Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • Musk thistle is a very spiky, invasive species from Eurasia and has now become a noxious weed throughout most of the world. This one was photographed in Logan County just outside of Sterling, Colorado.
    Musk Thistle
  • With its expansive range, this crown vetch is an invasive species with some benefit. The thick tangle of roots make this attractive Eurasian import with its odd-pinnate leaves very useful in preventing land erosion, and is often used as an ornamental ground cover. This particular one was photographed on the edge of a steep hillside in Iowa's Waubonsie State Park.
    Crown Vetch
  • The highly controversial and extremely invasive Himalayan blackberry is might be considered the classic success story if looked at from the the view of this extremely aggressive invasive plant. Why it is called the Himalayan blackberry is a mystery to me, but it originally comes from Armenia and Iran. Introduced to the East Coast of the United States in 1885, it is believed it was confused with a similar European species of blackberry and with the help of local birds who absolutely love the berries, it had reached reached the West Coast of North America. This plant grows fast, easily outcompetes native foliage and is extremely tough to eradicate. On the plus side, this particular blackberry puts out bumper-crops of blackberries every summer that are absolutely delicious. I often see bushes laid out flat on the ground under the weight of all the berries. These were found growing in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus)
  • An adult Cuban treefrog actively hunting late at night for prey among the foliage in Fort Myers, Florida. These aggressive and voracious natives to Cuba, the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas are wreaking havoc among Florida's native species of treefrogs, and are outcompeting them in terms of resources and habitat.
    Cuban Treefrog
  • An adult Cuban treefrog actively hunting late at night for prey among the foliage in Fort Myers, Florida. These aggressive and voracious natives to Cuba, the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas are wreaking havoc among Florida's native species of treefrogs, and are outcompeting them in terms of resources and habitat.
    Cuban Treefrog
  • This invasive Eurasian species of the pea family is found across nearly all of North America, from Mexico to Northern Canada, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. This beautiful bloomer was found found growing in the Loess Hills region of Southwestern Iowa.
    Crown Vetch
  • The parrot gladiolus is one of the ever-increasing number of once-invasive, now naturalized species of plants that have become wild and are commonly found throughout parts of North America. This gladiolus is native to South Africa and are becoming increasingly common throughout the American Southeast. This one was photographed south of Thomasville, Georgia. The largest populations I've seen in the wild were in the salt marshes of Florida's northern Gulf Coast.
    Parrot Gladiolus
  • When looking at the flower of the Himalayan blackberry, it's easy to see that it actually is a member of the rose family. A favorite of bees and loads of other wildlife who love the delicious sweet blackberries that come later in the summer, this highly invasive import which is actually from the Armenia area (not sure where the  Himalayan part of the name comes from)  thrives in the Pacific Northwest and is a major pest for gardeners and forest stewards all over the region. This one was found in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington on a beautiful summer afternoon.
    Himalayan Blackberry Flowers
  • Considered non-native and invasive from Europe (although there is some speculation that there is an American native subspecies) the elegant and creatively named common reed is an important wetland grass that is found in every state and province in North America except for Hawaii and Alaska, ranging as for north as the Canadian Northwest Territories. Growing to heights of 20 feet (6 meters) this enormous aquatic wetland grass can grow massive thickets providing refuge, seeds and food for wildlife. These were found and photographed in Hidalgo County in South Texas on the Rio Grande, which forms the US-Mexico border.
    Common Reed (Phragmites australis)
  • Field bindweed is an invasive and non-native member of the morning glory family that is widespread across most of North America. Although it has very beautiful  flowers, it is considered a pest and nuisance in gardens, such as this one growing in a field in northeastern Colorado.
    Field Bindweed
  • Sheep sorrel is a very widespread invasive member of the buckwheat family that originated from the Mediterranean region of Eurasia. Found in every state of the US and in every province of Canada, it is usually found in disturbed areas from the coastline to the sub-alpine elevations of mountain ranges across North America.
