A sign…

First sassafras leaf has turned and fallen

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Calling all mycologists!

These mushrooms popped up in a couple of plate sized circles last week:

And here they are having grown to maturity and starting to die down. Anybody know what they are? Google search for mushrooms are decidedly unhelpful!!

and the feasting continues….

It’s funny that birds really just hit the ripe fruits, leaving the others to get to perfection

Beautyberry bottoms up

My beautyberry has had a pretty good year. Now it’s getting ready to feed some birds. I didn’t remember that they change to deep purple from the inside out or from the bottom up. I have a feeling they’re going to get munched up quick.

Happy bee

A bee enjoying Joe Pye flowers. I really think I need a bunch of these so they can hold each other up…. they’re top-heavy!

Big leaf snowbell

Another in a series of “Let’s learn binomials” this time with one of my favorite native trees, the big leaf snowbell. Elegant branching, striking blooms and hearty leaves thriving in partial shade — mine’s under a water oak (Quercus nigro, we’re getting there) and having a great spring so far.

Styrax grandifolius. Styrax is from the Attic Greek “στύραξ” (sturax) which means resin. These are considered to be “gum” trees but apparently not quite the same as Benzoin which I think is resinous. And “grandifolius” for “large leaf” and I must ask, with this being my only individual plant, compared to what??

This is a case where the common name is more descriptive to me. Here are some beautiful bells before a rain knocked them off the tree

[originally from April 2017]

Beautyberry making berries

Looks like the birds will be getting a bumper crop this year