December 2024 Moment in Nature

This has been a strange fall season. The dryness of September gave way to heavy rains at the end of the month, continued warm weather, and then another month of dryness in October. I've seen numerous reports of repeat blooming - triggered by the dry/wet cycle, I think - and the fall color has been late and prolonged for some plants.

I have been particularly charmed by some of the parking lot red maples (Acer rubrum) holding onto fall color even well into December. 

In my own yard, the native highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) have been really colorful and also quite long-lasting. Even as I write this, I can see several plants from my windows, glowing in the afternoon light. 

These plants are not just #amomentinnature for today, they are moments for several weeks this year!

Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)

Gift Ideas for the Nature Curious

 

It’s that time of year when we all start looking for gift ideas for friends and family. Giving unique and thoughtful gifts is often the goal (don’t we all have enough sweaters?). The pandemic encouraged a lot of folks to get outside, perhaps for hiking or working in the garden. You might consider nurturing that interest with gifts inspired by nature.

The usual categories that I would suggest include books, tools, plants/seeds (even starts from your own garden), gift certificates, donations in their honor to conservation groups (like the Georgia Native Plant Society and many others), and an annual Parks pass.

More personal ideas include a gift certificate for your own services: "A Day of Weeding," "A Day of Plant Design and Shopping with Me," or "Some of My Favorite Perennials to be Transplanted (to your yard) in Spring." This idea is especially good for friends who are older or need help in the garden. 

Fallen and pressed native leaves (like these red maples below) can be glued to a blank card for an outdoorsy-feel to your gift card (leaves can be soaked before pressing if they are crumpled). Another homemade leaf project can be found here if you're feeling really crafty.

I have written about gift ideas before. Here are 3 of my previous posts with more ideas:

Nature-Inspired Gift Ideas

The Gift of Gardening

Gift Ideas for Naturalists of All Ages

Nurture the curious, they are the future

Remember: if you order something custom and it won’t arrive in time, print a picture of it and wrap it up for the gift giving occasion. Don’t let timing get in the way of a great idea. 

The Flowers of Fall

 

Leaf color has been rather late in my area this year but this last week has been full of gorgeous examples, even if they are not pleasingly grouped together for a postcard-perfect display.

Parsley hawthorn (Crataegus marshallii)

I actually look forward to fall foliage just as much as I look forward to spring flowers and I hope others appreciate what deciduous leaves do right before they fall. The plants put a lot of effort into growing those leaves! 

Florida maple with red oak foliage behind

Red maple 

 

Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica)

Native plants can have spectacular fall foliage, helping you to create a landscape of 3-season natural beauty while still growing the plants that support your local ecosystem. Now is a great time to plant in trees and shrubs in Georgia so if you need some ideas, here are some of my previous blogs:

Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea)

Dependable Fall Color which includes the following reminder: “Remember – a bit of green makes the colors pop so be sure to mix in a few evergreens like pines to complement your red, orange and yellow foliage.”

Bring it Home: Fall Color which has a link to The Fall Color Compliation

Fall Color: The Shrub Edition (good for smaller landscapes)

Oakleaf hydrangea

Pawpaw

Highbush blueberry

And a surprise - bloodroot!

Feel free to get just excited about the fall gifts as you do the spring ones - they are the flowers of the fall!

Plant Native Trees Now

 

Or tomorrow; or next week; or next month. Late fall is the best time to plant trees in Georgia, and some areas of Georgia can plant in winter. Georgia’s Arbor Day is in February, proof that it is a good time (not April when it is getting too warm already to establish trees). Tree and shrub roots get their best start during our cool and wet winter season.

A collection of oaks with one pine

As more development advances, native trees are the biggest loss. Even the ragged edge of sweetgums, tuliptrees, pines, and maples found on vacant lots and roadsides are serving the native ecosystem while they remain. All too often those trees fall to parking lots replanted with exotic plants like crape myrtles, Chinese pistache, and loropetalums. Some older parking areas were landscaped with red maples, many of which are still colorful this week. Newer parking lots are not using them as much.

You can make a difference by planting native trees in your landscape and recommending that areas near you do too. Several of my previous blogs help explain why and give links to many of my native tree posts over the years:

A Native Tree is Not Just a Tree – it’s an ecosystem.

Get a Tree That Does More – ideas for trees by category (spring flowers, fall color, underused trees, small trees).

A Celebration of Trees – links to most of my tree posts, including evergreen ideas.

So get out there and make plans to add more native trees to your landscape. Replace an exotic tree like crape myrtle if you need to make room; I think Serviceberry makes a great replacement! It doesn’t have to be a big tree; science has proven that smaller trees recover from the transplant sooner and grow to equal a bigger tree in just a few years.

