this species from a patch growing in the yard in 2020. A while back, I ran across  HUGE colony along a back road north of town. This species can become very invasive!

I will end this post and start working on part 2 which is for plants I photographed in June.

Until then, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful!

 

Return To The Secluded Woods…

Hypnum cupressiforme (Cypress-Leaved Plait-Moss) on 4-20-22, #870-27.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I haven’t been to the secluded woods on a friend’s farm since 2020. This is where in 2020 I found the Green Dragon, Jack-In-The-Pulpit, and several other wildflowers I hadn’t seen before. It is always very interesting going into the woods but it can become hard to walk in as the summer progresses. The mosquitos are also terrible after mid-May.

On April 19, after I fed the cows there, I decided to check out the area along the creek where I found a single White Morel in 2020. This area wasn’t far from the driveway. Well, I found five Yellow Morels… Then I decided to walk down the creek (in the water) just to have a quick look. Time flies and I made it home at 3… I didn’t have my camera and it was going to rain so I didn’t go back.

I took my camera with me the next day so I could take photos after I was finished feeding the cows. First I checked to see if there were any more morels where I found them on the 19th. There weren’t anymore, so I stepped into the creek. The hillside on the west side of the creek is very steep, so it is best to just walk in the water.

The first photo I took (top of the post) is the (Hypnum cupressiforme (Cypress-Leaved Plait-Moss) growing at the bottom of a huge tree. I identified it in 2020 from photos I submitted on iNaturalist. This moss is really neat, but it is just getting started. Hopefully, I can make it back into the woods when it is in bloom.

Interestingly, north of this tree is just a regular forest, an open woodland with mostly brush all the way to the driveway. As soon as you go beyond the tree, you step into what seems like a magical world. All along the hillside to the fence. Past the fence is once again an open woodland with a lot of brush. There are open areas where the Jack-In-The-Pulpit and other hit-and-miss wildflowers grow, but mostly it is just low-growing brush that is hard to walk in.

Then I found this one…

Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Woodsy Thyme-Moss) on 4-20-22, #870-35.

How neat is that? The Woodsy Thyme-Moss was really putting on a show. I hadn’t photographed it until now and it was a great find.

Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Woodsy Thyme-Moss) on 4-20-22, #870-36.

When moss is blooming you literally have to get down on your hands and knees with a magnifying glass to have a closer look. Well, I was standing in water so I didn’t get on my knees this time. Different species of moss have different leaves and flowers. A lot of them have similar leaves but their flowers are so weird… Like the Bladder Moss on my farm.

Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Woodsy Thyme-Moss) on 4-20-22, #870-37.

It took quite a few photos using a magnifying glass in front of my lens to get two close-ups that weren’t blurry. It had also been raining off and on for two days and was sprinkling a little when I took the photos. This was the first time I saw this moss in bloom, so I wasn’t going to let a few sprinkles stop me.

There is a lot of moss growing along the creek. On rocks, at the bases of trees, and on the ground.

There are also a lot of decaying branches and trees that have fallen over which is a perfect habitat for many species of fungi.

Now for the highlight of the day, as if flowering moss wasn’t good enough…

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s Breeches) on 4-20-22, #870-17.

On April 23 in 2020, I found a single Dicentra cucullaria next to the creek on a steep hillside. It was pretty close to the end of the creek and I could see the highway. All that way, I only found one plant like it and there were no flowers. I was able to identify it as Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s Breeches) by its leaves using the “drag and drop” feature on iNaturalist. Anyway, a few days after I saw it, we had a huge storm and the plant was either washed away or covered with mud from water rushing down the hillside. It was gone… If it wasn’t for iNaturalist, I wouldn’t have known what it was.

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s Breeches) on 4-20-22, #870-18.

SO, on the 19th, I was SHOCKED to see hundreds of Dutchman’s breeches all along the hillside next to the creek. It was AWESOME!

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s Breeches) on 4-20-22, #870-17.

The flowers are really neat for sure but somewhat difficult to explain…

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s Breeches) on 4-20-22, #870-26.

Hmmm… The spreading petal spurs distinguish this species from Dicentra canadensis (Squirrel Corn) whose spurs are more rounded and parallel.

Dutchman’s Breeches are rhizomatous, but there are bulblets at the base of the long leaf petioles where they emerge from the ground… Hmmm… Perhaps I should dig some up and bring them home. I know just the spot to but them.

Then…

Cardamine concatenata (Cut-leaved Toothwort) on 4-20-22, #870-1.

Another plant I only found one of, and not blooming either, was the Cardamine concatenata also known as the Cut-leaved Toothwort. I looked for it every time I went back into the woods in 2020 but I couldn’t find it again. It just vanished.

This time, like the Dutchman’s Breeches, there were hundreds all along the top of the hillside.

Cardamine concatenata (Cut-leaved Toothwort) on 4-20-22, #870-2.

The area in the above photo was one of a couple that has quite a few Cut-leaved Toothwort growing. They are in danger of being washed away or covered with mud if we get heavy rain. The fallen leaves have already partially washed off the hillside.

Cardamine concatenata (Cut-leaved Toothwort) on 4-20-22, #870-7.

The leaves are a dead giveaway to what these plants are. The only thing I had to go by in 2020 which I uploaded on iNaturalist to identify the species.

Cardamine concatenata (Cut-leaved Toothwort) on 4-20-22, #870-9.

The drooping flowers have 4 bright white petals surrounded by 5 sepals. The flowers will open up but perhaps were closed because of it being cloudy and rainy…

Cardamine concatenata (Cut-leaved Toothwort) on 4-20-22, #870-10.

Somewhere in there are the stamens, filaments, anthers, and the ovary…

There were also AAAALLLLOOOOTTTT of Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) whose flowers were closed. The White Fawn Lily (or Dogtooth Violet) (Erythronium albidum) were all over the place but haven’t started blooming yet. They are very close, though.

In all, it was a great day! Now I can finish the pages for the Dutchman’s Breeches and Cut-leaved Toothwort so I can get them published.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. Spring is definitely a great time of the year. Time to GET DIRTY!

 

Short Wildflower Walk on 4-10-22…

Lamium purpureum (Dead Nettle) behind the barn on 4-10-22..

Hello everyone! We had a thunderstorm move in a little after 1 AM on Tuesday night. With all the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning we still received less than 1/2″ of rain. The Weather Channel said the rain was supposed to stop at 1, so I waited until then to feed Kevin’s cows. It all but stopped when I left but started again at 1:30. Then at 1:45, I noticed a few tiny snowflakes that didn’t last long. I arrived at the other farm, where he lives, at about 2:15 with no rain or anything. Then, when I pulled up to the feed troughs, it started sleeting like mad! It lasted until I was finished then suddenly stopped. By the time I was back at the gate, the sun started shining. That was weird! The wind that had been blowing for DAYS calmed down.

This post is continued from the previous one where I had been looking for plants in the shade bed on Sunday, April 10. When I was finished, I started my walk to the back of the pasture. Actually, finding the morels among the Hosta triggered the desire to take the walk. Of course, I took my camera so I could call it a wildflower walk rather than a mushroom hunt. Just in case I didn’t find any. 🙂

Anyway, without further blabbing…

I walked around the barn and had to get a photo of a good-sized colony of Lamium purpureum (Dead Nettle) (top photo). It seems like this spot changes from year to year as far as what species is growing here. Just so happens, that it is the Dead Nettle’s turn. I am sure you have seen fields that have turned purple in the spring. It is either Lamium purpureum, Lamium amplexicaule (Henbit), or a combination of the two. They like each other and normally where you have one, there are a few of the other. Dead Nettle normally grows taller and the Henbit just seems to fill in the gaps. Of course, chickweed is usually there as well. I have been tempted to walk out into a field just to check.

Barbarea vulgaris (Yellow Rocket/Bitter Wintercress).

Not far from the Lamium purpureum were a few Barbara vulgaris. One was just itching for me to take a photo. There are a few in the south hayfield whose flowers are already open. There are 10,473 Barbarea vulgaris on the farm (just guessing) all in a rush to produce seed. In the spring, the yellow flowers you see first out in the countryside are likely this species.

I ventured on to an area in front of the pond in the back pasture. Ummm, along a ditch that drains into the pond. I rarely go into this spot during the summer because of low branches and a few annoying Multiflora Roses and/or blackberry briars. I never really paid much attention to which. Closer to the pond is much easier access. Anyway, I went right in because it always seemed to be a good spot for “you know what” to be growing. I always look for activity from deer or wild turkeys because they like them, too. There was a lot of evidence of recent activity, so I started looking through the leaves. I found four…

Physcomitrium pyriforme (Common Bladder Moss) on 4-10-22, #866-22.

Closer to the pond were several clumps of Physcomitrium pyriforme (Common Bladder Moss). Moss has always intrigued me and if I lived in the woods I would have it everywhere. There are several clumps in the north flower bed and along the north side of the garage. I submitted this photo to iNaturalist and the suggested species was Physcomitrium pyriforme (Commo Bladder Moss) and a couple of others. Other members had posted VERY detailed close-ups, so the next day I was in another area and I took a few close-up shots. I agree it is the Common Bladder Moss.

The plants growing among this clump of moss is a Solidago sp. (Goldenrod).

Solidago sp.

There is a HUGE colony of Solidago in this area and LOTS of it growing along the edge of the south hayfield, and several other areas. I like it, but it is kind of frustrating I haven’t figured out the species. S. altissima and S. gigantea are the two species I think they are. One or the other or both. They have similar symptoms (I mean, characteristics).

I crossed the fence behind the pond and walked along the creek for a while. The woods back there are becoming a briar jungle, just wasted space where an abundance of native plants could be growing that like dappled shade or open woods. When I was a kid, I used to hunt “you know what’ with my grandpa in this area. I haven’t found hardly any since and most years I find none. I think it was 2013 when I found this HUGE False Morel but I haven’t seen any of those since either. I need a photo!

Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple).

I ran across one of several colonies of Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple) that apparently hadn’t been up long. I had never seen any this small, which is kind of odd. Another thing I have heard is that when the Mapapples start to bloom then you will find “you know what.” Well, they are a long way from blooming…

Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple).

A little farther down was another colony that had leaved out more but they look a little off. Like that had been “F” bit. You know what I mean. 🙂 The word I don’t use in the fall applies in the spring as well.

So, I walked back toward the house to take a few wildflower photos.

Lamium purpureum (Dead Nettle).

The white-flowered Lamium purpureum first showed up in the spring of 2020 in the area northeast of the chicken house. There were only a few the first year but they have multiplied quite a bit. I am not sure how common Dead Nettle with white flowers are, but this is the only spot I have ever seen them. It is quite a treat but rather odd. How about you? Have you ran across any with white flowers? Information online says they can be pale pink, lavender, pinkish-purple, or white…

Ranunculus abortivus (Small-Flowered Buttercup) on 4-10-22, #866-25.

I stumbled on this Ranunculus abortivus (Small-Flowered Buttercup) along the fence in the same area as the white-flowered Dead Nettle a few days ago. Well, heck, it is a few days ago when I took the photo. Anyway, it was last week when I first saw it. I needed to get better flower close-ups for this species so I thought I would give it a shot.

Ranunculus abortivus (Small-Flowered Buttercup) on 4-10-22, #866-27.

This one is pretty good despite it bobbing around in the wind. I could pass for a living manikin waiting for the wind to stop for a few seconds, kind of like a dog on point… I had to keep pressing the trigger to keep it in focus. There are several of this species on the farm, and I even found one in the backyard when I was mowing today (April 14). Of course, I mowed around it. Well, it takes a lot of effort to grow like that.

Identifying Ranunculus species drives me a little crazy. There are two species, I think, that look like this but I am pretty sure I have it correct because of their flowering time. This one is pretty easy. The others… Well, there are three more here that I am maybe 60-75% sure of. If there were more than 3-4, I would check myself in.

Viola rafinesquei (American Field Pansy).

The Viola rafinesquei (American Field Pansy) has the best-looking flowers of the four species of Viola I have identified. The above photo was taken on April 4 at the entrance of the south hayfield but I didn’t get good photos of the leaves and stems. There is a good-sized colony north of the chicken house, so I stopped there to get more photos. This spring I have noticed more of this species than ever before, almost as many as Viola sororia (Common Blue Violet).

Viola rafinesquei (American Field Pansy).

These don’t have the typical “Violet-looking” leaves as the others I have identified.

If you think the flower looks similar to a Johnny-Jump-Up, you would be correct. Johnny-Jump-Up is the common name for Viola bicolor Pursh which was named by Frederick Traugott Pursh in 1813. That name became a synonym of Viola rafinesquei which was named by ‘ol what’s his name… Umm… Edward Lee Greene in 1899. It’s kind of a confusing story, but there was another Viola bicolor named by a guy named Hoffman that became a synonym of Linnaeus’s Viola tricolor. I think Hoffman was confused and could have been looking at Viola tricolor with bicolor flowers. Well, sometimes V. tricolor produces bicolor flowers. GEEZ! Anyway, somehow, even though Pursh’s V. bicolor was named before Hoffman’s V. rafinesquei, the latter name is listed as accepted by Kew Science. I suppose common names of the synonyms get transferred to the accepted species as “other” common names. There are still quite a few websites and databases that use the name Viola bicolor which is perfectly fine. They don’t have to agree. Possibly, both species were accepted for over 100 years before botanists or testing decided they were the same species.

