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Month: August 2019

Wildflower Wednesday: Bull Thistle

Wildflower Wednesday: Bull Thistle

As a group of plants, thistles are well known for their spiny leaves and large pinkish purple flower heads. Most species are biennials, producing only a basal rosette of leaves in their first year. The characteristic flowering stalks are not produced until the plant’s second year. Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare), although native to much of Europe, has naturalized across much of North America.  It is a large thistle generally found in fields and waste places. It can grow 3 to…

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Wild Edible: Staghorn Sumac

Wild Edible: Staghorn Sumac

The name “sumac” often evokes thoughts of poison sumac and general itchiness. But poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) is actually more closely related to poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) than staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) despite the shared common name.  Staghorn sumac can be differentiated from poison sumac through a variety of characteristics. Both can grow fairly tall (~20 feet) and have pointy, alternate, compound leaves, however, they have very different habitat needs. You’ve most certainly seen large stands of staghorn sumac with…

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Marsh elder (Iva frutescens)

Marsh elder (Iva frutescens)

When asked to picture a New England salt marsh, most people would likely think of large expanses of salt marsh grass, such as smooth cord grass  (Spartina alterniflora) and salt marsh hay (Spartina patens). However, at the upper edge of most marshes, where only the highest high tides reach, is a thin strip of short shrubs, dominated by marsh elder (Iva frutescens) and/or eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia). In fact, due to its placement on the landscape, marsh elder is also…

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Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Butterflies are a common sight on my outdoor walks lately. On a recent visit to Falmouth’s Crane Wildlife Management Area I saw numerous species, including Monarchs, Common Buckeyes, Common Ringlets, American Ladies and Painted Ladies. Although most of them did not rest long enough for me to capture a photo, I was able to get a few shots of this Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).  Painted Ladies are colorful, medium-sized butterflies, stretching approximately 2.5 inches from one wing tip to the…

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