What a pretty day eh! Unfortunately I had chores and appointments so no morning outdoor time. However I did manage to squeeze in an afternoon walk. And goodness was it nice out. Hopefully y’all got a little nature time today as well.
Fly on red oak leaf.
The volunteer Snailseed (Cocculus carolinus) really did well in our yard. It only came to live with us a few years ago.
The seeds inside were glowing in the afternoon sun!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
14 Comments
I wish snailseed would volunteer here. I hope your visitors come back again and again and maybe next spring bring babies. I too filled my feeders but don’t have many birds this year☹️
Judy, you are welcome to come dig all the snailseed you want from my yard. It’s officially been granted weed status here.
Mary, that’s interesting about wildlife eating Solanum. Everything I’ve read says the fruits of silverleaf nightshade and western horse nettle are toxic and that’s why they aren’t eaten all winter. What is your source or sources? I need to update my knowledge bank.
Suzanne, I was surprised too about who eats the Solanum. (Not including insects). But you can click on the highlighted blue to see that I got the info from https://warcapps.usgs.gov/PlantID/Species/Details/3738. I try to remember to do this on most of the info to give the proper credit and who said says it.
It takes a lot of energy for a plant to produce big showy fruits so I generally assume if it’s that visible, something has eaten it at some point in its evolutionary history.
So wonderful about the foxes – they are so beautiful!
Wildlife eat poison ivy berries too – so am thinking their physiology makes lots of dietary options open for them.
I wish snailseed would volunteer here. I hope your visitors come back again and again and maybe next spring bring babies. I too filled my feeders but don’t have many birds this year☹️
I will bring you some berries. 🙂
Judy, you are welcome to come dig all the snailseed you want from my yard. It’s officially been granted weed status here.
Mary, that’s interesting about wildlife eating Solanum. Everything I’ve read says the fruits of silverleaf nightshade and western horse nettle are toxic and that’s why they aren’t eaten all winter. What is your source or sources? I need to update my knowledge bank.
Suzanne, I was surprised too about who eats the Solanum. (Not including insects). But you can click on the highlighted blue to see that I got the info from https://warcapps.usgs.gov/PlantID/Species/Details/3738. I try to remember to do this on most of the info to give the proper credit and who said says it.
OK, thank you, Mary. I didn’t click on that link originally because I thought each one was individual and led to information about that species.
I’d like the info on wildlife rating Solanum, too. I may have given incorrect info for years.
Diane and Suzanne, Check out this too about its medical uses by Native Americans…. https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/ethnobot/images/silverleaf.html
Wow, so interesting, Mary! Thanks again!
I would guess most fruits/berries get eaten by something for some reason? And you are welcome!
It takes a lot of energy for a plant to produce big showy fruits so I generally assume if it’s that visible, something has eaten it at some point in its evolutionary history.
So wonderful about the foxes – they are so beautiful!
Wildlife eat poison ivy berries too – so am thinking their physiology makes lots of dietary options open for them.
Yes, and I have even seen the birds eat them (poison ivy). Plus a other mammals eat not only berries but the other parts of the plant. https://www.psu.edu/news/agricultural-sciences/story/poison-ivy-wildlife-food-one-first-plants-change-color/
Hope our snailseed makes such pretty berries eventually! We have half a dozen small plants so far.
Fingers crossed!