Serviceberry in spring, summer, and fall

November 2024 Moment in Nature

A late-blooming native flower is always welcome, even if we had to bring it up here from the Coastal Plain. Climbing aster (Ampelaster carolinianus) is native of swamps, thickets, marshes, streambanks, freshwater tidal marshes and swamps - mostly in Florida but perhaps also in one south Georgia county (Chatham County).

Ampelaster carolinianus

It is sold in Georgia, even up to my area of the Piedmont, where it is a rambling, late-blooming woody plant (sometimes called a shrub, sometimes called a vine). I have one in my garden where it scrambles through a wooden fence in search of protection from the deer.

Seek out and enjoy your #momentinnature as often as you can.

Fight for Conservation

 

Georgia aster (Symphyotrichum georgianum S3)

Once nature is no longer protected, it is hard or – in some cases – impossible to get back. As environmental stewards process where we are at this moment in America, it’s time to double down. Vital lands and resources are once again at risk, and it’s up to us to protect them. For a preview of the kinds of changes waiting ahead, the folks at Alt National Park shared this impact list compiled from 4 years ago.

Seek out the causes that are important to you: local lands, state & national parks, tribal lands, ocean health, endangered organisms. Join groups that monitor environmental issues so that you have enough notice to take action when needed. In addition to the ones mentioned in the linked article (Earthjustice, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, National Resources Defense Council), I would also mention Southern Environmental Law Center and The Nature Conservancy.

Donate your time, your talents, and money if you are able. As always, convince others that these issues are important. Remember, there is no Planet B and birds, insects, and animals have only us to speak for them. Let’s get busy.

This is How a Robin Drinks (the book)

 

The author of this new book is absolutely a kindred spirit for me. This is a collection of urban nature essays that remind you that nature is right outside our door. I first heard of Jo Brichetto’s Sidewalk Nature blog from my friend Gail in Nashville, TN. Subtitled “Everyday wonders in everyday habitat loss,” my own experiences in Georgia can validate what she is experiencing just 4 hours north of me.

The stories of her exploring nature at baseball fields while her child played (I mean, you might as well, right?); shouting out findings to anyone with her (“Coopers hawk!”); getting excited that someone was taking a picture of a hackberry (“That man sees that tree!”); all of these are my same types of ups and downs (he didn’t see that tree after all) that come with living in urban nature.

This collection of essays is grouped by season but they are perfect for anytime. If you’re a Southerner, you’ll enjoy her easy conversational style, sprinkled with the expressions we all grew up with (and if not, you’ll be amused by them at least). Most importantly, these are stories of someone living with nature every day: in every walk and car ride; with every sound, smell, and wayward leaf; and sharing it as much as possible with those who will listen … and learn.

In the catalpa story in the spring section, we discover someone did listen (and those rewards keep us all going). I’ll let you read about that yourself but leave you with her delightful description of the flowers: 

“Catalpa blooms such blooms. Big, frilly, and so exotic I’d never buy them if they were in a flower shop, which they aren’t, and if I bought cut flowers, which I don’t. They look like some made-up tropical thing on a sunscreen bottle, but catalpa is a native tree. They are as Nashville as Osage orange or black locust, and nearly as redneck as a hackberry.”

Catalpa speciosa

American Weeds in Japan

 

I visited Japan earlier this month and was surprised to spot several of our native plants behaving badly in unmanaged spaces such as along railroad tracks and on the edges of fields. The first one I noticed was mare’s tail (Erigeron canadensis syn. Conyza canadensis), an annual plant that was growing in cracks and untended sidewalk plots near our hotel in Tokyo. It was amusing to see this little weed work its way into the urban environment.

Solidago altissima

Erigeron canadensis

A trip to Mt. Fuji took us by train through rural areas and revealed a far more serious invasive: tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima). The spread of this plant in large groups and across large areas was disturbing (no pun intended). This website explains that it was intentionally brought in as an ornamental and for honeybee support around 1900 and tends to be its most aggressive in untended areas.

Aggressive spread of goldenrod

Other invasive American plants can be found on this list, including giant and common ragweed (Ambrosia), broomsedge (Andropogon), tickseed (Bidens), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), and ticktrefoil (Desmodium). I personally saw all these things just in our short visit and limited travels.

Giant ragweed

Pokeweed

I saw other American natives being used deliberately as ornamentals such as black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) and scarlet hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus). A visit to an ornamental garden in the Mt Fuji area found plants like sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), and muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris).

Other exotic plants that are invasive for us were also invasive for them, of course, but I was also particularly on the lookout for some of their native plants that are invasive to us—kudzu and Japanese knotweed, for example—and I did see them growing rampantly in untended areas, especially along railways. I also was curious about finding their native Jorō spiders and we did, particularly in the more natural areas around Mt Fuji. The webs were big and communal, just like here.

