Another beautiful “weed” now growing in my back yard is the common buttercup. This variety, sometimes called the creeping buttercup, has stubborn roots and can be the devil to get rid of, but the flowers are certainly delicate and lovely. Buttercups are generally perennials, but unlike many wildflowers, they are poisonous. Livestock that grazes in a field overrun with buttercups can get … [Read more...]

  Roses are red, my love Violets are blue Sugar is sweet, my love But not as sweet as you   So go the lyrics of “Roses are Red” by Bobby Vinton, circa 1962. I think of that song and slow dancing at Myrtle Beach when I drive through the hillsides of Virginia in early spring. That’s when the “Violets of Blue” are at their peak, often draping in splendid clusters along … [Read more...]

  We first saw the first field of purple along Rt. 460 near Waverly. The further south we drove, the more plentiful and the more spectacular these fields became. By the time we hit the NC state line on our way to Nags Head, the fields of purple were breath-taking. The blooms from the small ground plants glowed like the reflection of a splendid purple gem. There are many farmers and … [Read more...]

  Halloween is over, but there is still some scary stuff out there. According to Virginia’s DWR, there are some invasive species in our state that pose a threat to our native plants and animals. Feral hogs, for example. Below is DWR’s report. Feral hogs (feral pigs, wild pigs, wild boar, etc.) in Virginia are defined as “any swine that are wild or for which no proof of ownership can … [Read more...]

  Whoever named the Redbud tree had to have been a guy. Half of us are color blind, you know, and the namer-of-redbud trees was not on top of his game. They are no more red than the man in the moon. They are bright pink, maybe, or a deep lilac or perhaps magenta, but they are definitely not red. They are, however, beautiful and they are at their peak now in  Central Virginia. Redbuds … [Read more...]

Lots of folks are out and about this time of year, admiring the changing leaves and all their colors. I suggest instead of looking up at the leaves to look down along the roadsides where there is even more beauty. One of the most stunning plants growing wild beside our roads is sumac. The most common is Smooth Sumac and the colorations range from blaze orange to a deep burgundy. The plant, a tree … [Read more...]

I have become fascinated with all the beautiful weeds and wildflowers that grow literally on the sides of our roads. One I have noticed in recent weeks is a lovely bluish, purple flower that I believe is wild chicory, sometimes called a blue daisy, blue dandelion or horseweed. It has just recently bloomed and I see it in clusters. Like many other of these oft-ignored plant/weeds, it is quite … [Read more...]

The crop of goldenrod this fall has outdone itself. Standing tall, often along a spread of Black-Eyed Susans, goldenrod provides a colorful sea of gold and yellow along our roads and highways. Yeah, but goldenrod is the stuff that causes all those allergies. Get rid of it. Not so fast. Goldenrod is frequently blamed for allergies caused by ragweed. Ragweed, which often grows alongside … [Read more...]

  From the Middle Neck of Virginia to the Shenandoah Valley and throughout Central Virginia, black-eyed Susans are standing tall and proud – and beautiful. I have never seen such displays of radiant yellow. The friendly wildflowers are simply stunning his year. It amazes me all that grows beside the roads, along the interstates and back roads. The little strips of dirt between the … [Read more...]