Tag: Flora
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Black Cherry
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina – Wikipedia) is native to eastern USA, from eastern Oklahoma and north of the middle of Florida. The Black Cherry tree is commonly referred to as the “potato chip tree”, because the bark of a mature tree is large broken patches with upturned edges. Black Cherry flowers have 5 small white…
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American Hophornbeam
American Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana – Wikipedia) (aka Ironwood) is native to eastern USA, from east of the Mississippi and north of northern Florida. Hophornbeam bark looks like cat scratches and is frequently called cat scratch bark tree. Hophornbeam flowers are called catkins and bloom in early spring. The flowers are either male or female. Trees in…
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Garlic Mustard (Invasive)
From Judy S. On the Work Day last Saturday, a few of us walked up the path from the main entrance toward Platt Road to check out the garlic mustard status. Phil asked how you could differentiate garlic mustard from other plants. I was a bit dismissive, having 20 years of pulling it under my…
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Pokeweed
Pokeweed (phytolacca americana) is also known as dragonberries, inkberry and poke sallet. It has a reddish stem, green and white flowers and, in the fall purplish leaves and grape like berries. Pokeweed is native to Michigan, eastern and south North America. It is seasonally edible. In the spring the shoots and leaves of pokeweed are edible but…
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Weeds or Wildflowers
What’s a Weed? The answer to that question is a lot more complicated than you might think. Some weeds are considered wildflowers and are welcomed in your garden. Other weeds are edible. Still others have been used in folk medicine over the years. The most common definition is “a weed is something that is growing…
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Cattails and Phragmites
When I was growing up in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, in the ditches, streams or marshland one would see cattails. The brown top that looks like fuzzy hotdogs were commonplace. In the 80’s, I first noticed this grassy plant in the ditches, that I now know as phragmites. Typha latifolia is commonly known as…
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Full Moon Serenade (Beaver Moon) – November 5, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
WHO: Everybody is welcome WHAT: Singing at the benches by the pond. WHERE: Meet at the main entrance to Scarlett Mitchell Woods (the kiosk west of Scarlett Middle School and south of the bus turnaround loop). WHEN: 7:00 PM Wednesday November 5, 2025 WHY: Get a different view of the woods in the dark. See…
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Weeds and Seeds Nature Walk – Saturday, October 11 @ 10:00 AM
WHO: Everybody is welcome WHAT: Walk along the edge of the woods, check out the Scarlett rain garden and walk down to the pond if mosquitoes allow to look for plants that bear the word WEED in their names and others that are often thought of as weeds, especially if they grow in your garden:…
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Full Moon Nature Walk (November 16, 2024)
WHO: Everybody is welcome WHAT: Join us for a meditative walk to the pond to experience woods in the dark. WHERE: Meet at the main entrance to Scarlett Mitchell Woods (the kiosk west of Scarlett Middle School and south of the bus turnaround loop). WHEN: 6:00 PM Saturday November 16, 2024 WHY: Get a different…
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Maple
Maple (acer) is a hardwood tree. Maple timber is commonly used in flooring and furniture-making. Maple syrup is made from the sap of some maple species including sugar maples (acer saccharum). Maple tree pests are fungus, caterpillars, aphids and Asian long-horned beetles. The maple leaves are palmately (like a hand) lobed. The leaves are in pairs…