Joe-Pye-Weed, Eupatorium purpureum.  Also known as Queen of the Meadow.

 

It's a tall wildflower, 2 - 12 feet, with a large rounded pink flower head.  Often they grow in clumps, but sometimes you see single ones.  There are a few growing down by the creek.  You can also see them on both sides of Moccasin Church Road.  

 

According to folklore, Joe Pye was a Native American medicine man who made a tonic from the roots.  The early American colonists used it to treat an outbreak of typhus.  

 

Do look for Joe-Pye-Weed in your travels.  They're beautiful and prevalent right now.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, this is NOT a test, but you already know this tree.  (hint:  root beer flavoring.)

 

I saw it yesterday showing beautiful fall color.  I couldn't help taking its picture.

 

Be on the lookout for more Autumn SASS around our beautiful mountains.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

I hope you are enjoying my series on Tree identification.  I am having fun writing it.

I know a little about trees from Horticulture school, and I love researching each tree further, to present them in an informative and entertaining way.  This way my books are getting used, and we're all learning something new.

 

Black gum,  Nyssa sylvatica.  Medium height, slow growing, deciduous trees reaching 30 - 70 feet.  I'm mentioning this tree NOW because they are already beginning to show fall color:  brilliant red leaves scattered among the glossy green ones.  You may have also noticed dark blue berry stains on the pavement.  The berries are relished by black bears and over 30 species of birds, including wild turkeys.

 

Black gum is also called Sour gum or black tupelo, and the lumber is used for furniture, boxes, and crates.  

 

Next time you are out, I hope you will notice a bit of fall color.  It's already started on our mountain.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

 

 

Mockernut Hickory.  Carya tomentosa.  There are lots of different Hickory trees, but I'm fairly sure most of the ones in my yard are Mockernut Hickory.  

 

They are medium to tall deciduous trees.  The best time to spot them is in the fall, when they turn golden yellow.  Otherwise, if they are in your yard, you know by skidding on the nuts underfoot, and new shoots coming up where the squirrels have buried them.

 

Further inspection shows that the leaves generally have 7 - 9 leaflets, and the undersides and twigs are pale orange-brown and hairy.  The nuts are ball or egg shaped with a thick husk not splitting to the base.  

 

I've read that the nuts are edible, but I've never been THAT hungry.

 

I'll post another picture of Hickory in the fall when they are in their glory.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

I read in The Old Farmer's Almanac that the next few days are good for planting!!

 

August 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are good days for planting flowers, and other aboveground crops.

I'm excited about planting mustard, spinach, and kale in my garden for the fall.

 

I'm also looking forward to planting my pots for the winter, but I have to wait for tulip bulbs and pansies to get to the garden center.  So I'll have to wait til September, I guess.  I'll let you know when the good planting days are in September.

 

Gotta run...

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

Sassafras.  Sassafras albidum.  Abundant in our woods.  Can reach 90 feet, typically 10 - 50 feet.

 

The leaves of Sassafras are quite distinctive.  They are three lobed, two lobed (looking like a mitten) and single lobed.  All three shapes are usually present on a single tree, as you can see in the picture above.  They have a spicy smell when crushed.

 

The Spicebush Swallowtail and Tiger Swallowtail butterflies depend on Sassafras for their larvae.  We've seen Sassafras and Spicebush growing side by side on the Creekside Trail.  I love to spot them in early spring when they bloom, before the leaves emerge.

 

The lumber of Sassafras was used for barrels, buckets, and dugout canoes.   The berries are eaten by songbirds, wild turkey, and black bears.  Deer love to browse on the twigs.  Sassafras was the original flavoring for root beer, and some people enjoy a tea made by boiling the bark of the roots.

 

As with all wild edibles, use caution when first ingesting it, using it sparingly.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

Tulip poplar.  Liriodendron tulipifera.  Deciduous, conical shaped, great shade trees, can reach 100 feet.

Some people see them as weeds because they grow so fast!!  Not me, I love them!!  

 

So do honey bees.  They bloom in late spring, about the same time as blackberries.  Bees collect nectar from both and turn it into wildflower honey.  

 

Tiger Swallowtail butterflies use them as hosts.  They overwinter in the pupa stage, and hatch out in early spring. They are one of the first butterflies we see in spring.

 

The flowers are shaped like tulips, and are green and orange.  Even the leaves are shaped like tulips!  

 

You may know tulip poplar from the building supply department at Home Depot.  They call it yellow poplar.  It was used for masts in the process of shipbuilding, due to the straightness of the trunk before branching.  I suppose that contributes to its value in building materials:  straight grain.

 

Next time you're in the woods and you see a tall, straight, grayish trunk, look up, and you'll probably think of a ship's mast.  I hope you do.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

TODAY IS ALL ABOUT THE ECLIPSE!!!

 

I'm pretty sure this is a Red spotted purple butterfly on my marigolds.  I've seen it around a lot lately, sipping nectar from my marigolds and zinnias.  

 

I've seen a couple of Monarchs too, but they don't stick around long.  They are looking for milkweed, and I only have one plant.  Hardly enough to feed many Monarchs.

 

I try to provide a variety of nectar and host plants in my garden.  Many flowers produce nectar, but butterflies have their favorites.   Black-eyed Susan,  Joe-Pye weed,  Liatris,  Coreopsis,  Pentas,  Asters,  Butterfly weed,  Lantana, Purple coneflower,  and  Butterfly bush  are the Top Ten Nectar Plants according to the Stokes Butterfly Book.  Most butterflies will feed on these.

 

They are also very selective when it comes to where they lay their eggs.  They lay eggs on the type of plant their larvae want to eat when they hatch;  these are called "host plants."   There are only a few plants that attract three or more species of butterfly for egg laying.  Since the caterpillars eat the leaves, it's probably Nature's way for self preservation.  I've seen some serious chewage on host plants.

 

As I identify trees and plants in this blog, I'll try to remember to list which butterflies use them for host plants.  

 

So far I have talked about Persimmon (not a host plant for butterflies) and Chestnut (also not a host plant.)

Marigolds host Dainty sulphurs, and Milkweed is a host plant to Monarchs.  Dill, Parsley, Queen Anne's Lace, and Fennel all host Black swallowtails.  I keep lots of these plants in my garden.  

 

There are so many common trees and plants that host butterflies.  I'm excited to share them with you.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

Thursday was a good day for starting seeds, so I went over to Jim's, and we sowed seeds for orange and yellow Echinacea, and some special Black eyed Susies (Denver Daisies). Not sure WHAT will happen, but we can try....

 

I'm not very scientific, but I do love to experiment with seeds.  So, here we go.....we have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!