#foamflower

[forestfeeling]

Really lovely spring evening tonite

[junyphotos]

‘Spring Symphony’

Foamflower

Tiarella Cordifolia

March 22nd, 2024

[faguscarolinensis]

Tiarella cordifolia / Heart-Leaved Foamflower at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, NC

[pnwnativeplants]

i think Tiarella trifoliata but not actually sure

[besprent-garden]

[vandaliatraveler]

Despite its undignified name, Muddy Creek is a lovely mountain stream that normally runs fast and clear on its steep descent to Cheat River. But after a week of heavy rain in NC-WV, the stream looked a bit murky yesterday. Not even the sediment washing away from the mountains dims its beauty in my eyes. And the enchanting, moss-encrusted forest along its bank holds its own late summer treasures.

From top: great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), which pairs beautifully with cardinal flower to provide late summer color in a native wildflower garden; white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata), which is the most common of the shade-loving white asters in this area; crooked-stemmed aster (Symphyotrichum prenanthoides), also known as zigzag aster, whose clasping, spatula-shaped leaves distinguish it from big-leaf aster, another woods-loving aster with lavender flowers; blue-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago caesia), whose spreading, yellow-flowered stems provide stunning late-season color in a native wildflower garden; an intensely-green collage of moss, woodland stonecrop (Sedum ternatum), Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) and heartleaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), which I am trying hard to reproduce in my own native wildflower shade garden; the shaggy-maned stem of Coker's Amanita (Amanita cokeri), one of the most impressive mushrooms of Appalachia's summer forests; beech-drops (Epifagus virginiana), a parasitic plant that grows and subsists on beach tree roots; the bright red berries of false Solomon's seal (Maianthemum racemosum); yellow jewelweed (Impatiens pallida), whose explosive seed pods give the plant its other common name, pale touch-me-not; and narrow-leaved tick-trefoil (Desmodium paniculatum), also known as panicled tick-trefoil, a late summer pea whose sticky seed pods commonly hitch rides on shoes and boots.

[diyandcrafting]

Glitter Foam Sheet Crafts Idea

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Word List: Flower

beautiful words with "flower" to plant in your next poem/story

Blanketflower - gaillardia—i.e., any of a genus (Gaillardia) of American composite herbs with showy flower heads

Cuckooflower - a bitter cress (Cardamine pratensis) of Eurasia and North America; ragged robin (i.e., a perennial herb, Lychnis flos-cuculi, of the pink family cultivated for its pink flowers with narrow-lobed petals)

Dayflower - any of a genus (Commelina) of herbs of the spiderwort family having one petal smaller than the other two

Flowerage - a flowering process, state, or condition

Floweriness - of, relating to, or resembling flowers; marked by or given to rhetorical elegance

Foamflower - a spring-flowering herb (Tiarella cordifolia) of eastern North America that has white flowers with long stamens and no stem leaves; also called: false miterwort

Gillyflower - carnation (i.e., a plant of any of numerous often cultivated and usually double-flowered varieties or subspecies of an Old World pink, Dianthus caryophyllus, found in many color variations; also: a moderate red; archaic: the variable color of human flesh)

Globeflower - any of a genus (Trollius) of plants of the buttercup family usually with globose yellow or orange flowers

Nonflowering - producing no flowers; specifically: lacking a flowering stage in the life cycle

Pasqueflower - any of several anemones with palmately compound leaves and large usually white or purple early spring flowers

Passionflower - any of a genus (Passiflora) of chiefly tropical woody tendriled climbing vines or erect herbs with usually showy flowers and pulpy often edible berries

Satinflower - honesty; blue-eyed grass; common chickweed; flannelflower; a plant or flower of the genus Godetia

Strawflower - any of several plants having everlasting flowers

Twinflower - a prostrate subshrub (Linnaea borealis) of the honeysuckle family that is found in cool regions of the northern hemisphere and has fragrant usually pink flowers

Waxflower - a climbing plant (Stephanotis floribunda) of Madagascar often cultivated in the greenhouse for its fragrant white flowers; an epiphytic tree (Clusia insignis) of British Guiana; indian pipe; spotted wintergreen

If any of these words make their way into your next poem/story, please tag me, or leave a link in the replies. I would love to read them!

More: Word Lists

[rebeccathenaturalist]

An App Does Not a Master Naturalist Make

Originally posted on my website at https://rebeccalexa.com/app-not-master-naturalist/ - I had written this as an op-ed and sent it to WaPo, but they had no interest, so you get to read it here instead!

