Daisies
It is not officially summer until you stop and smell the daisies so please be sure to make the time to do so this week! While Leucanthemum vulgare is a nonnative resident it certainly has its charms if we only think about the aesthetic. It is hard living among so many often beautiful but sometimes invasive species, and while we should work to rid ourselves of the most virulent to human agriculture or other conservation-priority native species and not add to the problem, we can still appreciate something in our environment without feeling too guilty…I hope! Conservation is not easy....
Read MoreGrass Pink
This Grass Pink, or Deptford Pink, (Dianthus armeria) is truly exceptional in terms of vibrant color for such a tiny plant. The wildflower is native to Europe, and though nonnative in our soil it does well without becoming invasive or dominating any landscape. What are we do to about such species? Try to remove them all at tremendous cost and inevitably failing? We have to focus on protecting our greatest conservation priorities and selectively dealing with the most dangerous invasive plants that crowd out or harm native endangered wildlife. There is no way to turn back the clock and restore...
Read MoreEchinacea Milkshake
Earlier today RTPI Development Director Linda Pierce pointed out to me that it was National Pollinator Week, a fact that escaped my attention – like many of those national days do! Just last week I posted a couple photos of pollinator plants about to bloom for the summer. Unfortunately I have not seen too many species of butterflies or bees thus far in 2016, though I am hopeful this changes after a slow and cold start to the insect season. Coincidentally today I actually saw a couple “firsts of year” butterflies including a Red Admiral in the morning and a Giant Swallowtail...
Read MoreSwamp Milkweed
The Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is on the way! These wonderfully helpful pollinator plants, beloved by the Monarch butterfly for feeding and egg laying, will be blooming soon enough. I am looking forward to seeing all sorts of butterflies and other insects enjoying the nectar this summer. Have you planted any beneficial and native pollinator plants in your yard? What are you hoping to spot feeding on them? Go see what you can find this weekend in the great outdoors… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreBlue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis)
Here’s some Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) as photographed recently by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser.
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