- Curious about something you saw while walking in the woods? Spot the coolest bug ever? The prettiest flower and butterfly? Stumble on a rock and found a fossil? Or was it? This is the place to show your discoveries and share in the knowledge of the natural world right outside our doors. Join in the fun everyday at The Daily Bucket.
May 2014
It's that time of the year again - dewberries are coming on strong and it's a race to get to them first - the birds, bugs or me. Of the 200+ species of
Rubus or Blackberry, 4 natives are found in North Florida. I'm guessing this is Southern Dewberry (
R. trivialis), the most common in my area. The stems are bristly but tend to run along the ground. Run, root, shoot out another runner, and on it goes. No doubt I could spend more time studying about
Rubus and figuring out the differences and maybe even identify those others that do form the heavy brambles. When I see stalks 8-10 feet long arching out, ready to snag and ensnare, well, just stay away, the berries aren't worth it.
Pretty aren't they? You can almost taste them in that photo. If you look close, you may see my reflection in the fruit. Black means ripe; red means wait another week.
The vine above with the simple green leaves is Yellow Jessamine. Sometimes you see a beautiful dead-ripe berry next to a familiar 3-leaf vine. Poison Ivy - as tempting as it is, I leave those berries for the birds.
Onward below the fold for a few more photos of things I found yesterday.
Also growing among the dewberry is Finger-rot or Cnidoscolus stimulosus in the Spurge family. And yes, the fine hairs will sting you as badly as any nettle. Another common name is Tread-softly but when I pointed out this plant to the grandson, Finger-rot sounded a lot cooler.
Dewberries are growing at the top of my slope in the sunny areas. Yesterday I wandered down to the bottom where water has been sitting for the last 2 months. Lots of ferns down under the big Tulip Poplars, Sweetbay Magnolia and Spruce Pine - also the invasive Japanese Climbing Fern (
Lycodium)
I can't believe I missed pulling this hefty vine with the new spring growth when I did my usual winter invasive cleanup.
Ya never know what might jump out at you this time of the year, hidden in all the trees and underbrush. Or fly out! I walk thru slowly, my head on a swivel, and there is a flash of brown to the right. Looking over I see this nest head-high in a tree right along my trail.
I took the photo by holding my iPhone above my head and aiming down and hoping. No idea which bird species. I thought I saw a wood-thrush but then its eggs are not speckled like these.
Yesterday someone commented in the Daily Bucket about Northern Catalpa. I replied about the Southern Catawba I found in bloom.
and a closeup. I wish I had a few growing in my yard but I never seem to get around to starting the seeds I save from last fall.
This tree was blooming yesterday and it really threw me with blooms hanging down under the leaves and looking like blueberry. A simple search of trees that I know populate my woods and I came up with
Sourwood. Of course it is, it's in the heath family just like blueberry or fetterbush or doghobble - all those plants with creamy-white, tiny bell-shaped blooms. Well, now I know.
Update - Or I thought I knew :) An astute comment by Salixquercus correctly IDs the tree as Persimmon. Golly - how could I miss that one?
A Bucket from last May showing other bloomers in my yard - pretty much the same.
Awake really early this morning with some bug crawling on my neck. No idea what it was as I snatched and threw. When you live in Florida, you develop instinctive reactions to bugs, even when asleep. It's gonna be a long hot humid day, but at least I've had a few hours to play with this diary and drink coffee. 7 AM now and the Cardinals are out and flitting around. Guess I'll publish now and see if there are any other early birds.
And The Daily Bucket is now open for your thoughts and observations. Thank you...
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