I have mixed feelings about Michael Coren’s April 25 Washington Post article, “These 4 free apps can help you identify every flower, plant and tree around you.” His ebullience at exploring some of the diverse ecological community around him made me grin, because I know exactly what it feels like. There’s nothing like that sense of wonder and belonging when you go outside and are surrounded by neighbors of many species, instead of a monotonous wall of green, and that is a big part of what led me to become a Master Naturalist.

When I moved from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest in 2006, I felt lost because I didn’t recognize many of the animals or plants in my new home. So I set about systematically learning every species that crossed my path. Later, I began teaching community-level classes on nature identification to help other people learn skills and tools for exploring their local flora, fauna, and fungi.

Threeleaf foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata)

Let me be clear: I love apps. I use Merlin routinely to identify unknown bird songs, and iNaturalist is my absolute favorite ID app, period. But these tools are not 100% flawless.

For one thing, they’re only as good as the data you provide them. iNaturalist’s algorithms, for example, rely on a combination of photos (visual data), date and time (seasonal data), and GPS coordinates (location data) to make initial identification suggestions. These algorithms sift through the 135-million-plus observations uploaded to date, finding observations that have similar visual, seasonal, and location data to yours.

There have been many times over the years where iNaturalist isn’t so sure. Take this photo of a rather nondescript clump of grass. Without seed heads to provide extra clues, the algorithms offer an unrelated assortment of species, with only one grass. I’ve gotten that “We’re not confident enough to make a recommendation” message countless times over my years of using the app, often suggesting species that are clearly not what I’m looking at in real life.

Because iNaturalist usually offers up multiple options, you have to decide which one is the best fit. Sometimes it’s the first species listed, but sometimes it’s not. This becomes trickier if all the species that are suggested look alike. Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) and eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra) all have pinnately compound, lanceolate leaves, and young plants of these three species can appear quite similar. If all you know how to do is point and click your phone’s camera, you aren’t going to be able to confidently choose which of the three plants is the right one.

Coren correctly points out that both iNaturalist and Pl@ntNet do offer more information on suggested species—if people are willing to take the time to look. Too many assume ID apps will give an easy, instant answer. In watching my students use the app in person almost everyone just picks the first species in the list. It’s not until I demonstrate how to access the additional content for each species offered that anyone thinks to question the algorithms’ suggestions.

While iNaturalist is one of the tools I incorporate into my classes, I emphasize that apps in general are not to be used alone, but in conjunction with field guides, websites, and other resources. Nature identification, even on a casual level, requires critical thinking and observation skills if you want to make sure you’re correct. Coren’s assertion that you only need a few apps demonstrates a misunderstanding of a skill that takes time and practice to develop properly—and accurately.

Speaking of oversimplification, apps are not a Master Naturalist in your pocket, and that statement —while meant as a compliment–does a disservice to the thousands of Master Naturalists across the country. While the training curricula vary from state to state, they are generally based in learning how organisms interact within habitats and ecosystems, often drawing on a synthesis of biology, geology, hydrology, climatology, and other natural sciences. A Master Naturalist could tell you not only what species you’re looking at, but how it fits into this ecosystem, how its adaptations are different from a related species in another ecoregion, and so forth.

Map showing Level III and IV ecoregions of Oregon, the basis of my training as an Oregon Master Naturalist.

In spite of my criticisms, I do think that Coren was absolutely onto something when he described the effects of using the apps. Seeing the landscape around you turn from a green background to a vibrant community of living beings makes going outside a more exciting, personal experience. I and my fellow nature nerds share an intense curiosity about the world around us. And that passion, more than any app or other tool, is fundamental to becoming a citizen naturalist, Master or otherwise.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes or hiring me for a guided nature tour, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

[fishbphotography]

Foamflower

Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan

[iceclaw9753-photos]

A foamflower, with spring in full force a lot of flowers are blooming in the forest.

[justzamb]

Finally here we are with Part 3 in my series of peaceful floral Veilguard companions! Hello there, my future husband Lucanis. Lilacs for Lucanis. Symbolizing renewal, mysticism, love, and death. Others in the series: Davrin, Emmrich Also while you're enjoying all the amazing Veilguard hype, please keep an eye on and show your support for the SAG-AFTRA strike to protect game actors from misuse of A.I. technology!