The Missouri Plants website lists 12 species of Viola in Missouri.

OK, I am finished with this post now.

Until next time… Be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. I think it is about time to GET DIRTY!

The Shade Bed on 4-10-22

Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. Sunday afternoon I was writing a post and then I decided I wanted to check the progress of the Hosta and Heuchera in the shade bed. Honestly, I was writing a post that was pointing the finger at myself for procrastinating… Who wants to do that? At 61, I think I am allowed to procrastinate a little, then go take a nap.

On March 20, I walked around the house to check on the perennials, which didn’t take long… A few plants had started coming up and the Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ was already in full swing. Even the Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ that I didn’t cover up for the winter has a few new leaves. I went to the shade bed to check on the Hosta and they hadn’t started sprouting yet. I was hoping they didn’t fizzle out over the weird winter temps. Previously, I thought I had noticed the Baptisia sprouting, but on the 20th they weren’t there. Either I was hallucinating or “something” ate them. They are up now for sure and so is the Spearmint I planted in 2021… Which spread. Well, other plants have come up now so I will have to take more photos for another post. I can delay the other post I was working on… 🙂

The photos are as I took them instead of in alphabetical order. You can click on the plant’s name to go to their own pages even though I haven’t added these photos.

The top photo is the Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’. I was glad to see it has started coming up. I was wondering about it since the deer (one particular doe in general) completely destroyed it early and kept eating it all summer. But, as you can see, there is hole in the center where the main plant used to be. GEEZ! It had gotten so big before!

Morchella esculenta.

While I was digging around and pulling up chickweed (GEEZ!!!) around the H. ‘Potomac Pride’, I found this Morchella esculenta (White Morel)! Well, I went blank for a few seconds. Of course, that triggered a desire to completely forget about the Hosta and go hunting. But, I left it alone and continued looking for Hosta. Well, kind of. I dug around in the chickweed on the way to the next one… I have never found Morels in this area.

Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’.

Surprise, surprise! Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’ is alive and well, too! What a relief! Two down and 9 to go. It seems like it has only been a couple of years since I brought this Hosta home, but it is working on its fifth summer already!

Morchella esculenta #2.

Then, I found morel #2…

Hosta ‘Guacamole’.

NICE! The Hosta ‘Guacamole’ is up. What would life be without guacamole? Well, I guess that depends… This one had mole issues a few years ago. They like burrowing under their roots over the winter which pushes them up. That’s not good! The mole repeller has helped A LOT…

Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’ (Bugleweed).

The Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’ made it through the winter wherever it is growing. It seems to spread during the winter and this photo is one that is completely out of place. Well, I just let them grow wherever they want because you never know. One of the main (oldest), umm, clusters is getting too thick and needs some thinning out. They can have issues if they are too thick. I like this cultivar better than some of the others because of its smaller, dark leaves.

I moved over to the corner shade area next to the end of the old goldfish pool. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’… Just a small indentation in the soil where it is supposed to be…

Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’.

The Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ (Coral Bells) is off to a good start with a few new leaves. Coral Bells are great plants that come in a wide variety of leaf colors. They prefer a fairly shady spot, although there are new cultivars that will grow in full sun.

Lumbricus terrestris (Common Earthworm).

I disturbed an earthworm while pulling chickweed. It’s funny how they stretch out so long and then shrink for a few seconds when you pick them up.

Morchella esculenta #3.

Then while digging through the chickweed, I found this TINY morel. I have never seen one that small before. There are plenty of myths surrounding morels including one that I was told when I was a kid about them popping up full-grown. That would mean they grow underground then just pop up all at once. I think people thought that because they would hunt over a spot then come back later and find a few more. Supposedly thinking that walking over an area would cause them to magically appear. That obviously is not the case…

I have them labeled as Morchella esculenta, but I am somewhat confused about the species name ordeal. It has been an ordeal for a long time and even taxonomists are confused. Testing has solved a lot of the confusion which led to A LOT of species becoming synonyms. Of course, it added a few new species of morels. When I submitted the first morel photo on iNaturalist, it suggested Morchella americana and said the common name was White Morel. Hmmm… I looked up Morchella americana and one website said Morchella esculenta was a synonym. I thought that was nuts, so I did some further investigating and found out that was incorrect. Morchella esculentoides is a synonym of M. americana... Morchella esculenta is alive and well and its common names include True Morel, Morel, Yellow Morel, Morel Mushroom, and Sponge Morel (from Wikipedia), and who knows how many more. The “official” common name is apparently Yellow Morel. Morchella americana was “new” to science in 2012 and its “official” common name is White Morel. I got a kick out of the article saying it was “NEW” to science in 2012. No doubt before that, everyone thought they were M. esculenta. I apologize for blabbing so much about the morels but I could continue.

When new species are named and a document about them is submitted, it goes through a long process of evaluation. It takes YEARS. Just think about how many words are written describing a species whose name changed a few years before but was unknown by the author.

One more thing… Species in the Morchella genus, and probably other fungi, are HIGHLY variable. The grays come up first, then the ones that are more white, the yellows. So, no matter what your morels look like or when they come up, they could be (and probably are) the same species. Until now, I have not found the color variation I would assume are what people call greys (grays).

That took three days off and on…

Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’.

I found one spot out of three where I planted the Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’ but I was so excited about the morel I forgot to take its photo. I took it the next day. OOPS! I accidentally broke off the baby morel! I will look for the other ‘Krossa Regal’ in a few days.

Then I moved around to the other side of the pool.

Heuchera ‘Obsidian.

The Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ is putting out a few new leaves. This one seems to be a little slower coming around in the spring. It is also smaller than the other two.

Heuchera ‘Venus’.

Heuchera ‘Venus’ has been growing new leaves for a while. This one is certainly semi-evergreen and doesn’t hide even during very cold temps. Heat and dry soil don’t bother it as much as some either. The deer have never bothered it like they have H. ‘Obsidian’.

Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’.

As you can tell, Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’ has been growing new leaves for a while as well. I thought it was kind of fragile at first, but it can take cold temps very well. The heat is sometimes a different story…

Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’.

I thought the Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ was a goner a few weeks ago. This one heaves quite a lot over the winter and even in the spring. I usually bury it a little deeper in the spring because its roots will start showing. But, this winter it didn’t heave and there is a low spot where the main roots are/were. Hmmm… Maybe the moral of the story is to put soil around it instead of burying it deeper. I was very happy to see it sprouting.

Hosta ‘Red October’.

Being the second oldest Hosta in my collection (2010), it is always GREAT to see the H. ‘Red October’ return in the spring. We have had our difficulties with moles in the past, but it has survived.

I still haven’t found Hosta ‘Forbidden Fruit’, ‘Whirlwind’, ‘Dancing Queen’, or the small unnamed one that was labeled ‘Blue Angel’… I may have to dig for them like before. I have lost a few along the way that haven’t been replaced yet…

I went for a walk to the back of the farm afterward but I decided to make another post about that adventure.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive and always be thankful. GET DIRTY if you can!

 

 

Houstonia pusilla (Tiny Bluet): Often Missed Early Spring Wildflower

Houstonia pusilla (Tiny Bluet) on 4-3-22, #864-3.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. The first early spring wildflowers are off and running and I feel like I have come back to life. Well, I am somewhat tardy since some have been blooming for a while now. I was on a walk to the back of the farm on Sunday and spotted a couple of good-sized colonies of dainty wildflowers. Hmmm… HOLY CRAP! I had not identified these before!

Houstonia pusilla (Tiny Bluet) on 4-3-22, #864-2.

It seems early spring wildflowers are the same every year. The first, whether you notice them or not, are usually Veronica persica (Bird’s-Eye Speedwell). They are the wildflowers that are so tiny you can easily miss them and start blooming when they are still tiny plants. They are followed rather abruptly by Capsella bursa-pastoris (Shepherd’s Purse), Lamium amplexicaule (Henbit), Lamium purpureum (Deadnettle), and Stellaria media (Common Chickweed). The Glechoma hederacea (Ground Ivy) start flowering at about the same time in some areas (in the sun) while the ones in the shade bloom a little later.

Houstonia pusilla (Tiny Bluet) on 4-3-22, #864-6.

Back to the Tiny Bluet… I seem to remember seeing these before somewhere but it was so long ago I had forgotten when and where. Seeing them in the back pasture close to the pond kind of jogged my memory, kind of like deja vu…

Houstonia pusilla (Tiny Bluet) on 4-3-22, #864-7.

Houstonia pusilla is a member of the plant family Rubiaceae along with Cleavers (Galium aparine). You know, the silly plant that sticks to everything.

Houstonia pusilla (Tiny Bluet) on 4-3-22, #864-4.

Actually, the hairy leaves reminded me more of Cerastium glomeratum (Sticky Mouse-Ear Chickweed/Clammy Chickweed) which is in the family Caryophyllaceae… Hmmm… I haven’t seen those for a while.

Houstonia pusilla (Tiny Bluet) on 4-3-22, #864-8.

The flowers of the Houstonia pusilla are trumpet-shaped and have 4-lobed calyces, 1-4 mm long. Just glancing from above, you wouldn’t even notice the flowers are even trumpet-shaped.

Houstonia pusilla (Tiny Bluet) on 4-3-22, #864-9.

One of the colonies had darker, more purplish flowers. Flowers of the Houstonia pusilla are usually sky blue or lavender, but can also be white or pink. All have the reddish ring around the throat that seems to radiate outward.

This species is a winter annual with a fairly weak root system. They only grow 2-4″ tall and blooms in March and April. Apparently, they prefer growing in bare spots where they don’t have much competition with grass. Who could blame them, they are so small and wouldn’t get noticed otherwise.

At last, spring seems to be here. The grass in the backyard already needs mowing. The plants inside are itching to get back on the porches for the summer but they will have to wait a little longer. The wild crocus have bloomed and soon the tulips will have their chance. The Grape Hyacinths are at it now but there don’t seem to be as many as before.

Winter has been weird with temps up and down. The Hosta… Well, it appears ‘Empress Wu’ may be the only one that survived the winter. I keep checking and hopefully, they will return. I have had some of them since 2009…

I am STILL writing descriptions for some of the wildflowers and I still have 20 or so to finish! It is a winter project but I have been kind of lazy in that respect. I get caught up watching a series or a movie instead of working on descriptions. GEEZ!!!

Since the weather is warming up nicely I will have more to write about…

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. It is getting time to GET DIRTY!

Hmmm…

Hello, everyone! I hope you are all doing well. We have certainly had a strange winter with the temps up and down. It gets cold then the temps go up into the upper 60’s and even the 70’s. It seems like spring is here then winter comes back. It snowed a little yesterday off and on but the roads were fine. Then I got up this morning and looked out the front window and saw A LOT more “S”…

I measured the “S” on a plant table on the back porch and it was 9″ deep… I have been feeding a friend’s cows and I have to drive up a long hill to get to his house. I called him this morning and said I didn’t think I could make it up the hill. He said he had 11″ but he cleared off his drive and it was already melting.

The thermometer on the back porch was in the sun when I took the photo at about 9:30 AM… I think it was actually 21° F. It will warm up to about 30 by noon…

I have been doing another friend’s chores farther out of town on a back road but I can’t get there today. He fell about a month ago and dislocated his shoulder and has a lot of bone fragments. The surgeon said he is going to try to repair it rather than do a replacement… The road to his house drifts pretty bad and likely the county won’t grade the road…

The good news is that spring officially arrives on March 20… We have to remind “whoever” is in charge of the weather so maybe we won’t have anymore “S” and the temperatures will stay warm. Just a thought. 🙂

Until next time… Stay warm, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful…

 

 

I Should Have Done That and What If’s?

Euphorbia dentata (Green Poinsettia, Toothed Spurge, Etc.) on 9-24-21, #835-19.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. Today started out cloudy but now it is nice and sunny at 53° F at 1:30. The forecast says it will be back down to 25 tomorrow…

I am continuing to update the wildflower pages, writing descriptions, and adding more photos I took over the summer. As I am doing this, I have noticed several occasions where I am thinking “I should have” gone back later and taken more photos. I always take a lot of photos because some don’t always turn out so great. Sometimes I miss something or need better close-ups of the stems and flowers. Then, over the winter when I am working on the pages and descriptions, I can’t go take photos because the plants are gone. Then the “what ifs” set in…

Everyone has those “I should have done” and “what if” moments. For me, it starts with “I need to do” then months later it becomes “I should have”… I know we have all been there many times because I hear it A LOT from other people. Or how about “you should or could have done” this or that. That’s when you reply, “Yes, but…” Then the “what ifs” come along for a ride which can lead us to procrastinate”… How long that list can get?

Euphorbia dentata (Green Poinsettia, Toothed Spurge, etc..) on 9-24-21, #835-20.