    Sheep Sorrel
  • We went specifically to see these exotic invasive lizards on the island of Boca Grande, Florida after hearing about how they are taking over the whole island. We saw about 100 in an afternoon.
    Spiny Iguana
  • This eastern cottontail rabbit seen here in western Washington is a non-native animal, introduced from the eastern states in the 1930's as a game animal, where it has since flourished.
    Eastern Cottontail
  • A one-time escapee from gardens and landscaping, the parrot gladiolus is here to stay. This one was photographed on the edge of a slash pine forest in southern Grady County in Georgia.
    Parrot Gladiolus
  • A close-up of the tiny flowers of sheep sorrel blooming in the Grand Tetons on a chilly summer day up in the Grand Teton Mountains.
    Sheep Sorrel
  • This beautifully annoying field and garden pest is here to stay. This member of the morning glory family is found all over North America except Alaska, the Yukon, Northwest Territories. It is found in all Canadian provinces excluding Newfoundland and Labrador, and some of the Caribbean islands. This one was photographed in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington on the Washington-Oregon border.
    Field Bindweed
  • This gorgeous knight anole was found in Fort Myers, Florida clinging to a melaleuca tree, and was the second I had seen in this area. These highly aggressive and largest of Florida's anoles are native to Cuba and have spread into South Florida. Anolis
    Knight Anole
  • Lawn orchid photographed on the edge of Loop Road, deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve.
    Lawn Orchid (Zeuxine strateumatica)
  • Lawn orchid found growing in Fort Myers, Florida but not in a completely wild location. This one along with about five others appeared in one of my cultivated orchid pots on my front porch!
    Lawn Orchid (Zeuxine strateumatica)
  • Considered an invasive species in North America, the Peruvian primrose-willow was introduced into the Sunshine State and many other places around the world for its beautiful yellow four-petalled flowers. These days it is a serious problem due to how fast this tall very bush grows and how easily it spreads, outcompeting coastal native plant species in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Texas Gulf Coast. This one was photographed in the Fakahatchee Strand in Collier County, Florida.
    Peruvian Primrose-Willow
  • An unusual hybrid find! Although kalanchoe succulents are known around the world as some of the most common houseplants in the world, this one goes by dozens if not more common names such as devil's backbone, alligator plant, Mexican hat plant, good luck plant, mother of thousands (should be mother of a thousand names), it is considered invasive and unwelcome outside of it's native Madagascar. It spreads very easily and even thrives in arid, dry environments because the little "baby" plants develop in the hundreds and thousands on the edges of the leaves, drop off and start new plants. What is unusual about this one is that it is actually a hybrid of two Kalanchoe species, both from Madagascar: Kalanchoe daigremontiana and Kalanchoe delagoensis. This one was one of literally thousands of them growing in a nature preserve in Harlingen, Texas in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
    Alligator Plant: "Houghton's Hybrid"..nii)
  • An unusual hybrid find! Although kalanchoe succulents are known around the world as some of the most common houseplants in the world, this one goes by dozens if not more common names such as devil's backbone, alligator plant, Mexican hat plant, good luck plant, mother of thousands (should be mother of a thousand names), it is considered invasive and unwelcome outside of it's native Madagascar. It spreads very easily and even thrives in arid, dry environments because the little "baby" plants develop in the hundreds and thousands on the edges of the leaves, drop off and start new plants. What is unusual about this one is that it is actually a hybrid of two Kalanchoe species, both from Madagascar: Kalanchoe daigremontiana and Kalanchoe delagoensis. This one was one of literally thousands of them growing in a nature preserve in Harlingen, Texas in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
    Alligator Plant: "Houghton's Hybrid"..nii)
  • While superficially it looks like your common dandelion, the common cat's-ear is an invasive Eurasian species of aster that has run wild in the Pacific Northwest, particularly west of the Cascade Mountains where it is listed as a noxious weed. This one was found about 15 miles to the northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington state in an open field by the Carbon River.