Cryptomeria japonica at
Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine 

My trip would not have been complete without admiring some of their beautiful Japanese maples both in gardens and in the wild. 

We also found lots of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), both in the wild and at temples and shrines (these enormous trees are sometimes called Japanese Temple Cedars and are quite revered). Azaleas were not blooming but they were frequently used as urban street shrubs, and of course Japanese cherry trees were everywhere (again, not blooming).

October 2024 Moment in Nature

While autumn temperatures may go up and down, confusing humans as to whether it's "fall fall" or just "false fall," the plants know what to do. Late season native fruits are ripening and one that I always look out for is our native persimmon (Diospyros virginiana). 

I found this one on a tree near my neighborhood, same as every year, and the comfort of natural rhythms is very soothing in an ever-changing world.

While this particular discovery is my #momentinnature for this month, I will share with you a previous instance, full of the mischief of the upcoming holiday.

Strange Fruit: Oak Galls

Native oaks (Quercus spp.) are keystone species for insects and the ecosystems in Georgia. Over 550 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) use them as a host plant, and their larvae (caterpillars) are important sources of food for birds and other predators. Other insects rely on oaks too and sometimes their use of oaks creates growths that might appear to be flowers or fruit. These growths are the plants’ response to the egg-laying activities of small wasps or midges. According to this article, there are around 800 different types of galls to be found on oaks in the US/Mexico/Canada areas.

I have seen a number of different types of oak galls in my area and I have pictures of some but not all of them. I will supplement this post with photos from others (each image is credited unless it is mine). Perhaps the most noticeable of the oak galls in my area is the Wool Sower Gall. When it is at its best, it is a fluffy white ball with red spots created at leaf buds. Identification groups get dozens of requests to identify “this tree” when the galls are prolific.

Wool Sower Gall on white oak (Quercus alba)

Some galls are leaf galls – meaning the tiny insects lay eggs in the leaf – while others are stem galls. A friend of mine recently found an excellent example of a mid-rib type of gall, perhaps the Clustered Midrib Gall Wasp (Andricus dimorphus).

Mid-rib leaf gall (D. Lane photo)

Another fairly noticeable type is the Oak Apple Gall. By the time most people find it on the ground where it fell, it is a lightweight, papery husk.

Oak Apple Gall (Joe Boggs photo)

One year there was an abundance small, hard red galls that look like aborted fruits. The identification groups in Georgia got numerous questions on what tree produced these.

Small galls that look like fruits (wasp larva in center)

In researching for this article, I found great information on an Ohio website. It contains a number of articles on the different types of oak galls. It is one of the few sites that presents information without trying to give guidance on how to kill them. 

Most galls seem harmless to the tree, but some can cause minor twig damage. None are fatal to the host plant. The diversity of shapes and sizing is incredible. Look out for galls on your oak trees and be amazed at what nature can do.

A Collection of October Posts

 

This blog is seasonal. Every week the topic has something to do with what’s happening: in the yard, in the season, even what’s happening with me. For those of you who haven’t been following since day 1 (Mapleleaf viburnum: October 14, 2010), you can still enjoy the posts by scrolling through the archives on the right side of the blog.

I find it entertaining to occasionally go back and see what I posted about in the same season, even in the same month. October can be such a good month for being outdoors, enjoying an abundance of fall flowers, and delighting in the beginning of the fall color season. Here are a few of my favorite October posts over the last few years.

October is a great time to fall in love with our native asters. I have posted about them several times over the years, highlighting the different species in my area (with more in this post too) as well as tried to demystify the species of small white ones. Not only are asters number two on the list of keystone perennials, but they also are huge sources of late season nectar and pollen for native bees and butterflies. Add more to your garden!

New England aster

It’s a good time to evaluate or appreciate what you have in the home garden. Is your garden supporting the fall migration of butterflies like the Monarch? This post highlights some fall nectar plants (spoiler alert, it mentions asters as well as other plants). This earlier post is similar but you might find it inspiring.

Monarch on Blue mistflower

Other posts that seek to inspire you include this one with the Lorax to remind us that we have the power to make change in a positive direction. This next one specifically talks about including host plants for our native butterflies. It has a printable chart. This third post is your reminder to be diverse in the garden, not just for host plants but for nectar too.

If you’re just done with flowers and want to bask in the glow of the trees, here are two posts for you. One is about planting native trees that give you double duty or the more recent “Get a Tree That Does More.” Dreaming about driving up to the mountains for leaf-watching? Bring It Home: Fall Color gives you ideas for having good fall color in your own yard.