The perfect example is the Euphorbia dentata, commonly known as Toothed Spurge, Green Poinsettia, Toothleaf Poinsettia, and Eastern Toothed Spurge (and possibly others). This annual species grows in a variety of habitats and can be found from the central U.S. eastward to the coast, northeast Mexico, and Ontario in Canada. Information online says they grow along streambanks, ledges, tops of bluffs, forests, glades, upland prairies, fields, gardens, ditches, railroads, and so on. The seeds of this species don’t germinate until it gets plenty warm…

So, where did I find it growing? In the basement of the foundation where my grandparent’s house was. There is nothing down there but old boards and brush from the yard. It is weird to me how the seeds got down there in the first place and germinated. I suppose there is enough decaying brush for the seeds to germinate and the plants grow, but it is still weird…

Euphorbia dentata (Green Poinsettia, Tooth Spurged, Etc.) on 9-24-21, #835-21.

It was almost 8 PM when spotted this oddball down in the basement on September 24. Instead of getting a ladder to climb down to it, I just zoomed in and took several photos the best I could. I “should have” went back and took better photos the next day. But, no, I didn’t… Now, “what if” if more seeds don’t come up in 2022?

Well, that got me to thinking… What are the odds the seeds will germinate in 2022? I would say very slim. If they don’t come up I can’t get more photos. Then again, what were the odds the seeds even wound up and germinated in the old foundation in the first place?

I got right up, grabbed the camera, then took the ladder and climbed down into the foundation…

Euphorbia dentata (Toothed Spurge) on 1-24-22, #860-1.

I set the ladder down next to where I thought I had seen the plant. A little to the left and I would have been right on top of it…

Euphorbia dentata (Toothed Spurge) on 1-24-22, #860-2.

I pulled off several of the old flowers hoping there would be a few seeds but I left more than I took. Now, the flowers of many Euphorbia species are weird in the first place. Euphorbia dentata flowers are quite similar to the Poinsettia we buy during Christmas (Euphorbia pulcherrima). In fact, Euphorbia dentata used to be called Poinsettia dentata. Writing descriptions of the flowers is quite difficult, especially without good close-ups. The stems terminate with 1-3 clusters of cyathia with 25-40 staminate flowers and immature fruits. Oddly, the ovaries hang on the outside… They become 3-lobed fruit which contain 3 seeds…

Euphorbia dentata (Toothed Spurge) on 1-24-22, #860-3.

Once I brought my find to the house, I crumbled up everything and started looking for seed. Sorry the photo is a little blurry, but those seeds are only 2-3 mm long… The ruler is on the metric side. Now that I have a few seeds, I will see if I can get them to come up in the spring in a better place than in the old foundation.

Plants of the World lists 2,028 species in the Euphorbia genus worldwide. There are 227 genera in the family Euphorbiaceae. The Missouri Plants website lists 11 species in Missouri and I have identified 3 on my farm. I know there is at least one more that has very tiny leaves that grow prostrate.

Members of this family have a milky sap that can be toxic…

That’s it for now. I hope you are doing well. Take care, everyone! Be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope this post finds you well. Another year has gone by and it is time to move forward. 2022 came with the coldest weekend so far this winter. We have had great weather so far.

2021 was difficult for many people throughout the world. Many have lost loved ones, income, and businesses. COVID still lingers and it is likely it will continue to be a problem. Two very good friends of mine now have COVID…

I haven’t posted for a while because I have been working on updates. Well, it is partly because I haven’t had much to talk about either. One day leads to another and now it is 2022.

I don’t get out much but I did go to my sister’s for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was good to get away for a few days each time. My brother-in-law told me they enjoyed my company and I didn’t have to wait until next Thanksgiving to come for a visit. Hmmm… Getting to their house in Raytown is fairly simple and only takes about 1 1/2 hours. Leaving their house and getting back on the right road is a little different and isn’t just a matter of going in the opposite direction… If I went there more often I know it would be easier.

Anyway, both of their vehicles are broke down, so I was glad I decided to go on Friday afternoon instead of waiting until Christmas morning. We went to their church’s Christmas Eve service Friday evening and again to church on Sunday morning.

I didn’t take my camera but I wish I did. They feed the birds and squirrels and have MANY feeders in their front yard and back deck. The squirrels seem to come from the whole neighborhood and one is a silvery color. Sunday, a couple of interesting wrens showed up on the back deck like I haven’t seen before. They were browner than the wrens that come to my yard in the summer. They also have quite a few hummingbird feeders with perches which is quite interesting. They way they don’t have to hoover and can sit on the perch while they eat. I am going to have to get one of those so I can get better photos…

I bought birdseed a few days ago and filled the tube feeder in the front yard. I haven’t seen many birds yet, but I am sure they will come. I think many of the migrating birds haven’t come because of the mild weather.

There isn’t much else to talk about. My birthday came and went with only four people remembering. 🙂 My own kids didn’t even remember so I didn’t remind them. It’s just another day. It’s odd how when we are young we want to be older, and when we get older we think we need more time to get done with what we wanted to accomplish… Time waits for no one… I am very thankful to be in great shape with no health problems at 61.

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions but I do have a mental list of things I need to accomplish in 2022. It is somehow the same as 2021 and possibly the same as 2020. I have made some progress and I seem to like to use income as an excuse. Then when summer gets here I use the heat as an excuse. The fact that I am 61 now will be another excuse I can use. I always “think to myself” I am too old to get out in the heat even though I wouldn’t like it someone else reminded me of that. In my mind, I am thinking it doesn’t matter how old I am. So, there is this argument in my head… I am still quite capable of doing whatever I need to do so I should just do it… So, I suppose if I were to have a New Year’s resolution, it would be to stop procrastinating and just do it…

I think as we get older, we should challenge ourselves. We somehow get in a rut, and perhaps get comfortable, with thinking we need to slow down, or perhaps maybe we think we don’t have to do as much. If we are still healthy and capable, we need to keep going and do as much as we can. We still have a home (and farm) that needs to be taken care of. Once we retire (not that I am retired), we have more time to do things we want to do, things we have put off for when we have more time. If you slow down, one day you may not be able. You will notice your joints getting stiff, or maybe you will get tired sooner. It gets easier to say, “I can do that tomorrow.” Maybe it will rain tomorrow, or be too hot or cold. Tomorrow leads to another tomorrow and soon that small tree along the foundation gets so big you have to get out the chainsaw…

So, in 2022 I vow to get more done so my small trees won’t get so large. I have some big ones I need to cut because I procrastinated when they were small. Of course, it is not just actual trees I am talking about… 2022 will be a year of accomplishment.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful! Wishing you the best for the year ahead!

 

 

My First White Schlumbergera truncata…

Schlumbergera truncata (Holiday Cactus) on 12-11-21 outside for a photoshoot.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. Late in November, the local Dollar General had two displays of Schlumbergera truncata (Holiday Cactus). I tried my best not to look at them but one day I finally gave in… Their buds were very small at the time but I noticed the end of their segments had A LOT of buds. Day by day, their buds were getting bigger and I wondered if there were any colors I didn’t have. The problem was, every day their numbers were decreasing. Once the buds grew larger, I spotted one that looked like it might have white flowers. I brought it home on November 30…

On December 11, the flowers had opened enough to get some good photos. For sure, it has white flowers…

Schlumbergera truncata (Holiday Cactus) on 12-11-21.

The lower petals were really reflexed…

Schlumbergera truncata (Holiday Cactus) on 12-11-21.

I think the flower will get longer after a few days…

Schlumbergera truncata (Holiday Cactus) on 12-11-21.

Schlumbergera truncata have very interesting flowers and this time of the year they “should be” budding and blooming.

Schlumbergera truncata (Holiday Cactus) on 11-18-21.

I had kept all the Schlumbergera truncata in the kitchen windowsill all summer except for one which was on the front porch. When I moved the plants inside for the winter, I put the one that was on the front porch on the plant shelf in front of the sliding door in the dining room… They have lost a lot of segments lately and seem to be wanting A LOT of water… How much is too much this time of the year? Most cactus and succulents don’t need water now, but these are in active growth.

Remember last year I hand-pollinated the two plants that produced fruit? Three of them fell off a few months ago and one hung on until a few days ago.

Schlumbergera truncata (Holiday Cactus) on 11-18-21, #856-1.

Hmmm… The one on the shelf bloomed while the plants in the windowsill did nothing. The plants on the windowsill have had plenty of light which decreased as the day length decreased. The one on the shelf had more light on the front porch which decreased when I brought it inside. Then, when we had sunny days, it triggered it to bloom…

Last year, the plant with yellow (cream) flowers bloomed in November then again in February. It all has to do with light and you can force them to bloom just about any time of the year. SO, I moved the Schlumbergera truncata on the windowsill to the shelf and the one from the shelf next to the new one on the windowsill.

Schlumbergera russelliana (Christmas Cactus) on 12-12-21.

Then I moved the Schlumbergera russelliana (Christmas Cactus) to my bedroom in lower light. Ummm… It had been on the windowsill… The Schlumbergera russelliana is doing well but it looks like it needs fertilizer because its leaves are looking pale. It is naturally a drooper.

Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri (Easter Cactus) on 12-12-21.

I have been updating the plant pages and when I came to the Schlumbergera gaertneri (Easter Cactus) page I was shocked to find out its name changed AGAIN! When I brought it home last November I found out the name had changed from Hatiora gaertneri to Schlumbergera gaertneri. Now it is Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri… Back to the name it was given in 1942… This one isn’t supposed to bloom until Easter. Other than having a name issue, it is doing well. Personally, I think it knows what its real name is but it likes keeping botanists guessing. It has 10 synonyms… Well, that isn’t too bad. Schlumbergera truncata has 19 and S. russelliana has only 5.

I am still updating pages and have about 70 more to go. Then I have to go back to the top of the list and update a few things that evolved during the process. Plants of the World Online has been in the process of updating its maps and adding names from the International Plant Names Index that weren’t on POWO. Adding names from IPNI seems to be a workout for them and has changed infraspecific names and A LOT of synonyms. It has affected quite a few of my plant pages so I have to keep going back to see if updates have been made on POWO so I can update my plant pages properly. The number of species has increased for several genera and even several new genera in some families. Kew is always on the ball…

I have some ideas mulling around for a few posts, but for now, I need to get the updates finished. I am still alive and well. 🙂

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and get as dirty as you can when you can. Don’t forget to always be thankful… Give someone a hug, but be careful who you hug. You may get slapped. 🙂

 

 

Fall 2021 Cactus Update Part 2… From The Back Porch

Cactus on the back porch on 9-22-21, #833-2.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I am doing fine for the most part… I am just less motivated this time of the year but there are things I need to get done.

Before I begin with this post, let me just say I don’t think I have a green thumb. I like a wide variety of plants that have different but similar requirements. Hmmm… I just confused myself. For the most part, the potted plants on the front porch need a shadier area, and the plants on the back porch prefer full sun. This year a few plants were under the roof on the back porch so they wouldn’t be in full sun and only received morning sun. Some of the plants on the front porch would probably like the back porch better. Maybe next year… We have to get through the winter first. 🙂

Linda, from The Task at Hand, commented on the last post concerning cactus getting wet in direct sunlight. I mentioned in the post what LLIFLE (Encyclopedia of Living Forms) said, but I will quote here what the website says about the cultivation and propagation on the Ferocactus wislizeni page: “Use very draining soil, water during the aestival growth cycle (this plant need plenty of water) But needs to be avoided wetting the bodies of these plants while they are in sunlight. A wet cactus in the sunlight can cause sun burning which can lead to scars or even fungal infections and death. Needs full sun. Keep dry at 10”… Normally, much more is written about cultivation and propagation so I think he didn’t get finished or something went wrong which is why the information stops “at 10”. 10 what? LLIFLE is a very reliable source of information but experience is always the best teacher.

Many cactus have specific requirements in nature which is why they grow in certain areas. I am sure in nature cactus get wet followed by sun which possibly leads to scarring, infection, and death for some species. Other species may not be affected by getting wet in full sun. Personally, I don’t water any of my plants when the sun is on them or if the night temperatures will be cool (especially for cactus and succulents). This can be tricky when it comes time to bring the plants inside for the winter. Last year it was fairly dry when I brought the plants inside, but it was the opposite this year. We had cool temps and it rained. I wasn’t worried about the plants on the front porch because they were under a roof. The cactus on the back porch were in the elements getting wet when temps were around 40° F… Many cactus have no issues with temps even below freezing when they are in the ground in their native habitat because they go dormant. Some species go dormant in the heat of the summer. Some grow way up in the mountains… But, my cactus are in pots and their ancestors grow in many different areas from forests to deserts from high to low elevations. It is a lot different in pots in west-central Missouri than in their native habitat…

Jim, from How I See It, in his comment asked a very good question… “Are plants like these abundant from their places of origin? Do you ever encounter plants that should not be traded on the plant market because they are endangered, etc?’ My reply was that I normally check the IUCN Red List about their status in nature. Many of the species in my collection are not endangered but some are for a variety of reasons. While some species have been collected to near extinction in the past, those species are illegal to collect in the wild now. Some species become endangered due to growing agricultural needs and their environment changes. Many species have been collected and relocated to save them. The plants in my collection come from commercial growers and are likely grown from seed. Even so, it bothers me when I have a species that are endangered in the wild due to overcollection. Upon further research, I found out the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre says trade is controlled to avoid use incompatible with species survival with every species of cactus in my collection…

There are many species that shouldn’t be available on the market for several reasons. One is because they have requirements the average person can’t fill and eventually die. I have noticed in the last few years commercial growers sell seed-grown plants to Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, etc. that are very small that really struggle to survive. Most of the very small plants I have bought in the past few years, like in 2” pots, from Wal-Mart and from Ebay have died.