    Common Cat's-Ear
  • Angiosperms, Asteraceae, Asterids, beautiful, beauty, biennial, bloom, blooming, blooms, blossom, blossoms, botany, bud, bull thistle, Carduoideae, Cirsium, Cirsium vulgare, color, common thistle, Cynareae, dicot, flora, flower, flowers, forb, fresh, green, herb, invasive, native, natural, nature, non-native, Olympia, Onopordum acanthium, pink, plant, Plantae, plants, ruderal, Scotch thistle, Scottish thistle, spear thistle, summer, thistle, Thurston County, vulgare, Washington, west coast, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, Woodard Bay Conservation Area
    Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) 2
  • Angiosperms, Asteraceae, Asterids, beautiful, beauty, biennial, bloom, blooming, blooms, blossom, blossoms, botany, bud, bull thistle, Carduoideae, Cirsium, Cirsium vulgare, color, common thistle, Cynareae, dicot, flora, flower, flowers, forb, fresh, green, herb, invasive, native, natural, nature, non-native, Olympia, Onopordum acanthium, pink, plant, Plantae, plants, ruderal, Scotch thistle, Scottish thistle, spear thistle, summer, thistle, Thurston County, vulgare, Washington, west coast, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, Woodard Bay Conservation Area
    Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) 1
  • Believed to be the exact species adopted as the symbol of King Louis VII of France for the Second Crusade, this invasive import from Europe eventually because the infamous "Fleur-de-lis". Today it is found in wetlands all over North America on both coasts, but not quite in the center of the continent - yet. This one was found growing in extremely dense numbers in Yakima County, Washington between Yakima and Ellensburg.
    Yellow Flag Iris
  • The invasive water-hyacinth while beautiful, clogs many wetlands and canals and is now designated as a federal noxious weed.
    Water-Hyacinth
  • The green iguana, also known as the American iguana is a large attractive and often strikingly-colored lizard in the Iguanidae family that is native to the Caribbean Islands, Central America and most of the northern half of South America. Although they are are herbivores and are not particularly dangerous to humans or other animals, they do adapt to new environments very well and are a very special species of concern in places where they have naturalized (most likely as escapes from the pet trade, as they make very friendly and docile pets when raised by humans). Green iguanas are now found in Florida, Nexas, Puerto Rico and Hawaii where these enormously strong lizards burrow into the sides of canals and riverbanks causing unnecessary erosion and damage, destruction of rare native plants other species depend upon, as well as decimating gardens and landscaping. This 6-foot beefy male was found on the side of the road with around 200 other well-fed adults along a one-mile stretch on Key Largo, Florida.
    Male Green Iguana-1
  • The green iguana, also known as the American iguana is a large attractive and often strikingly-colored lizard in the Iguanidae family that is native to the Caribbean Islands, Central America and most of the northern half of South America. Although they are are herbivores and are not particularly dangerous to humans or other animals, they do adapt to new environments very well and are a very special species of concern in places where they have naturalized (most likely as escapes from the pet trade, as they make very friendly and docile pets when raised by humans). Green iguanas are now found in Florida, Nexas, Puerto Rico and Hawaii where these enormously strong lizards burrow into the sides of canals and riverbanks causing unnecessary erosion and damage, destruction of rare native plants other species depend upon, as well as decimating gardens and landscaping. This 6-foot beefy male was found on the side of the road with around 200 other well-fed adults along a one-mile stretch on Key Largo, Florida.
    Male Green Iguana-2.jpg
  • This beautiful, yet non-native ornamental invader is found in scattered populations across the United States and Canada. Unlike our native green mint and dead-nettle species, this native of Turkey, Iran, and Armenia has very attractive furry silvery leaves, which explains why it made its way to North America in the first place, as it was once popular in gardens with families with children. This one was photographed in Northern Arkansas.
