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Category: Shrubs

Northern Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)

Northern Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)

With our nitrogen-poor, acidic, sandy soil, one of the more successful native shrubs on Cape Cod is northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica). It is found in habitats ranging from sand dunes, to open forests, to the edges of bogs and marshes, and can tolerate a wide range of moisture. Despite its commonness, for someone new to plant identification, this can be either a very difficult or very easy plant to identify.  On the difficult end of the scale, when I was…

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Month of Macro Part 1: Trees & Shrubs

Month of Macro Part 1: Trees & Shrubs

As mentioned in my previous post, I recently received a new macro lens attachment for my cell phone. It’s been really fun to wander around my yard and nearby trails with this new close-up perspective. Some things are obviously enhanced by a zoomed-in look, such as insects, moss, lichens and other “tiny” things. But I’ve also really enjoyed a new look at things you wouldn’t necessarily assume you need a macro lens to observe, like trees and shrubs. Below are…

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Sumac Gall Aphid

Sumac Gall Aphid

Throughout the summer you can find a variety of galls – the wool sower gall, the oak apple gall, the scrub oak gall and many others. Many galls, like the ones listed here, are found on oaks, which are common host plants for many gall-producing insects.  But a few weeks ago, I noticed a gall on staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) for the first time. If I hadn’t been inspecting the undersides of the leaves closely, in search of a butterfly…

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Early April Leaves – A Non-Native Calling Card

Early April Leaves – A Non-Native Calling Card

I took a quick walk at Wareham Land Trust‘s Agawam River Trail after work today, enjoying the abundant late-day sunshine. Although signs of spring were seemingly everywhere, from the red-winged blackbirds calling in the nearby wetlands to the red maple flowers bursting in vibrant color, I did notice an interesting trend. At least five different plant species were pushing out new green leaves, but none of these were native.  Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) 2. Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) 3. Shrub…

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Spiny rose stem galls

Spiny rose stem galls

Although I’m sure many of you are waiting as eagerly for the first flower buds, returning migrant birds, and other signs of spring as I am, I do still appreciate some of the nature observations that are just plain easier in the winter. Galls are certainly one of them. With no leaves on trees and shrubs, any galls remaining on woody stems are easily visible. Galls come in a variety of unique shapes and sizes; I’ve written about a number…

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Nature Notes from the North Woods – Part 2

Nature Notes from the North Woods – Part 2

After a few days in the Pittsburg, NH area (see the previous blog post for Pittsburg area photos: Part 1) we moved onto Bethel, ME. Since arriving on Friday evening, we’ve done a ton of hiking, including trails in Grafton Notch State Park and Evans Notch in the White Mountain National Forest. Some brief photo highlights from the last few days are below.

“Fetterbush”: why common names are not enough

“Fetterbush”: why common names are not enough

For an embarrassingly long time, I was unable to identify this shrub despite its unique winter characteristics. So for years I simply referred to it as the “purple bud bush”. On a walk with the local botany club a few years ago, the leader provided me with a name: “fetterbush”. I was happy to have something more specific to call it, and until today, I’d left it at that.  In attempting to look up some interesting information about fetterbush to…

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7 Reasons Not to Hate Poison Ivy

7 Reasons Not to Hate Poison Ivy

Given the horribly itchy rash that poison ivy can cause, it’s no wonder that this plant is loathed by many. I, too, have experienced the severe discomfort an encounter with poison ivy can bring, but I certainly don’t hate it. It would be more accurate to say that I respect poison ivy. Although poison ivy often gets a bad rap, and I may not be able to convince you to actually like it, here are seven reasons not to hate…

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Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus)

Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus)

I think my most common summer phrase is “berry season is the best season”. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying wild-picked blueberries, huckleberries, red and black raspberries, and wineberries, as well as  the blackberries that are just now starting to ripen (I picked my first ripe one this morning). Now that my eyes have a “berry” search image, there’s one shrub I’m noticing everywhere: glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), which grows as a deciduous shrub or a small tree up to 20 feet…

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Goat’s Rue (Tephrosia virginiana)

Goat’s Rue (Tephrosia virginiana)

Goat’s rue (Tephrosia virginiana) is a perennial legume native to the eastern United States. Its two-colored flowers, which bloom in clusters at the tops of the stems, resemble sweet peas. The lower petals are pink, while the upper petal (i.e., the “standard”) is a pale yellow. The leaves are alternately arranged and pinnately compound with numerous narrow leaflets. Both the stems and leaves are covered with downy hairs giving the plant a silvery frosted appearance. Goat’s rue grows to approximately…

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