If you missed the previous post, Fall 2021 Cactus Update Part 1, is about the cactus on the back porch up to the Mammillaria. You can click on the plant’s name to go to their own pages for more information about the species and see all their photos.

Mammillaria decipiens (syn. subsp. camptotricha) (Bird’s Nest Pincushion) at 2″ tall x 4 1/2″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-12.

The Mammillaria decipiens (subsp. camptotricha) (Bird’s Nest Pincushion) did GREAT over the summer. The tallest plant in the cluster measured 2″ tall and the group expanded to 4 1/2″ wide. To think it was only 1 1/2″tall x 3″ wide when I brought it home from Wal-Mart on March 19 in 2018… It is really hard to tell, but I believe we have a few new offsets. There were five plants in the cluster when I brought it home and I think there are 12 now. I really like this species… This species has 19 synonyms and has been in 8 genera. Ummm… The subspecies name is a synonym…

The IUCN Red Lists says this species is stable in its natural habitat. Mammillaria decipiens are native to San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, and Queretaro in Mexico where they grow at an altitude between around 5,085 to almost 8,000 feet above sea level (1550-2150 meters).

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Mammillaria elongata (Ladyfinger Cactus) on 10-28-21, #853-13.

The Mammillaria elongata (Ladyfinger Cactus) continues to go bananas. The longest stem in the center of the pot broke in half over the winter then died. Now the longer stems measure from 3 to 3 3/4″ long. I counted 39 stems and offsets and some are very tiny. There are even offsets growing along some of the taller stems. Hmmm… I should have taken a photo from a different angle but I was in a hurry. There was one stem with 11 offsets when I brought this plant home from Wal-Mart in 2018.

The IUCN Red List indicates this species in declining in its native habitat due to agriculture, aquaculture, industry, and mining.

LLIFLE (Encyclopedia of Living Forms) says this may be the most common Mammillaria to be found. It occurs in more variations than any other Mammillaria species. It commonly comes in many color and spine variations. Plants of the World Online by Kew lists 52 synonyms and has been in six genera.

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Mammillaria hahniana (Old Lady Cactus) at 3 3/4″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-14.

As always, the Mammillaria hahniana did very well over the summer and grew to about 3 3/4″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide. It looks a little strange because it had rained so its wool was wet. This plant was only 1 7/8″ tall x 2 3/8″ wide when I brought it home from Wal-Mart on February 1 in 2016. I have really enjoyed this plant.

The two unlabeled cactus I brought home from Wal-Mart last December 2, that turned out to be different looking Mammillaria hahniana, died over the summer. In fact, all four cactus I brought home that day died… They were all very small…

The IUCN Red List says Mammillaria hahniana is of least concern in its native habitat.

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Mammillaria karwinskiana (syn. subsp. nejapensis) (Silver Arrows) at 4″ tall x 35/8″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-15.

The Mammillaria karwinskiana (syn. subsp. nejapensis) (Silver Arrows) did really well over the summer and grew to 4″ tall x 3 5/8″ wide. It didn’t especially like being photographed with wet wool since it had been sprinkling. I explained it was very important and I would take another photo of it when it starts blooming. It normally starts flowering up a storm shortly after I bring the plants inside. This plant has grown quite a bit from 1 7/8″ tall x 2 3/16 when I brought it home from Lowe’s on September 21 in 2018.

It is one of a few Mammillaria species in my collection that are dichotomous branching. That means it will split to form two plants.

Mammillaria karwinskiana (syn. subsp. nejapensis) (Silver Arrows) from the top on 10-28-21, #853-16.

I really like this plant and the way its wool weaves through its tubercles.

The IUCN Red List says this species is stable in its native habitat in Central and Southwest Mexico and Guatemala.

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Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii (Golden Pincushion) at 4 3/4″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-17.

The Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii (Golden Pincushion) did very well over the summer and grew to 4 3/4″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide. It was 3 3/4″ tall x 2 1/8″ wide when I brought it home from Lowe’s on September 21 in 2019. This one is also dichotomous branching. I really like this cactus with its blue-green color and long golden spines. Its shape reminds me of a light bulb…

Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii (Golden Pincushion) from the top on 10-28-21, #853-18.

It has a few more buds to become flowers I will miss AGAIN. This plant was LOADED with buds that were ready to open on June 24. I checked every day to get a photo of its flowers and the next thing I knew the buds had turned to faded flowers. It has had buds multiple times but I have never seen them open…

The IUCN Red List says this species is stable in its native habitat in Guanajuato, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí in Mexico. It lists no threats.

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Mammillaria mystax at 3 1/8″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-19.

The Mammillaria mystax is a very well-behaved cactus that has no issues. It grew to 3 1/8″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide over the summer and was 1 3/4″ tall x 2 1/4″ when I brought it home from Lowes on September 21 in 2018. It has very sharp reddish-brown tipped spines.

The Mammillaria mystax is a pretty straightforward plant with very prominent 4-6 angled tubercles. In the wild, it produces very long, entangled spines on its crown but that seldom happens in cultivation. This species divides dichotomously as well as possibly producing offsets. It will produce a ring of rose flowers with brown mid-veins in up to 3 rows which hasn’t happened yet…

The IUCN Red List says this species population is stable in its native habitat in South Central Mexico.

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Mammillaria plumosa (Feather Cactus) at 1 3/4″ tall x 4 3/8″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-20.

The Mammillaria plumosa (Feather Cactus) may look a little strange in the above photo because its “plumage” was kind of wet from the rain. It did very well over the summer and the largest plant in the cluster grew to 1 3/4″ tall. The entire cluster measured 4 3/8″ wide. It was 3/4″ tall x 2 1/4″ wide when I received it from a seller on Ebay on September 22 in 2019. I still have to smile when I look at the photo when it arrived all wrapped up in toilet paper. I must say, it has done great and was one of my better buys on Ebay. You would be amazed at how many cactus and succulents are listed.

The IUCN Red List states the population is declining and near threatened in its native habitat in Coahuila and Nuevo León in Mexico where it grows on limestone cliffs in sparse xerophytic shrubland. This species is illegally collected for the ornamental trade. The local community in the area also collects plants from the wild and sells them at local markets at Christmas time, as they are used to decorate nativity scenes.

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Mammillaria pringlei (Lemon Ball Cactus) at 6 1/2′ tall x 2 5/8″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-21.

The Mammillaria pringlei Lemon Ball Cactus) did very well again over the summer and grew to 6 1/2″ tall x 2 5/8″ wide. It has leaned over the summer AGAIN so I need to re-pot it and straighten it up. Many species of cactus are leaners and this one does it more than any other in my collection… This time the pot won’t stand up on its own. GEEZ! The Mammillaria pringlei is one of the most abundant bloomers I have. It produces a lot of flowers in multiple rows.

Mammillaria pringlei (Lemon Ball Cactus) on 10-28-21, #853-22.

Blooming again and it appears there is a fruit… Hmmm… A while back I received a comment from a reader who said she had purchased a Mammillaria karwinskiana in the spring and in the last month was producing magenta seed pods. She hadn’t seen any flowers and was wondering could there really be that much of a delay. Well, of course, I sent her a lengthy reply. 🙂 I told her I rarely see any fruit on my cactus, which is true because they need two plants of the same species to pollinate. Usually, I only see fruit on my cactus within a few months after I bring them home if they have been pollinated where they were grown. Mammillaria pringlei, on the other hand, has produced fruit several times and I don’t quite understand why… It could possibly be pollinated from the M. rhodantha since was formerly M. rhodantha subsp. pringlei… It is still considered a part of the Mammillaria rhodantha complex…

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists Mammillaria pringlei as vulnerable in its natural habitat. This is due to its restricted range, being present in only three areas. Llifle (Encyclopedia of Living Forms) states it has experienced declines due to the collection of its flowers and even whole plants for Christmas decorations. Apparently, at one point this species was not found in any of the protected areas.

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Mammillaria rhodantha (Rainbow Pincushion) at 4 1/8″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-23.

Who wouldn’t like the Mammillaria rhodantha (Rainbow Pincushion)? Those reddish spines would get anyone’s attention. This plant has always done well and grew to 4 1/8″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide over the summer. It has been a slower grower compared to the Mammillaria pringlei. It was 3 3/4″ tall when I brought it home from Wal-Mart on February 1 in 2016. That measurement likely includes the spines…

“This one” blooms kind of strange… Sometimes it has an abundance of buds but only a few of the flowers will open. Then there will be holes where the old buds were.

Mammillaria rhodantha is a VERY variable species which has led to it having a whopping 132 synonyms. Thirty-five of the synonyms are forms, subspecies, or varieties of M. rhodantha…

Mammillaria pringlei and M. rhodantha are also both species that divide dichotomously and also produce offsets.

The IUCN Red List says this species is stable and of least concern in its native habitat. It is a native of high-table lands in Queretaro, Michoacán, Zacatecas, Jalisco, and Hidalgo in Mexico where it grows in fertile soil.

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Mammillaria vetula (syn. subsp. gracilis) (Thimble Cactus) at 1 7/8″ tall on 10-28-21, #853-25.

This Mammillaria vetula (syn. subsp. gracilis) (Thimble Cactus) amuses me. I had one before in a good-sized pot that I gave up in 2014. When I went to Lowe’s to find a new one in 2018, I brought home the ‘Arizona Snowcap’. A few days later, I found this very small plant at Wagler’s Greenhouse with a few offsets along its stem.  I didn’t realize it was a Mammillaria vetula subsp. gracilis at the time because it wasn’t growing like the one I had previously and it only had one stem… When you find them at a garden center they are usually in a cluster.

The original stem grew a little taller over the summer and was 1 7/8″ tall when the above photo was taken. The offsets that grew on the main stem are still attached from last year. Before that, most of them fell off. I should take a photo from the top so you can see how many offsets there are in this little pot. It needs repotting anyway because I noticed the pot is broken… I have had those pots since 2009 so they are bound to be a little brittle. The plant was in too large of a pot when I brought it home so I put it n a smaller one. It kept leaning over so I put the marble next to it to hold it up. Now it thinks the marble belongs to him (or her).

Even though Mammillaria vetula is the accepted name of the species, it is most often labeled Mammillaria gracilis fragilis at garden centers. It has 24 synonyms including Mammillaria gracilis, M. fragilis, M. gracilis var. fragilis, M. vetula subsp. gracilis, and so on.

What sets this “subspecies” apart from the species is that it usually has no central spines where M. vetula has 1 or two. The species has at least 25 radial spines (up to 50 on mature specimens) where the subspecies only has 11-16. Mine has no central spines…

The IUCN Red List says the species is stable and of least concern in its natural habitat in Hidalgo, Guanajuato, and Querétaro in Mexico where they are found in pine forests at high altitudes.

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Mammillaria vetula (syn. subsp. gracilis) ‘Arizona Snowcap’ at 2 1/4″ tall on 10-28-21, #853-24.

The Mammillaria vetula (syn. subsp. gracilis) ‘Arizona Snowcap’ (Thimble Cactus) did well over the summer of 2021 and the largest plant in the cluster grew to 2 1/4″ tall… I brought this cactus home from Lowe’s on July 8 in 2018 when the cluster measured 2″ tall x 5″ wide. The pot was bulging and the spines seemed much thicker and more white than the “regular” Mammillaria vetula subsp. gracilis. The pot was labeled Mammillaria gracilis fragilis monstrose so I did some research. As it turns out, this plant was a monstrous form of Mammillaria vetula subsp. gracilis, likely a nursery-produced cultivar and possibly a hybrid, named ‘Arizona Snowcap’. Over the winter I took a couple of photos and a few of the offsets in the pot were nearly solid white and looked like little snowballs. Those plants died… In fact, half of the offsets died. I re-potted what was left and the rest have done pretty well.

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Parodia lenninghausii (Golden Ball Cactus), Lessor (left) at 6 1/2″ tall x 2 3/8″ wide, Greater (right) at 6 1/2″ tall x 2 3/8″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-26.