 

Talk to Your Neighbors about Native Plants

As we learn more about the benefits of using native plants, it is natural to want to spread that information to neighbors, friends, and family about why it matters. What I’ve found is that people are surprisingly open to learning more but usually appreciate help in making changes. Here are some ideas for spreading the native plant message among friends. 

1. Introduce the idea: You might play off areas of interest like birds (“I noticed you like to feed the birds”) and butterflies (“I love butterflies but I haven’t seen many this year, have you?”) and then talk about how native plants support them better. Explain about how you learned that diminishing landscapes with native plants have contributed to declines in birds and insects and that you’ve been swapping out some of your plants to help them. 

2. Validate how people feel if they mention specific plants. “I loved that as a child but now I know that it doesn’t support our insects.” “Now I know that using a native plant is more helpful.” “You know, when we know better, we can do better.” Use my food chart example to illustrate that we don’t have to get rid of all exotic plants.

3. Explain terms like exotic and invasive to convey that only some exotic plants are a problem. Include concepts about how the bad ones can disrupt the ecosystem and that wildlife/wind/water spread your seeds to other places; it's not always obvious to the person who has the plant.

4. Address concerns (Won't it be messy?). We know that we can use design principles to have aesthetically pleasing gardens with native plants. Encourage people to take it one step at a time and not be overwhelmed. 

Example of intentional design

5. Provide information like resources from the Georgia Native Plant Society and Homegrown National Park. Share social media groups (Facebook), people to follow (Instagram, TikTok), blogs, and podcasts that you have found helpful. 

6. Offer to help if you can: help dig up old shrubs for older people or offer to help research some ideas for replacements or where to buy them. Share some of your favorite native plant extras!

Feel free to use my graphics and my blog posts to illustrate concepts or provide recommendations. Spread the word!

September 2024 Moment in Nature

The diversity of native insects is amazing. I am always thrilled to find a less common one. This week found me leading a walking at Stone Mountain (where the number of Stone Mountain daisies was woefully down!). As we came down the trail we found a pair of walkingstick insects on a sign. What a way to brighten our day! It is definitely my #momentinnature for this month.

Walkingstick insects (there are two)

After some light research, it would appear these are the common walkingstick, Diapheromera femorata. These insects are herbivores. You can read more about them here.

Keep your eyes out for cool stuff! And if you're also missing the sight of Stone Mountain daisies (Helianthus porteri), here a photo from another year.

Helianthus porteri, an annual native sunflower

Ferns of Georgia

 

There are over 100 ferns native to Georgia and the Southeastern US. Some are big and bold while others are tiny, single-frond plants. Some spread on their own while others clump in a very tidy fashion. Like many native plants, some have evolved to live in special conditions (wet areas, rocky outcrops); quite a few of them are garden suitable and I’ve written about those Georgia ferns before. 

Christmas fern

Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is one of our most well-known species for dryish shade; it is native to most of the state except for the coast; I profiled it in 2018 and included some landscape usage photos.

Recently I attended a talk about native ferns at our local chapter meeting. The speaker had a copy of a useful reference book that I had not seen before: Ferns of Alabama. Plants don’t follow state lines and there is a huge amount of overlap between the two states so this a good companion to our Georgia reference, Field Guide to the Ferns and Other Pteridophytes of Georgia. 

The books are not new; the Alabama one is 2012 and my copy of the Georgia one is 1986 but they apparently updated in 2003.

Both references have good introductory sections that I encourage folks to read because they give you a better understanding of how these plants grow (physical details of fern growth), how geology and geography affect what ferns grow where, as well as identification details for the different fern families.

The Georgia book has line drawings only but they are quite excellent, often including some important detail of the sori (reproductive structure). The Alabama book has line drawings as well as photographs. The Alabama book requires you to turn the page to see all the photos/text associated with one species, meaning that if the book is open then you might be looking at the description for one species and the photos of the previous one. I find that potentially confusing. The Georgia book shows everything on the same page spread.

Neither book has the latest Scientific names (and that is true for printed materials in a changing world), but the old name is easily cross-referenced using a resource like Flora of the Southeastern US (New York fern, as an example, is now Amauropelta noveboracensis, but you can easily use the old name Thelypteris noveboracensis to find the new name).

If you’re using these as a field guide, each book includes a natural range map by county, indicating where they grow in the wild. Each of them includes a few exotic ferns that have naturalized (although they don’t include one of the more recent naturalized ferns that I profiled in 2022).

I encourage you to get to know the ferns of your particular area and consider using them in your landscape for both beauty and functionality. While the ecosystem usage of these primitive plants is not as obvious as the host plants we use for insects, they serve as attractive and useful plantings, especially in shadier areas.