This lil Monarch chonk has now eaten the second Aquatic Milkweed down to its stems, save for one section of it. Hungry and happy. Hoping there’s enough left for it to pupate and do its thing
@plants #Alberta#MayPlantCount
Caltha palustris / Marsh Marigold - we always called them Cowslips, but no connection to the Engllish Primula by that name! I just call them Caltha, my only species locally...lol
They are abundant in seasonally/wet habitats here, both open and wooded. The colour varies only a little (biright yellow to nearly orange,) but flower size and sepal (not actually petals!) shape vary considerably. #Wildflower#NativePlants#CountryLiving#BloomScrolling#florespondence
Native bee trying to warm up on a Romneya petal. Today, we're almost 10F below average and expecting heat wave in a few days. Bee is possibly a Melissodes.
The Hairy Beardtongue is flowering early in the gardens. Other Beardtongue varieties will follow. Two varieties of native bumblebees are climbing in the blossoms this afternoon, small and medium. The pollinators are happy with the habitat twenty years in. We are fortunate. #pollinators, #growyourown, #minnesota, #nativeplants.
#YellowRattle is used proactively to create & restore wildflower meadows, where it aids #biodiversity by suppressing dominant grasses & recycling of #soil nutrients. This improves chances of other species of wildflowers becoming established.
This is one of the best #NoTill#plants to sow if you're into #rewilding projects at your home & around your community. It's really easy to get yellow rattles established & an excellent choice if you're unable or don't want to till any topsoil. Scatter seeds across mowed lawn & water once - nature will help with the rest. It doesn't require good soil. You can tap a few seeds in the wild in late Summer to start your meadow rewilding. Seed pods are silver gray & sound like a rattle.
Oregon sunshine(Eriophyllum lanatum) sparkling among the grasses: this is one of the natives volunteers assiduously planted in their park restoration efforts. Last year I only spotted one, this year it looks like they are spreading nicely. The wild bees are having a ball among all the new flowers. #Photography#PNW#SeattleWashington#Restoration#Rewilding#NativePlants
@plants Another for #Alberta#MayPlantCount
Antennaria species: not one of the small silver rosette Pussytoes, this one is also rosette and mat forming, but larger than the silvers, medium green leaves(they darken over the season) with white backs, and flowers are earlier than the silvers. This patch is beside the house, growing in a (not yet this year) mowed area with dandelions, clover, grass + #NativePlants Viola adunca, Fragaria virginiana, etc.#WildflowerHour#florespondence#nature
Some #FirstNations used the #elderberry#wood to make musical instruments, like flutes, clappers & small whistles & smoking implements. The soft wood was used as a spindle twirling stick to make fire by friction.
On Memorial Day, I took a day off from the garden to visit one of the most famous spots in the Cascade range (Washington State) for plant geeks. It's called Perry Creek, about 90 minutes NE of Seattle. A unique coincidence of topography and weather patterns allows about 250 species of native plants to thrive in a small valley. It has a special protected status under the National Forest Service. A meandering plant photo thread.
1/n #nativeplants #bloomScrolling #gardening #PNW #hiking
Perry Creek plant safari cont'd. Now for some plants I can't identify....Photo 1 & 2: this is obviously a fern but as it's barely unfurling I can't tell which. Lovely nonetheless. Lady fern perhaps? Photos 3 & 4: This flower is a real stumper. Notice the variegated foliage. At first I thought it was foam flower but that little yellow flower is not right for that. Anyone recognize it?
11/n #nativeplants#bloomScrolling#gardening#PNW#hiking