The two Parodia lenninghausii (Golden Ball Cactus, ETC.) made it through the summer quite well. Lessor, on the left in the above photo grew to 6 1/2″ tall x 2 3/8″ wide. Greater, on the right, grew to 6 1/8″ tall and is the same width as last year at 2 3/8″ wide. Last year they had the same measurements… These two characters have grown quite a lit since I brought them home from Wal-Mart on February 1 in 2016. It was an accident that I brought two home, like usual when I bring two of the same species home, but I am glad I did. Watching these two side by side has been entertaining. Lessor was only 1 7/8″ tall x 1 3/4″ wide when I brought it home and somehow I didn’t measure Greater, which was taller. Last October they were the same size at 6″ tall x 2 3/8′ wide.

They are supposed to produce bright yellow flowers but I read they may need to be 10 years old… Five more years to go. GEEZ!

Parodia lenninghausii the Lessor’s offsets on 10-28-21, #853-27.

One of Lessor’s kids grew quite a bit over the summer…

The IUCN Red List doesn’t say anything about this species, but LLIFLE says they are abundant in their native habitat in Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil but many subpopulations have been extirpated… The species grows at elevations between about 985 to 4,265 feet (300-1300 meters) in hilly grasslands and in the shade of larger plants where they tolerate a wide range of temperatures.

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Parodia magnifica at 2 1/2″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-28.

The Parodia magnifica (Ball or Balloon Cactus) is a neat species that reminds me of the crown for Imperial Margarine. I did very well over the summer and still measured 2 1/2″ tall but it grew to 3 1/4″ wide. It was 1 3/8″ tall x 2 3/8″ wide when I brought it home from Lowe’s on March 29 in 2019.

Parodia magnifica is a native to Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil and are also found nearby in Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. The IUCN Red List has them listed as an endangered species. They grow on hilly grasslands and on walls between cracks in rocks or in the shade of larger growing plants in deciduous forests. In this climate, they experience warm and cool seasons and grow in soil with plenty of organic matter from the decomposition of other plants. It is said Parodia magnifica can survive temps as low as 20° F if their soil is dry and they are not subject to frost.

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Stenocereus pruinosus (Gray Ghost) at 6 3/8″ tall x 3 1/8″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-29.

I think the Stenocereus pruinosus (Gray Ghost or Organ Pipe Cactus) is a magnificent plant. It always does great over the summer and grew to 6 3/8″ tall x 3 1/8″ wide. It was 2 7/8″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide when I brought it home from Wal-Mart on February 1 in 2016. It stayed 2 3/4″ wide until this year (except it was 3″ wide in 2019). It has been a great all-around plant. The label said they grow to 20′ in time, but reliable sources say 13-16’…

The IUCN Red List says the population of Stenocereus pruinosus is stable and of least concern in its native habitat in Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz in Mexico. They grow at 2,600 to 6,200 feet (800 to 1,900 meters) above sea level where they can be found in tropical deciduous forests. They are known for their edible fruit.

Well, that is it for the cactus that were on the back porch and their pages have been updated…

I will go back to updating the pages to the right. It is sometimes hard to decide what to write about over the winter but I may do a wildflower series. Not that they are blooming now… 🙂 If you have any suggestions, I would like to hear them.

Until next time, take care, stay positive, and always be thankful!

Fall 2021 Cactus Update Part 1… From The Back Porch

Cactus on the back porch on 9-22-21, #833-2.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. It has been a strange fall for sure. I was able to let the potted plants stay outside until October 28 this year. While we did have a cold snap and a few light “F’s’, low’s through Wednesday will be 46-54° F. After that we go downhill again. If I wanted, and no one was looking, I could take the plants back outside again until Thursday… Well, maybe that wouldn’t be a good idea since it could rain.

I forgot to take a group photo of the cactus on the back porch before I brought them inside. It was kind of rainy and I was in a bit of a hurry. The Alocasia and Bilbergia nutans (Queen’s Tears) went to the basement and the other plants went on shelves. I already posted about them and was leaving the cactus until last. I already posted about the cactus on the front porch, which leaves those that are on the back porch.

Here we go in alphabetical order…

Acanthocereus tetragonus (Fairytale Cactus) at 5″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-1.

The Acanthocereus tetragonus did very well over the summer and grew to 5″ tall and is still 2 3/4″ wide. It probably would have grown taller but apparently, the top of the tallest stem broke off… Even at that, it is 3/4″ taller than when it was last measured on October 15 in 2020. It was 3″ tall when I brought it home from Wagler’s Greenhouse on October 18 in 2018. Mrs. Wagler had two HUGE plants but she said one disappeared… Likely out the other door when no one was around… Her plants of this species always look much better than this one because they aren’t outside in the elements.

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Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’ at 9 3/4″ tall x 4 3/4″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-2.

The Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’ grew another 1 1/2″ taller to 9 3/4″ and 1/2″ wider. It was 5 1/2″ tall when I brought it home from Wal-Mart on March 19 in 2018.

Cereus repandus f. monstruosus ‘Rojo’ from the top on 10-28-21, #853-3.

Always a neat plant from any angle… I have had absolutely no issues with this plant.

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Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’ at 4″ tall x 7 1/2″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-4.

The Echinopsis ‘Rainbow Bursts’ continues to do well and is STILL 4″ tall but has spread out another 1/2″ over the summer. STILL waiting for flowers… The cluster was 2 1/4″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide when I brought it home from Wal-Mart on February 1 in 2016. Back then it was called x Echinobivia ‘Rainbow Bursts’ and was a hybrid between Echinopsis and Lobivia… The Lobivia genus became a synonym of Echinopsis and its species were moved here and there. There were a few other genera that became synonyms of Echinopsis at the time.

The wife of one of my cousins has several old and LARGE clusters of Echinopsis that put on quite a show every year.

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Echinopsis huascha (var. grandiflora)(Desert’s Blooming Jewel) at 5″ tall x 2 1/4″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-5.

What can I say? I am not sure why this particular Echinopsis huascha (var. grandiflora (Desert’s Blooming Jewel) has this fungal disease (or whatever it is). The six in the other pot are just fine and have been treated the same. It is A LOT worse than before. It is supposed to be caused by overwatering in cool temps. Any cactus can have this issue and Echinopsis are no more susceptible than any other. Even so, this plant has grown to 5″ tall over the summer. It was 3 7/8″ tall last October 15 and 3″ tall when I brought it home from Lowe’s on September 21 in 2018.

Echinopsis huascha (var. grandiflora) (Desert’s Blooming Jewel). The largest plant in the center of the pot was 6 3/4″ tall x 3″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-6.

As you can see, the six in this pot are doing just fine and sending out offsets. The largest plant in the center of the pot was 6 3/8″ tall x 3″ wide. SOOO, it either shrunk or I mismeasured it last October… 🙂 The tallest plant in the center was only 3″ tall when I brought them home from Lowe’s on November 29 in 2018. Yes, the same day as the single plant because I goofed. Well, there was a pot of seven cactus in a pot that was on clearance because a bigger plant in the middle of the pot was dead. I repotted them and they have done great! I didn’t notice at the time the label in the pot said Trichocereus grandiflorus like the smaller plant I already had in my cart. If the one with issues doesn’t make it, I still have a pot of six plus the offsets.

The Echinopsis huascha is one of “those” controversial species that hails from Argentina. It has been in multiple genera with many species names becoming synonyms of Echinopsis huascha. When I last updated this plants page last December, Plants of the World Online listed 43  synonyms. They are updating their synonyms so if you happen to check on POWO now they currently list only five… So, I didn’t update the synonyms. Even so, no other database lists 43 synonyms of this species. The other problem with this species is that it is variable in growth, shape, size, spine length and color, flower color, etc. Even so, there is only one accepted infraspecific name. LLIFLE (and other websites) list the particular plants I have as Echinopsis huascha var. grandiflora. That name was invalidly published and somehow isn’t even listed on the International Plant Names Index as an invalid name… SO, I just put var. grandiflora in parenthesis. It isn’t legit. 🙂

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Espostoa melanostele subsp. nana (Peruvian Old Lady) at 8 1/2″ tall x 2 1/2″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-7.

The Espostoa melanostele subsp. nana (Peruvian Old Lady) seems to have shrunk 1/2″ to 8 1/2″ and is still 2 1/2″ wide. Well, that’s OK since it seems perfectly happy and healthy. I guess it took a break since it has grown from 2 3/4″ when I brought it home from Wal-Mart on February 1 in 2016. The subspecies name is legit with this one… 🙂

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Ferocactus wislizeni (Fishhook Barrel Cactus) at 2 1/2′ tall x 3″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-8.

The Ferocactus wislizeni (Fishhook Barrel Cactus) is a slow grower. It now measured 2 1/2′ tall x 3″ wide on the 28th which is 1/8″ taller than last year. It was only 1 5/8″ tall x 2 1/8″ wide when I brought it home from Lowe’s on March 29 in 2019. I like the way its new bristles are a bright red. It doesn’t seem to be looking its best, though. I brought home a Ferocactus latispinus in 2016 but it didn’t live very long…

Information online says these plants need plenty of water during their active growth cycle but not to get their “bodies” wet while in direct sunlight. LLIFLE says, “A wet cactus in the sunlight can cause sun burning which can lead to scars or even fungal infections and death.” Well, I never water any of my plants when the sun is on them… What is a person supposed to do If it rains in the morning and the sun comes out in the afternoon?

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Gymnocalycium saglionis (Giant Chin Cactus) at 2 3/8″ tall x 3 1/2″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-9.

Hmmm… I need to take new photos of this one because its spines are definitely not red or that bright of green! Anyway, the Gymnocalycium saglionis (Giant Chin Cactus) did great over the summer and grew 3/8″ taller to 2 3/8″ wide x 3 1/2″ wide. I really like this plant.

Gymnocalycium saglionis (Giant Chin Cactus) from the top on 10-28-21, #853-10.

The G. saglionis has been a great plant and it has no issues… Not a single blemish anywhere. I just have to have a talk with it when I take new photos… Well, I read where the spines are red when they are wet. While, yes, the cactus were wet when I took their photos on the 28th, this plant’s spines only looked red in the photo… There are photos online of this species with red spines because they are wet. 🙂

I really like this cactus and was glad to find a Gymnocalycium baldianum (Dwarf Chin Cactus) at Wal-Mart on December 2, 2020. It died over the summer…

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Kroenleinia grusonii (Golden Barrel Cactus). Lessor (left) at 3 3/8″ tall x 3 1/4″ wide and Greater (right) at 3 5/8″ tall x 3″ wide on 10-28-21, #853-11.

The two Kroenleinia grusonii (Golden Barrel Cactus) are still the jokers of the bunch. Last October they were the same size at 3 1/2″ tall x 2 3/4″ wide. This time, Greater grew to 3 5/8″ tall x 3″ wide, and Lessor was 3 3/8′ tall x 3 1/4″ wide. I measured several times because they like to fool me and I am sure Lessor was wiggling… I still thought something was off with the measurements as I wrote this so I thought I would get them off the shelf and do it again. As I reached for Lessor, Greater smiled. I thought, “GEEZ! I have been suckered again”. I sat back down then thought I would call their bluff. So, I got back up and took Lessor from the shelf and measured him AGAIN. Sure enough, he was 3 3/8″ tall, give or take a hair, but I couldn’t see him being 3 1/4″ wide. Then, all the sudden he was 3 1/4″ wide. They have done very well despite their issues with crickets scarring them a few years ago and a blemish here and there. Lessor was 2 1/8″ tall x 2 1/4″ wide and Greater was 2 1/2″ tall x 2″ wide when I brought them home from Wal-Mart February 1 in 2016. They have fooled me several times over the years since I accidentally brought two home instead of just one.

Kroenleinia grusonii WAS Echinocactus grusonii from 1886 until 2014 when testing proved the species was more closely related to the genus Ferocactus. SO, they changed the name to Kroenleinia grusonii and now it is in a genus of its very own… all by itself. It always takes a few (to several) years for the new names to be officially approved. Kroenleinia is MUCH harder to spell and I STILL haven’t found the pronunciation… Dave’s Garden is behind…

Well, I think I will stop here and start working on part 2. I don’t want to put too many on the same post.

Until next time, take care and always be thankful!

 

Cool Weather Is Here…

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all well. This has been the weirdest Fall I can remember. I finally had to bring the potted plants inside on the 28th. I haven’t had an “F” yet, but a friend of mine said there has been in lower lying areas around where he lives.

The photo above is from the National Weather Service for Windsor, MO. That changed from a few days ago when they were predicting rain and even snow several days this week. Now it says mostly clear and sunny with temps as low as 31° F. I am sure the forecast will change. The National Weather Service says the high on Saturday will be near 58° F with a low of around 39. The Weather Channel says the high will be 63° with a low of 45. Hmmm… I guess you can take your pick but we will just have to wait to see what happens. No matter, the sun is much better than rain and snow.

The leaves on the old maple tree in “the other yad” didn’t change to their beautiful orange glow. Instead, they are turning kind to a yellowish-orange color then brown before falling off.

The maple on the north side of the front yard is still completely green while the one on the south side is about 1/4 reddish.