I need someone to know that I drew about 50,000 different plants for this because I couldn't make a decision on what would fit best. Plants included: white baneberry, foxglove, dahlia, english ivy, wheat, lavender, pomegranate blossom, white lilies, carnations, roses, goldenrod, crow poison, foamflower, and oranges. I read this poem and was like alright, we're going with lilacs. Also, not super happy with this one but the point of the series is to finish and post things - not necessarily to achieve perfection. I've been sitting on this for over three weeks and it was time to just release it into the wild. Either Taash or Neve are up next!

[thatdruidgal]

Night-Blooming Plants

I focus a lot of my craft on lunar magick, so here is a list of my favorite night-blooming plants to put in my moon garden!

Moonflower

This vining perennial is perfect for vertical gardening using a trellis, pergola, or other supportive structure.

Maintenance: low

Water: drought-tolerant

Soil: well-drained soil

can become invasive — keep it in check by removing seed pods before they open

deer-resistant

Evening Primrose

Maintenance: very low

Water: drought-tolerant – little watering

Sun: full sun

Soil: well-drained soil

Night-Blooming Jasmine

Night-blooming jasmine can grow up to 10 feet tall, and its columnar shape is perfect for planting as a privacy screen or windbreak.

Maintenance: low

Water: water regularly

prune to shape

fertilize in summer every few weeks

Four O’Clocks

Maintenance: low

Water: drought-resistant

resistant to disease and pests

fertilize only if leaves turn pale green

Tuberose

Sun: full sun

Soil: well-drained soil

space them 8 inches apart in 2 feet of soil (to accommodate their growth)

add 3-4 inches of mulch to keep the soil moist

use slow-release fertilizer at the beginning of summer

Casablanca Lily

Maintenance: low

Soil: well-drained soil

perennial bulbs

deadhead blooms

Gardenia

Water: when soil feels dry (about twice per week)

Sun: full sun or partial shade

Soil: well-drained soil

flourishes in acidic soil

prune to shape

deadhead blooms

fertilize in summer every couple weeks

Night Gladiolus

Water: not much

Sun: full sun

Soil: well-drained soil

allow plenty of space

Night Phlox

Night Phlox is a low-growing ground cover.

Water: drought-tolerant, water regularly

Sun: full sun

Soil: well-drained soil

in-ground or in containers

Chocolate Daisy

Water: not much

Soil: well-drained soil

not much fertilizer or mulch

deadhead blooms

Evening Rain Lilies

Maintenance: low

Water: moderate

plant 6 inches apart

Foamflower

These perennial plants work great as a ground cover.

Maintenance: low

Water: keep soil moist

Sun: shade

deadhead blooms

resistant to deer, rabbits, disease and pests

Mock Orange

Reaching 10 to 12 feet high and wide, this is one of those night-blooming plants that works perfectly as a privacy hedge around your moon garden.

Maintenance: low

Water: when soil is dry

winter-hardy

fertilize yearly with compost, not nitrogen.

Dame’s Rocket

While grown as a biennial, the Dame’s Rocket can last for years because of its self-seeding nature.

Maintenance: low

Water: water regularly

deadhead blooms

resistant to disease and pests

Like what you see? Consider supporting me! ko-fi.com/thatdruidgal

[faguscarolinensis]

[neverfeltthewinterquitesodead]

tiarella cordifolia heartleaf foamflower albert fw vick jr, 1988, lady bird johnson wildflower center

[spiffyspidr]

I Am The Weeds In Your Garden

I am the weeds in your garden

I am the thorn trees in your lawn

I am the mulberry trees growing into your yard

Not your neatly mowed lawn of Kentucky bluegrass, nor your hostas or yellow flag iris with such beauty you regard

I am the yarrow and goldenrod

The American chestnut, sumac, and bloodroot

Not your lavender, dandelion, periwinkle, or olive

I am the weeds in your garden

I am not your prized roses

I am trillium and violets

I am red maple and sassafras and poplar

I am the weeds in you garden

I am not clover, or daffodils, or begonia

I am sorrel and raspberry and Canadian ginger

I am prairie smoke, columbine, strawberry, and spicebush

I am the weeds in your garden

I am foamflower, mayapple, phlox, trout lily, coneflower, and bellwort, and crabapple

Not hyacinth, or boxwood, or lilac

I am the weeds in your garden

I am the weeds you can't pull

I am pests you can't kill

I am all the trees you try to cut down

I will grow back stronger and faster and better

There's no keeping me out for long

You call me ugly and bitter

You think me an eyesore at glance

But sometimes the natural can contain more beauty than all of your ugly, invasive plants