09.30.07 ROADSIDE WILDINGS

A moment's bouquet to calm the nerves.

07.01.07 POKED

The amazing poke plant, Phytolacca americana, has shot up along the roadsides. Now three to four feet tall. its delicate flowers have just begun to appear.

04.13.07 OAK FLOWERS

Spring light gives new leaves a revealing glow; our eyes make us witness to the return of life energy within. These red oak (Quercus rubra) leaves and flowers dangle from the trees planted throughout the city giving the town a festive appearance. Again, springtime reveals colors we won't see again until fall.

04.04.07 PAWPAW

This extreme close-up shows the tiny flowers (about the size of a dime) of the pawpaw tree. This fascinating tree fills the understory of the woods around the streams in our neighborhood. In the spring these mahogany-colored flowers emit a slight fetid odor which attracts flies which are their chief pollinator. Pawpaws create a large and unusual fruit which we find among the leaves of autumn. The green-yellow oddly-shaped fruit has a custardy texture with a banana-mango flavor. This pawpaw is Asimina triloba, the northernmost member of the custardapple family -- typically a tropical plant. An amazing side note is that this tree is the only host of the zebra swallowtail butterfly!