The two on the south side are beginning to change color…

Even the Colocasia esculenta have been enjoying the mild temps. The Alocasia are now in the basement…

The first flower on the Stapelia gigantea lasted four or five days. The second one opened on October 30, and the third on November 1. It is inside now and I haven’t noticed such a terrible odor. It just smells somewhat gassy although I haven’t bent down to take a whiff. I am not doing that again…

SO, on October 28, I photographed and measured the cactus on the back porch as I moved them inside for the winter. That means I will be posting about their progress.

I continue to make updates on the plant pages, adding photos I took over the summer and adding new pages. Not so many names have changed in 2021 compared to before. Plants of the World Online by Kew continually make updates sometimes I send the senior editor an email when I see something whacky. Their staff works very hard to keep everything updated and I am sure that is no easy task and very frustrating at times. Right now, they are still working on their synonyms, so some species pages are way off from before. As a result, I can’t update the synonyms list on some of my plant pages. I am close to finishing the species of the family Asteraceae. I have been working on the Asteraceae page for at least two weeks… Well, I got this whacky idea a while back to make updates by family instead of alphabetical order. I wanted to spruce up the family pages with photos and links to each species page. That has proved to be quite a process as I update each species and add new pages in the process. The Asteraceae page is the biggest so far which will have 54 species linked when it is finished… You can check it out to see what you think. I appreciate other people’s opinions. I still haven’t added a top photo because I haven’t decided which one to use… The page is almost finished with only 3-4 more species to add.

Until next time, when I start posting the cactus updates, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful.

October 24-25 Wildflower ID…

Solidago sp. (Goldenrod) in the main hayfield on 10-24-21, #851-8.

Hello everyone! This is not exactly a normal time of the year to be identifying wildflowers on the farm here in west-central Missouri. Normally, we have had an “F” by now and most everything is dead or dying. Trees that turn bright colors, like many maple cultivars, are still green. The old maple in “the other yard” is changing color and the leaves are falling, but they would normally be orange. The two maples in front of the house and the south side are still green… Here it is, October 25, and still no “F” in the forecast… I am certainly not complaining. 🙂

I went to the south hayfield on October 24 to look at the Ladies’ Tresses again. I was also hoping I would stumble on the Elephant’s Foot again which didn’t happen (at least not in the south hayfield). The flowers of Ladies’ Tresses were beginning to fade, so what I was looking for apparently didn’t happen.  I am still leaning toward Spiranthes magnicamporum even though their lateral sepals didn’t spread outward.  I think the flowers the way they are and the stems with the sheathing bracts are good enough to confirm identity.

Arphia xanthoptera (Autumn Yellow-Winged Grasshopper) on 10-24-21, #851-6.

I walked to the back of the south hayfield to see if there was anything interesting and I spotted this brown grasshopper. Its scientific identity is Arphia xanthoptera and the common name is Autumn Yellow-Winged Grasshopper. I had never seen a grasshopper this color, but photos of the species show they come in many shades. I was surprised it actually let m hold it for a while. Usually, grasshoppers move around to the other side of a stem or leaf so you won’t see them. If you get too close they just fly off. This fellow didn’t seem to mind sitting on my hand to get a photo. After that, it left its calling card and flew off. As he flew, I could see his wings were red and yellow.

I am in an argument with Grammarly at the moment… I know we are both right and wrong at the same time. Grammarly thinks I shouldn’t capitalize the name on both sides of the hyphen, but that is the way I always do it. If a person’s name includes a hyphen, both names are capitalized. We are both wrong because some well-paid taxonomists think common names shouldn’t be capitalized at all. Other taxonomists are in disagreement. According to “some”, even family names shouldn’t be italicized and others yes… I capitalize common names and italicize family names and so do most of the sites I use.

After I finished in the south hayfield I climbed over the fence and entered the main hayfield. Not long after I was in the main hayfield, I stumbled on a strange plant I hadn’t seen before.

Acalypha gracilens (Slender Three-Seeded Mercury) on 10-24-21, #851-2.

It was quite windy so I had to take even more photos than normal. This Acalypha gracilens (Slender Three-Seeded Mercury) was sticking out like a sore thumb adorned in its fall colors. I had never seen it before, so I knew I had identified a new species on the farm. That is always exciting. I knew it was a member of the plant family Euphorbiaceae and I was correct. I only noticed one plant on the 24th but I needed a few more photos so I went back on the 25th. I couldn’t find the exact plant, but I managed to find two more. The second plant I found was only 4 1/4″ tall but the one from the 24th seemed a little larger. They can actually grow to 36″ tall…

Acalypha gracilens (Slender Three-Seeded Mercury) on 10-25-21, #852-3.

The Acalypha gracilens is a native of the southeastern and east part of the United States. It is quite common in some states and quite rare in others. It only has a few observations in the state of Missouri and none anywhere near here.

Plants grow in a variety of soil and light conditions which makes them very adaptable. In some situations, they can become weedy and grow differently from location to location making them somewhat tricky to identify.

The plants produce both male and female flowers on the same raceme. The female flowers are on the lower part while the male flowers are on the upper part. Flowers are wind pollinated and they become more “obvious” after pollination… Hmmm… We have had plenty of wind lately so they should be happy. This species produces fruit with 3 sections with one seed per section. There is a name for that but I can’t think of it at the moment. It is believed the seeds are dispersed by explosion or by ants. Of course, there were no seeds when I took the photos so I couldn’t give it a try. I guess that gives me a reason to go back to experiment. 🙂

I am working on the page for this plant…

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Amanita bisporigera (Eastern North American Destroying Angel) on 10-24-21, #851-4.

While behind the back pond, no one could help but notice the Amanita bisporigera (Eastern North American Destroying Angel) along the creek on the other side of the fence. There were several on top of the bank, but the biggest was growing on the side.

Amanita bisporigera (Eastern North American Destroying Angel) on 10-24-21, #851-5.

This fungi is not one you would want to try in your favorite spaghetti sauce. If you eat it, you will start feeling ill in no time but then you will begin to feel better. The damage has already been done and you will die within 4-6 days…

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Symphyotrichum sp. ? on 10-24-21, #851-12.

By now you will know my confusion when it comes to several members of the Symphyotrichum genus. I found several of these plants growing on both sides of a drainage ditch behind the pond in the back pasture. Right off, I knew I hadn’t identified this one before. I was kind of excited but I soon realized I was going to be in a predicament… Here is a member of the aster family, likely a species of Symphyotrichum with leaves that resemble a species of Erigeron… Why in the heck are there single flowers growing on top of clusters of leaves like that?

Symphyotrichum sp. ? on 10-24-21, #851-10.

It made absolutely no sense to me at all… Later, I went back to the house and went through the photos for the day, and uploaded the observations on iNaturalist. When I got to these photos, INaturalist suggested Symphyotrichum drummondii… I checked out that species on Missouri Plants and a few other sites linked on Wildflower Search and couldn’t see any resemblance as far as the leaves were concerned. I checked out the other suggestions the list and had the same opinion…  The leaves on those species were fairly long and narrow and some of the flowers weren’t right either.

Then I looked at the photos I took and noticed something…

Symphyotrichum sp. ? on 10-24-21, #851-13.

What in the heck is that dead leaf dangling from the stem on this photo? Hmmm… By then it was too late to go to the back of the farm to check. I suppose I could have taken a flashlight.

Symphyotrichum sp. ? on 10-25-21, #852-18.

Would you look at that!?!? It’s a long, narrow leaf! Sometimes I just get so excited to find a new species I don’t look at all the plants in the colony. You know, the bigger picture. Not only the leaves, but the basal flowers on this plant had changed color and they looked like a “certain” species. The disc. flowers change color with the species I am debating which gives it the common name…

Symphyotrichum sp. ? on 10-25-21, #852-21.

What about the involucral bracts? Always check them out with members of the family Asteraceae. They can be appressed, recurved, in multiple rows (ETC.) depending on the species, subspecies, or varieties. In the particular species I am debating, they are appressed this in the above photo.

Symphyotrichum sp. ? on 10-25-21, #852-24.

There are very few of these longer leaves on any of the plants. Most of the lower leaves (basal) fall off on many species during flowering, while the upper leaves are much smaller. Missouri Plants lists 17 species of Symphyotrichum in the state of Missouri. However, they DO NOT have the species I am debating but they mention it as a “look-alike” of S. lanceolatum… I checked the map on the USDA Plants Database for Missouri and the species is supposedly found in many counties but Pettis (where my farm is) is not one of them. It shows they are present in all the counties next to Pettis, including Henry which is across the street… But, you know, they base their evidence mostly on dried, pressed specimens collected many years ago. I checked the BONAP map, which was updated in 2014, and it appears Pettis may be on the map. I say “may” because it is very hard to tell… The species has 60 synonyms and its current scientific name wasn’t accepted until 1982…

So, what species am I debating? Well, I looked at a lot of photos on iNaturalist and several other websites and I found one photo with leaves similar to the plants I had found. It was from an observation that was made by an iNaturalist member in 2013. Fortunately, it was from someone I had contacted before about another species who just happens to be one of the curators. She didn’t know what it was at the time, so she contacted another curator who was good with the genus. I sent her a message and she suggested I contact them as well. SO, I did. I told them I thought it was possibly Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster) and sent links to the observations. They agreed and explained a few things in a reply.

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Symphyotrichum ontarionis (Ontario Aster) on 10-25-21, #852-20.

Then there was this plant growing close to the fence behind the pond which I thought was likely Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Panicled Aster). It is the one the debatable species is a “look-alike’ of and they both grow in the same type of wooded environment. BUT, when I contacted the iNaturalist member, they suggested it was Symphyotrichum ontarionis (Ontario Aster) but it could also be an aberrant S. lateriflorum. I agreed with S. ontarionis and the observation became Research Grade.

Symphyotrichum ontarionis (Ontario Aster) on 10-25-21, #852-22.

The flowers are similar at this stage and the disc flowers will change color as with “the other” species. It is possible they are the same species but I can’t determine that until 2022.

Symphyotrichum ontarionis (Ontario Aster) on 10-25-21, #852-23.

There were still quite a few long, narrow leaves on this plant but the upper leaves are completely different than those on the Symphyotrichum lateriflorum along the ditch… That doesn’t mean they still can’t be the same species.

I apologize for not writing complete descriptions of this plant’s stems, leaves, and flowers. I have a lot of photos to add I took over the summer, several species pages to write, and updates to make. It is a wintertime project but I do get behind. There are several links below with great descriptions. I will write descriptions as soon as I have time.

HMMM… I forgot to take a photo of this plant’s involucral bracts… GEEZ!

I am using the species name Symphyotrichum lanceolatum for this plant because it was the first name suggested when I uploaded each photo individually on iNaturalist. I read about the species and looked at A LOT of photos before agreeing with that name then I submitted the observation as such. Still, even though there is a name attached, it is unlikely any members will agree. I may have to seek out someone who has posted observations of the “debatable” species that have become Research Grade to get their opinion.

Sometimes a species can grow weird leaves when under stress, like when a deer eats the top off of the plant or its leaves. That could be the case with the debatable plant… So, now I am in the waiting game…

UPDATE on 10-27-21: This species has been confirmed as Symphyotrichum ontarionis (Ontario Aster) by one of the curators of iNaturalist. The curator said it was either S. ontarionis or an aberrant S. lateriflorum. We went with S. ontarionis for the moment and the observation is now Research Grade as such. 🙂

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Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (Coralberry) on 10-25-21, #852-10.

Besides the species I photograph and get an ID of, there are hundreds (probably thousands) I overlook for one reason or another. I have been tromping around the area between the back pond and the fence since I was a kid. Climbing over dead trees, crawling under limbs, and pushing rose vines out of the way just to get through this area. It has always remained a natural habitat and always will be as long as I am here. There is quite a diversity of species all around this area and across the fence along the creek on the neighbor’s side (which used to be my grandparents). The Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (Coralberry) have been here a very long time.

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (Coralberry) on 10-25-21, #852-11.

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus is a member of the plant family Caprifoliaceae along with honeysuckle with arching branches. They thrive in a wide variety of conditions in the central and eastern half of North America from Canada down into Mexico. They are an arching, suckering shrub that produces bell-shaped flowers in the summer and fruit (called drupes) in the fall. I have not seen their flowers because I likely hadn’t been to the area during that time or just ignored them. Information says a wide variety of birds and small mammals eat the fruit and “browsers” use the plant for food…

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Geum canadense (White Avens) on 10-25-21, #852-9.

In the same area I saw this leaf that looked like it was from a grapevine but it had these weird seeds growing from a petiole in the axial. Then I remembered it was likely Geum canadense (White Avens). Without flowers, it is sometimes difficult to remember what you find this time of the year. This is the same area where I first identified this species in May of 2018. I have since found them growing in other areas.

Geum canadense (White Avens) on 10-25-21, #852-8.

I was glad to be able to get a good photo of the dried achenes with hooked tips…

The next observation on the 25th made me very happy…

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Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) at 37″ tall on 10-25-21, #852-4.

I continued walking south toward the end of the area where I spotted a very suspicious looking plant… I looked it over very well and was almost getting goosebumps. OK, so it was a little chilly and the wind was blowing. I looked around and found a bigger patch with several plants… Could it actually be???

