Still along the road a fallen log made a fine home for the polypore shelf fungus! No critters. ;-(
Finally at the creek level. Thus we found plants that like this ecosystem. First was the False Daisy (Eclipta prostrata).
A Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) was a few more yards further down!
Flipping the photo upside (just for you…I didn’t want to cause any injuries) So I see a snake mouth wide open eating its greens. LOL
Beggar-ticks (Bidens frondosa) is a plant that prefers damper areas. It is also known as Devil’s Beggartick or Spanish Needles to name two other common names. The seed is two pronged making it easy catch on fur and clothes. The seeds are eaten by birds and small rodents. Plus a various species of insects are attracted to the flowers and leaves.
The bank!
So a few puddles remained in the creek.
Look at all those Cardinal Flowers! We really hit the jackpot!
A Monarch hit the Mistflowers.
Just a few more photos tomorrow will conclude this outing.
From this angle you might not recognize this first of season Northern Harrier. It was in our front field this morning!
Perhaps you will recognize it now? A delight to see!
I’ve seen tubers/corms like those attached to cow itch vine (Cissus trifoliata). I’ve tried to get pigeon-berry started several times without success. Just haven’t found the right spot yet, I guess. And another grand showing of cardinal flower! Great post!
Sorry to hear this plant has not succeeded for you. Hard to say why. But I will share the places it has grown for me. In Carrollton, I first planted it in a very shady spot in a slightly raised bed and it did well. Then it came up along our foundation in full sun but in a place it got watered weekly. It had shade until about 2 in the afternoon then it was in full sun. It grew itself up through some wire fence to 4 ft tall and turned a beautiful maroon in fall. This was nasty black clay soils. And a spot where the gutter emptied out too.
Down here I have seen it in the wild in full shade under mustang grape vines covering trees. No extra water.
And in my landscape it gets dappled shade to full sun, well draining sand/gravel/clay. I water weekly in this area and both plants have survived all this drought and hot weather.
Do you think something is eating it like rabbits or deer?
Kathy, thank you for taking the time to share all this detailed info.
At Fort Worth Nature Center I usually find it growing in shady post oak riverbottom woods, so I first tried it under similar conditions although upland so it got watered at least once a week. Then I tried it in two additional spots where it got morning sun, afternoon shade and supplemental water at least once a week. Each time it seems to take hold for a year or two, then fades away.
Rabbits are a possibility though I’ve not actually seen them eating it. We’ve never had a deer problem at any of the places we’ve lived.
I think Suzanne is right. I dug up round tubers like this strung on long roots this week while planting some of my pots. And that was the plant attached to them.
I found the Eclipta in the muddy bank along our river a couple weeks ago too.
And your abundance of cardinal flowers shows you are not overrun with deer. Deer love to eat them, especially in areas they can reach easily.
The wild poinsettias down here and red rather than orange.
I will reply to Suzanne in her comment on pigeonberry.
I think all the butterflies like the mist flowers in my yard. Another nice creek.
I’ve seen tubers/corms like those attached to cow itch vine (Cissus trifoliata). I’ve tried to get pigeon-berry started several times without success. Just haven’t found the right spot yet, I guess. And another grand showing of cardinal flower! Great post!
Suzanne, Interesting I will keep my eye for the Cow itch vine and its roots then. Thanks!
Sorry to hear this plant has not succeeded for you. Hard to say why. But I will share the places it has grown for me. In Carrollton, I first planted it in a very shady spot in a slightly raised bed and it did well. Then it came up along our foundation in full sun but in a place it got watered weekly. It had shade until about 2 in the afternoon then it was in full sun. It grew itself up through some wire fence to 4 ft tall and turned a beautiful maroon in fall. This was nasty black clay soils. And a spot where the gutter emptied out too.
Down here I have seen it in the wild in full shade under mustang grape vines covering trees. No extra water.
And in my landscape it gets dappled shade to full sun, well draining sand/gravel/clay. I water weekly in this area and both plants have survived all this drought and hot weather.
Do you think something is eating it like rabbits or deer?
Kathy, thank you for taking the time to share all this detailed info.
At Fort Worth Nature Center I usually find it growing in shady post oak riverbottom woods, so I first tried it under similar conditions although upland so it got watered at least once a week. Then I tried it in two additional spots where it got morning sun, afternoon shade and supplemental water at least once a week. Each time it seems to take hold for a year or two, then fades away.
Rabbits are a possibility though I’ve not actually seen them eating it. We’ve never had a deer problem at any of the places we’ve lived.
I think Suzanne is right. I dug up round tubers like this strung on long roots this week while planting some of my pots. And that was the plant attached to them.
I found the Eclipta in the muddy bank along our river a couple weeks ago too.
And your abundance of cardinal flowers shows you are not overrun with deer. Deer love to eat them, especially in areas they can reach easily.
The wild poinsettias down here and red rather than orange.
I will reply to Suzanne in her comment on pigeonberry.
Those trilobite scans are pretty doggone incredible! But I have to admit the accompanying text was a bit over my head – all those techy words!
Mine too but what they can scan and find is pretty incredible 😊