nature surprises

john — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:33:14 +0000

I am constantly awed by the variety and beauty of the plants I find growing at the fringes of my property. A small stand of milkweed has found an ideal location to grow amongst my rhus aromatica. As a child I was aware of milkweed for its pods full of seed parachutes that float on the wind and fill the air every summer. But I never realized until yesterday that milkweed flowers are so voluptuous and fragrant, like round lilacs. From the bees gathering nectar, the ants marching in orderly columns up and down the stem, the as yet unidentified predator insect patiently awaiting its next meal, to the earwigs hiding in the shady folds of the new top growth, these plants play host to an entire ecosystem.

eureka! a positive identification

john — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:16:51 +0000

For the past few years I’ve watched every spring as clumps of small white flowers emerge from clumps of what looks like waxy variegated grass. I don’t know how they found their way onto my property but they seem to thrive in the semi-shade on the north side of my property under the trees and even in the lawn. I liked them so much that I dug up several bunches of the bulbs and transplanted them along a stone wall. They are now in full bloom and look glorious. I’ve always wondered what they were so tonight I finally spent enough time at the computer to make what I think is a postive identification. They are Star of Bethlehem.

From Wikipedia -

Ornithogalum umbellatum (Star-of-Bethlehem, Grass Lily, Nap-at-Noon, Eleven-o’clock Lady), is a perennial bulbous flowering plant of the family Hyacinthaceae. It is native throughout most of southern and central Europe (north to Austria and Belgium), and in northwestern Africa and southwestern Asia. In North America, it has escaped its cultivation as a garden ornamental and can be found in many areas.

mediaOrganic » Wildflowers

nature surprises

eureka! a positive identification