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 10-25-21, #852-5.

I checked the leaves, and sure enough, these plants are definitely Elephantopus carolinianus… WHAT A FIND! During the summer I don’t hardly ever get a chance to walk to the back of the farm because the grass in the hayfield gets so tall and thick it is hard to walk through. As a result, I missed these growing and flowering. Even when I did venture to the area I hadn’t walked through the spot I found them. Now that I know, there will be nothing to stop me next summer.

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 10-25-21, #852-6.

And we have seed… The bracts fall off rather than just the seed falling out.

I am very happy now to find a good-sized colony on my farm. This is a very interesting species for sure.

After that, I walked back to the house.

Maybe next year, maybe even this next week, I will take the mower and mow a path around the farm to areas I want to keep an eye on. That sounds like a good idea to me. 🙂

Until next time… Be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful.

Silly Spiranthes (Ladies Tresses)

Spiranthes cernua (Nodding Ladies Tresses) on 10-3-18, #514-26.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. The strange fall, or autumn, weather continues. I’m not complaining because it is pleasant and the potted plants are still on the porches. The low Monday evening is supposed to be 39° (likely around 6 AM Tuesday morning) but then back up again.

This post is about my continuing dilemma with the Ladies Tresses on my farm. You can basically take a 25′ swath and go across the farm and find a few scattered here and there and nowhere else. It’s weird.

So, it all began on October 3 in 2018 when I found my first Ladies Tresses. I joined iNaturlist in March 2018 but I didn’t start using it to identify plants or upload observations until 2019. Basically, I was doing my initial searches looking at photos on Missouri Plants and Wildflower Search to figure out what species I found. Missouri Plants lists six species in Missouri and there are 19 on Wildflower Search. As of 10-25-21 when I wrote this post, Plants of the World Online by Kew lists 39 accepted species worldwide. The genus is a member of the plant family Orchidaceae with 729 genera…

Spiranthes cernua (Nodding Ladies Tresses) on 10-4-18, #515-20.

A member suggested the first four photos were Spiranthes cernua commonly known as Nodding Ladies Tresses. I had just begun to identify the wildflowers on the farm, so I readily agreed and I think he was correct. When I clicked on “agree”, the observation said Spiranthes cernua Complex… Little did I know at the time, when it comes to nature “complex” means complicated…

One thing weird that threw me off was Ladies Tresses grow in a spiral. Well, none of the plants in the hayfield, and there were several, were growing like that. Information for Spiranthes cernua from Missouri Plants says, “Flowers appearing as though in 2 or more ranks or intertwined spirals along the flowering stems or sometimes no spirals discernable.”

Then in 2019…

Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis (Southern Slender Ladies’ Tresses) on 9-1-19, #620-58.

I spotted a group of Ladies Tresses on September 1 in 2019 close to where I spotted them in 2018. At the time, I really didn’t notice they were somewhat different, so I uploaded four more photos from that observation and selected Spiranthes cernua Complex. This time, the same member suggested Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis (Southern Slender Ladies’ Tresses), and another member agreed. I did some research and agreed then the observation became research grade. They were indeed different from the 2018 observation.

Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis (Southern Slender Ladies’ Tresses) on 9-1-19, #620-60.

The flowers were much smaller for one thing… Sometimes when you are fairly new to wildflower hunting you don’t remember certain things from one year to the next.

Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis (Southern Slender Ladies’ Tresses) on 9-1-19, #620-61.

One thing you don’t have to worry about is the leaves. They completely disappear on all but one species found in Missouri at flowering time.

I didn’t take any photos of the Ladies Tresses in 2020 but I did in 2021…

Spiranthes magnicamporum (Great Plains Ladies’ Tresses) on 10-21-21, #848-1.

I had gone back out to the SOUTH hayfield on October 21 to see if I could find the Elephantopus again. Not only could I NOT find it, I found the critter in the above photo. Well, I knew it was a Ladies Tresses but its flowers hadn’t opened. I didn’t put the observation on iNaturalist because I figured it would be a guessing game and maybe no one would even pay much attention like that. The flowers help determine the species of any plant.

Spiranthes magnicamporum (Great Plains Ladies’ Tresses) on 10-22-21, #849-21.

I went back the next day and took a few more photos, however, all but one were blurry. I submitted it on iNaturalist as Spiranthes cernua Complex, but no one visited that observation…

Spiranthes magnicamporum (Great Plains Ladies’ Tresses) on 10-23-21, #850-1. Notice the “sheathing bracts” on the stem?

I went back on the 23rd to take more photos, determined to take some good close-ups of these small flowers. There weren’t very many of these plants to begin with, maybe 3-4, so I had to search for them.

Spiranthes magnicamporum (Great Plains Ladies’ Tresses) on 10-23-21, #850-2.

I had my magnifying glass with me to use on the front of the lens of my camera. It works very well, especially when you zoom in a little and get it focused. Practice makes perfect and you still have to take A LOT of photos. Especially of very small flowers.

Spiranthes magnicamporum (Great Plains Ladies’ Tresses) on 10-23-21, #850-3.

These plants were growing in a nice spiral which I think is caused by their flowers turning upside down during their development. I read that somewhere…

Spiranthes magnicamporum (Great Plains Ladies’ Tresses) on 10-23-21, #850-4.

They certainly looked like Spiranthes cernua to me…

Spiranthes magnicamporum (Great Plains Ladies’ Tresses) on 10-23-21, #850-5.

You can see the frilly lower lip in the above photo.

SO, I submitted the fine photos from the 23rd on iNaturalist as Spiranthes cernua. Wouldn’t you know, the same two guys from before both DISAGREED! One suggested Spiranthes magnicamporum (Great Plains Ladies’ Tresses) and the other agreed. SO, again, I did some research and there was a problem… The two upper sepals (one on each side) “should” spread more outward and sometimes curve upward a little. I put that in a comment, and one of the guys said they don’t always curve outward… SO, I did a little more research and found out he was correct. SO, I agreed and the observation became research grade.

You can’t read information from just one or two websites. You have to read everything you can find because some of what you read isn’t exactly correct or up-to-date. For example, some sites may have information on a species that is (or was) a synonym so their descriptions may be somewhat whacky. Spiranthes is a complicated genus that has been divided several times. Some species have their own varieties that act a little different than the species.

The Missouri Plants website is great and they use descriptions from Steyermark’s Flora of Missouri. However, a lot of plant names have changed since the last three volumes were published. Spiranthes magnicamporum was a synonym of S. cernua until 1973 because they are basically indistinguishable from one another. Both have yellow throats, but maybe a little bolder with S. magnicamporum. Both have frilly lower petals that curve downward. Both have relatively larger flowers than other members of the genus. S. cernua flowers from August-November, while S. magnicamporum flowers from September-November. The leaves on both species are absent at flowering, but Missouri Plants says they are reduced to scales on S. cernua white they are reduced to sheathing bracts on the other. I did notice the bracts on the stems of the S. magnicamporum… Both species have a scent, but I could smell nothing by the 24th after their flowers had started to turn a little brown…

OH, I almost forgot… S. magnicamporum is part of the Spiranthes cernua Complex which includes five species and a hybrid. Actually, two of the species are ancient hybrids as well.

I think it is interesting to have three species on my farm when there aren’t that many of them. In 2018, I remember there were quite a lot of S. cernua in one location. I also found it odd the S. magnicamporum are only in the south hayfield, while the other two were in the north hayfield. Strangely, these plants don’t grow in colonies (at least not here) but are quite a distance from one another and there is always just one stem. Since they are perennial, you would think there would be multiple plants together. But then again, there are many species that do the same thing.

Getting back to the Elephantopus I mentioned I was trying to find when I stumbled upon the S. mag. (getting tired of writing the species name)… I just happened to find a single plant, which I posted about earlier. I went back the second day and found it quite easily. I have looked for it multiple times since where I knew it was and could not find it again. There is a small oak tree (or what appears to be an oak in its photo) growing a few inches from it. They are parallel with the second utility pole in kind of a bare spot with dead grass… Both the Elephantopus and tree are MIA… It is so funny to find a single plant somewhere and needing to find it again and it is nowhere to be found. How can I find it twice and it disappears? Maybe a deer ate it and is somewhere laughing at me while I look for it. 🙂 I have waited for plants to flower before and the deer come along and eat the tops right off but there are usually plenty.

OH, on Sunday the 25th, I identified five species. Well, actually four since one is highly debatable. One is rare for this area and it is a single plant. How it got here is a very good question… They will be on the next post, but I need more photos of two of them. Hopefully, they won’t vanish. One sticks out like a sore thumb so I think I can find it again without any problem. 🙂

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful!

 

 

The Stapelia gigantea Flower…

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, Starfish Flower) on 10-22-21, #849-22.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. After it was dark on Friday evening, I turned the light on the back porch to check on the bud on the Stapelia gigantea and measure it again. The last time I measured it a few days earlier it was 5 3/4″ long. Low and behold, one of the petals had opened and another one had started.

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, Starfish Flower) on 10-22-21, #849-23.

I checked on it several times during the night and there was no change.

THEN, THE NEXT MORNING…

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, Starfish Flower) on 10-23-21, #850-7.

Now, that is pretty exciting! Finally, after several years of buds falling off after I moved it in the house, it has bloomed!

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, Starfish Flower) at 13″ wide on 10-23-21, #850-8.

It measured 13″ wide…

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, Starfish Flower) on 10-23-21, #850-9.

You can read about these plants and watch videos, but seeing it in person is so much better. Those red lines are raised and they kind of remind me of ripples in a pond.

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, Starfish Flower) on 10-23-21, #850-10.

It is definitely hairy…

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, Starfish Flower) on 10-23-21, #850-11.

How neat is that?

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, Starfish Flower) on 10-23-21, #850-12.

SO, what does it smell like? When I first took a whiff I smelled nothing.

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant, Starfish Flower) on 10-23-21, #850-13..

Then at 4:30, I went to check again. I opened the sliding door and I could smell a faint odor. Naturally, I stuck my nose right in the flower, and HOLY CRAP! It truly does smell like rotting flesh. Honestly, I won’t be doing that again. I have smelled so bad stuff in my life, but that is one I definitely won’t forget. GEEZ!!! Hopefully, the Turkey Buzzards won’t come to my back porch. 🙂

Seriously, it made me remember everything bad I have ever smelled and they now seem pale in comparison. I am VERY thankful the temperatures have been mild enough I didn’t have to bring it in the house! GEEZ! 🙂

There is STILL no chance of an “F” in the forecast.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful!

 

Wildflower Catch Up With A Few Bugs…

Hello everyone! It is an interesting time of the year to go wildflower hunting since most of them have gone to seed. There are still a few flowering, especially where the hay was cut. I also noticed there weren’t as many insects as last week but there are still a few Monarch butterflies. The weather has been nice for the most part but we are supposed to have a couple of chilly nights. After that, it will warm up a little again.

Of course, the seeds of the Desmodium paniculatum (Panicledleaf Ticktrefoil) are always trying to hitch a ride. I have done pretty well avoiding them until the last three times I went out. This time was the worse. I walked through the middle of the south hayfield to avoid them which turned out to be a good idea. Unfortunately, I had to go through them to get to where I was going. I was on a mission. 🙂 Then when was finished, I walked out of the briars and looked at my boots. GEEZ! I should start wearing my old rubber boots with the hole in them. After that, I didn’t bother trying to avoid them. When I came back to the house, I removed them off my pants then sat down on an old telephone pole to pick them off my boots.  I removed them from one boot then thought how glad I was they weren’t those other stick tights (from the Torilis japonica). I pulled off the other boot and sat my foot right down on a cluster of the other stick tights I hadn’t noticed when I sat down. GEEZ!!! My sock was LOADED! One of their common names is the Tall Sock Destroyer and they live up to their name.

Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) seed pod…

I originally went out for the walk to check on the last of two milkweed seed pods for the experiment crew at the Augusta University Biology Department in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They are studying the Showy and Common Milkweed and the hybrid species between the two. The Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) grows in the eastern half of the United States and the Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) grows in the western half. There is an area where they overlap and hybridize in the middle. They contacted members of iNaturalist that submitted observations of these milkweeds to participate in the study. I agreed to participate so they sent envelopes for the samples. I mailed the two pods on Thursday.

Their information says, “We gave been collecting genetic, metabolomic (any small-molecule chemicals found within a tissue sample), and phenotypic (physical characteristics, such as shape of the leaves, color of flowers, etc.) data by taking leaf and seed pod samples from plants in each species zone and within the hybrid zone. Once we have finished collecting this data, we will begin to analyze the differences between the two species and their hybrid species. With this information, we hope to begin to understand why these species remain geographically separated and how genes are passed between them.” 

On the way to where the milkweed was, I stumbled on something very interesting…

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 10-12-21, #843-9.

