Posts made in August, 2014

Poison Ivy: Early Color

Posted by on Aug 24, 2014 in adaptations, birds, leaves, poison ivy, seeds, summer | 0 comments

Poison Ivy: Early Color

It’s summer, it’s warm and sunny and the leaves are all green and blowing in the warm breeze, and school is out and life is good and whoa! What’s that? A red leaf. It’s like seeing a “Back-to-School Sale!” sign in the mall. A sudden warning that the summer has once more fled away and fall is imminent. But it’s not a whole tree going gold or scarlet; that happens later, in fall, right? It’s not October yet. This is just a warning shot—a single leaf here, a branch there. A vine suddenly goes red as a traffic light, bringing you up short. Why, though? Why do some plants abruptly turn bright...

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Heal-All: First Aid Kit

Posted by on Aug 18, 2014 in flowers, insects, Unmowed Blog, wildlife | 0 comments

Heal-All: First Aid Kit

Heal-all is a hardy, ubiquitous little wildflower–in fact, it’s found all over the world in temperate zones. On a mowed lawn it will flower at two inches high, though it can get knee-high in a meadow. The square stem and opposite leaves show that it’s in the mint family, though with no minty smell. A humble little plant, easy to overlook. But it’s often noticed by bumblebees–the short, strong stems and stubby flower heads are a handy perch for the portly insects, who need stalwart flowers to support their weight. Bumblebees are important plant pollinators whose...

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Is A Tomato A Fruit Or A Vegetable?

Posted by on Aug 4, 2014 in edible, plant parts, summer, Unmowed Blog | 1 comment

Is A Tomato A Fruit Or A Vegetable?

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? The answer to this question is easy. It just happens to change every time someone asks it.

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