I remember seeing maroonish leaves on another plant just like this one closer to the briar patch a while back, but this one was more in the center of the hayfield. I didn’t pay much attention earlier because I thought the plant had maroonish leaves because maybe something was wrong with it. You just never know… Weird things happen in nature. Anyway, Wednesday I saw this one with flowers and I completely didn’t recognize it. Of course, I took A LOT of photos. 🙂

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 10-12-21, #843-10.

The large leafy bracts should have turned a light on because I have identified only one species like it. The flowers weren’t open which is probably why I still didn’t recognize it.

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) on 10-12-21, #843-11.

After I went through the 94 photos I had taken for the day and deleted the ones I didn’t want. I separated them by species and uploaded the observations on iNaturalist that I already knew. Then, I took the first photo for this one and uploaded it for ID. It suggested ONLY Elephantopus carolinianus. I thought it was completely whacky! I did the same to the second and it said the same thing. I took a better look at the second photo and then it hit me. HOLY CRAP! I have Elephantopus in my hayfield!

I first saw this species on September 9 in 2019 while I was herding cattle on a friend’s mother’s farm. I was in a dead run going down a wooded hillside toward the creek when I spotted them. I almost rolled the rest of the way down. Anyway, you can read about it on THIS POST.

The Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) is definitely one of the most interesting wildflowers I have ever seen. I will try and get photos of its flowers opened up, but you can click on the name above to go it its own page.

Ipomoea hederacea (Ivy-Leaved Morning Glory), 10-12-21

There were several Ipomoea hederacea (Ivy-Leaved Morning Glory) blooming in the south hayfield as well. I don’t have a page for this one because I just got a proper ID. 🙂

Then I walked to the southeast corner of the hayfield to go to the back pasture, through the blackberry briars…

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed) in the southeast corner of the back pasture on 10-12-21, #843-28.

The Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed) are still blooming up a storm. They attract A LOT of pollinators and other insects that have a hard time finding food this time of the year. Normally, they probably aren’t flowering that much now, but they regrew after the hay was cut. I do not have a page for this species yet.

Danaus plexippus (Monarch) on the Vernonia missurica on 10-12-21, #843-5.

There are still a few Monarch’s flying around the ironweed but not near as many as last week. This one let me get very close.

Euthochtha galeator (Helmeted Squash Bug) on 10-12-21, #843-22.

There are many species of insects that look similar to this Helmeted Squash Bug. This one was feeding on what looked like whiteflies when I first saw it and it didn’t really like my intrusion. I asked it to pose and give me a big smile but it kept looking at its food.

Croton capitatus (Wooly Croton) on 10-12-21, #843-3.

There is a lot of Croton capitatus (Hogwort, Wooly Croton, Goatweed Etc.) flowering in the back pasture right now… There aren’t usually that many here…

Then I walked north toward the…

Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon) on 10-12-21, #843-7.

The Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon) tree in the back pasture is really LOADED this year.

Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon) on 10-12-21, #843-8.

Besides being able to cut the milkweed seed pod and seeing the Elephantopus, being able to eat a few persimmons made the whole walk worthwhile. Then I walked to the house to pick off the mess on my boots.

That’s all I have for now. Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful.

Stapelia gigantea (Zulu Giant) Bud…

Stapelia gigantea buds on 10-11-12, #842-1.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. The largest Stapelia gigantea buds are getting bigger!

Stapelia gigantea bud at 4 3/4″ long on 10-11-21, #842-2.

The biggest bud is now 4 3/4″ long. AWESOME! No “F” in the forecast the temps are getting cooler. The Weather Channel is forecasting a low of 39° F Saturday night, but the National Weather Service says 42°.

Until next time, take care, be safe, and always be thankful!

Stapelia gigantea Buds Getting Bigger!

Stapelia gigantea buds on 10-4-21, #840-6.

Hello everyone! I hope you are all well. It is getting exciting on the back porch as the Stapelia gigantea buds are getting bigger.

Stapelia gigantea bud at 1 3/4″ long on 10-4-21, #840-7.

The biggest bud is now 1 3/4″ long. There are several buds but some are quite small… Keep your fingers crossed (and maybe your toes). 🙂

There is no “F” in the forecast, so maybe they will continue to grow at least the bigger one open before I have to move the plants inside for the winter. Even so, when we do get an “F” it warms back up again. You just never know…

Until next time, stay well, be safe, and always be thankful!

Problem Areas and Wild Weeds, ETC. Part 3 PLUS A SURPRISE!

Torilis japonica (Japanese Hedge Parsley)…

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. October is here once again and some of the wildflowers aren’t looking their best. There are a lot of insects and butterflies feeding right now. I have taken a lot of photos the last few days and I am getting behind. 🙂 I now have 655 observations posted on iNaturalist covering 343 species.

This saga of the wild weeds (and wildflowers) and problem areas on the farm continues as I walked out of the main hayfield to the front pasture…

The above photo is the dreaded Torilis japonica (Japanese Hedge Parsley). There doesn’t seem to be as much of this stuff growing as there has been in the past. That is certainly fine with me…

 

Eleusine indica (Goosegrass)…

As you can imagine, there are A LOT of different species of grass growing on the farm. Heck, pretty much every yard around the world has a lot of species of grass. I don’t know about you, but the worse grass in my yard and pastures has got to be the Eleusine indica (Goosegrass). It is the grass with very tough blades you have to mow over multiple times and even then it still looks raggy. The second worse is the crabgrass which I don’t really want to talk about…

 

Persicaria hydropiper (Water Pepper)…

There are still a few fairly good-sized colonies of Persicaria hydropiper (Water Pepper) here and there but nothing like 2019 when I identified seven species. That was definitely the year for the Smartweeds.

 

Persicaria pensylvanica (Pinkweed)…

The Persicaria pensylvanica (Pinkweed) is also scattered among the grass in the front pasture, mainly around the two old mulberry trees. The other six species are scattered about here and there.

 

Hmmm…

I walked over to what used to be a smallish Multiflora Rose. Dad and I pulled up several rose bushes with the tractor a few years ago but left this one. It wasn’t that big and is it along the drainage area where water runs from the pond. When we pulled up the others it left a HUGE hole and I didn’t that that would be a good idea in this area. Three years ago a White Mulberry grew up in it, then last year I noticed a Celastrus scandens (American Bittersweet) in the mix. To the left is a small colony of Solidago (Goldenrod) and the other cluster is either Eupatorium altissimum (Tall Thoroughwort) or Eupatorium serotinum (Late Boneset/Late Thoroughwort). Those two species look a lot alike and I didn’t take a closer look…

Both of those species have seen better days throughout the farm. There are still quite a few Solidago in bloom along the main hayfield. I am not really sure which species of Solidago are growing here but likely Solidago altissima and maybe also S. gigantea. The galls on a few plants are generally found on both of those species.

 

Xanthium strumarium (Rough Cocklebur)…

I am not really sure where I took this photo of the Xanthium strumarium (Rough Cocklebur). It is growing here and there and seems to be getting carried away again. I had been “working on it” for several years and seemed to pretty much have it whipped. Well, it seems to be coming back with reinforcements! I don’t have a page for the Cocklebur…

I walked across the ditch to get photos of what I saw as I started the walk. It was this mass of pink right behind the pond in the front pasture I had somehow just noticed. Probably because I hadn’t been paying attention, but that just can’t be. Just last week, or maybe the week before, I had taken photos of a few plants near the pond and I didn’t notice it then. I am saving the photos for the end of this post so I can end it well… 🙂

After I took some photos behind the pond, I walked toward the fence along the road in the front pasture to the biggest eyesore here…

Rhus glabra (Smooth Sumac)…

The Rhus glabra (Smooth Sumac) has spread into the pasture along the fence. This is a big problem…

Rhus glabra (Smooth Sumac)…

I put the camera across the fence to get a photo of the mess between the fence and the street. In the first place, the fence is a little too close to the ditch, and the ditch is cut too steep to mow. Whoever did this had no concept of maintenance and it was done MANY years ago. The county used to come along several times during the summer but now we are lucky if they come once a year. At the end of the yard, there is a telephone pole between the fence and ditch making it impossible to get a mower along the fence. To mow the ditch, I would have to drive down the street to where the gate is and come up… Then, I would have to back the mower all the way back down to the gate… Since the ditch is cut like it is, and part of it has washed out a little, it is kind of unsafe. To fix this problem, the fence would have to be removed and moved back and the ditch smoothed out at a slope allowing it to be mowed safely. It is a real eyesore and I don’t like it one bit. I don’t like using chemicals, but this area needs cut and sprayed. Water from the ditch runs to the lake at the park… Perhaps I can talk to the county or the conservation department to find a solution.

I don’t want to sound like I am complaining because I am very thankful to be here. I have a lot to be thankful for. It seems like I have been given an opportunity and I would like to do much better but I am not quite sure how to go about it…

Getting closer to the surprise…

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed)…

One of the first plants to grow after the hay is cut is the Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed). Over the years, trying to tell the difference between Verononia baldwinii (Western or Baldwin’s Ironweed) and V. missurica has been somewhat difficult. I know the difference but couldn’t find enough of the latter to get a good confirmation to prove to myself that’s what it was. To make it worse, the two species hybridize… Earlier, all the ironweed were definitely Vernonia baldwinii.

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed)…

Now, most of the ironweed are likely most definitely (GEEZ) Vernonia missurica. The heads have more florets (30+) and the involucral bracts are appressed. With Vernonia baldwinii, they have fewer florets and the bracts are recurved. I don’t have a page for the Vernonia missurica and the page for Vernonia baldwinii is still in draft mode. They have been driving me crazy so I wanted to make sure what I was talking about. Am I sure now? Well, not really. 🙂

OH, so here we go…

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster)… On 9-28-21…

Don’t laugh like I am. This is probably the first pink flowers I have gotten excited about in my life. For one, the Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) is the first species in the genus I have been able to properly identify and it become research grade on iNaturalist. The flowers are 1 1/2″ wide while the others are 1/2″ (more or less) and most commonly white or a pale lavender-pink. I am sure, almost, I have identified one species as Symphyotrichum pilosum (Hairy White Oldfield Aster) but I can’t get anyone on iNaturalist to stick their neck out and agree. I have submitted a few species that are difficult with the same results… Birds are easy and every species I have submitted are research grade.

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) on 9-30-21, 1 1/2″ diameter…

The Missouri Plants website lists 16 species of Symphyotrichum in Missouri and most are pink. The USDA Plants Database lists 154 accepted species (including infraspecific names)in North America. Plants of the World Online lists 95 species worldwide including 12 hybrids but not including possible varieties. To find that out, I would have had to click on 95 pages. For grins, I checked out The Plant List which hasn’t been maintained since 2013. It lists 143 species (including infraspecific names), a whopping 1,116 synonyms, and only 37 species unplaced at the time. I would count the list on the Wildflower Research website, but I am sort of exhausted…

the underside and upper leaves of the Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster)…

Getting back to the Symphyotrichum novae-angliae… Information online says their flowers are purplish and rarely pink. Well, these are pink fading to white. It also says they supposedly grow to around 40″ or so tall. Hmmm… There is a problem. The huge clusters of pink flowers are on stems in a circle 10-12′ in diameter.  One could mistakenly “think” the stems are 40″ or so tall. BUT, in the center of the circle, there is a cluster of bent over stems (at the base of the plant). I picked one of the stems up and it was about a foot taller than me and I am 5′ 8ish… The stems had gotten so heavy they fell over and curved upward (like sweet corn). I took more photos on the 30th, including the bent-over stems at the base of the plant. Unfortunately, the photos of the base of the plant were blurry so I will have to try AGAIN. Possibly take a tape measure (and photograph the measurement) to prove my point. That happened before with another species of Symphyotrichum growing along the fence in the front pasture. The stem was growing in the fence and it couldn’t fall over and was close to 8′ tall. I do have photos but I have never been able to identify the species…

Danaus plexippus (Monarch Butterfly) on the New England Aster…

There were a lot of small butterflies and insects were very busy. There was a single Monarch enjoying itself as well.

Jocelyn asked me to take a 20-30 minute video of the farm for her YouTube channel so, on Friday, October 2, I decided I would give it a shot. I took a video of the New England Asters and the butterflies then walked up the ditch toward the main hayfield. There was a large colony of Missouri Ironweed at the corner and there were more Monarch feeding than I ever saw before. There were several colonies of ironweeds scattered about halfway across the front of the hayfield so I continued recording. Then I walked to the back pasture where another pond is. There is a HUGE colony of ironweeds where I found HUNDREDS of Monarch feeding and it was quite a sight. There were even several Hummingbird Moths which are impossible to photograph but they came out quite well on the videos. Well, I took 17 videos normally 3 minutes or so each. A couple were 7 minutes because I got a little carried away and a few are around a minute because I had to stop recording to take photos. She will just have to splice the videos together to get 20 minutes or so. I have to upload the videos on Skype, and if I make them too long it takes forever and sometimes it won’t work at all. If I had a better way to do it I would…

Well, I better close for now. I took quite a few photos this past week and I need to do some catching up. 🙂 We have FINALLY gotten some rain…

Until next time, take care, be safe, and always be thankful!