    Lamb's Ear
  • Engelmann's prickly pear is one of the most (if not the most) widespread of the prickly pear cacti. It is found in all of the American Southwestern States (except Colorado) and can even be found as far east as Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri and is widespread throughout much of Mexico. Oddly enough , it has become an invasive species in Kenya! The sweet, juicy fruits are a traditional and still very important food source wildlife an for many tribes and nations of the Native Americans and is commonly used in Latin American cuisine.
    Engelmann's Prickly Pear
  • Engelmann's prickly pear is one of the most (if not the most) widespread of the prickly pear cacti. It is found in all of the American Southwestern States (except Colorado) and can even be found as far east as Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri and is widespread throughout much of Mexico. Oddly enough , it has become an invasive species in Kenya! The sweet, juicy fruits are a traditional and still very important food source wildlife an for many tribes and nations of the Native Americans and is commonly used in Latin American cuisine.
    Engelmann's Prickly Pear
  • A close-up image of the very rare Cascade Red Fox, a subspecies found in the alpine and subalpine regions of many of the volcanic mountains of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest. This beautiful subspecies is often nearly all black with silver or gray, and once flourished over much of Northwestern North America and is facing increasing pressure from climate change, invasive species like coyotes and humans, high-elevation logging and winter recreation sports such as snowmobiling and skiing. Not long before I got this shot, I spent part of a previous evening watching two pure-black kits (baby foxes) stalking and pouncing on each other in the snow in pure delight up in near the tree line on Mount Rainier.
    Cascade Red Fox
  • This distant relative to the pineapple is endangered in the wild in North America. Confined to a few remaining counties in locations far out into the Florida Everglades and Puerto Rico, it is listed as a threatened species. Major concerns for this species are habitat loss and an invasive exotic weevil (Metamazius callizona) found in South Florida that kills it. Luckily this species is also native to Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia, where populations are more stable. This one was photographed in SW Florida's Fakahatchee Strand. Look closely and you will see it sharing a limb with native zig-zag orchid (Epidendrum rigidum) in this submerged pond apple tree.
    West Indian Tufted Airplant (Guzmani..hia)
  • A western pond turtle basks in the sun on a beautiful California day on Lower Klamath Lake near the Oregon border. Listed as a vulnerable/threatened species, these small turtles are slow-growing, often maturing at around 10 years old and are taking a hard hit from invasive bird and animal species - especially bullfrogs and bass.
    Western Pond Turtle
  • A western pond turtle basks in the sun on a beautiful California day on Lower Klamath Lake near the Oregon border. Listed as a vulnerable/threatened species, these small turtles are slow-growing, often maturing at around 10 years old and are taking a hard hit from invasive bird and animal species - especially bullfrogs and bass.
    Western Pond Turtle
  • The brown anole is a member of the spiny lizard family and native to Cuba and the Bahamas. Common, and invasive to the United States, it is spreading north from the Florida Keys, and in a little more more than a century it has established itself as far north as Georgia and as far west as Texas in recent years. The problem with this particular species is that it is outcompeting with the native and less aggressive green anole, with the additional pressure of adult male brown anoles having been known to prey on young green anoles. This one was one of many spotted scurrying around hunting among the trees one November evening in the Corkscrew Swamp near Naples, Florida and the nighttime insects started to come out.
    BrownAnole2021-1.jpg
  • I've spent over a decade telling everyone I know that this beautiful member of the Balsaminaceae of plants was an invasive, exotic species from Asia and I was completely wrong. I recently discovered that it is natively found near wetlands and streams in all over North America except the arid American Southwest, Wyoming, Montana and Alaska.<br />
<br />
What I wasn't wrong about is it's natural characteristic as a cure for poison ivy (which I suffer greatly from every time I come into contact with it). Sap from the crushed leaves and stems if applied soon after contact can negate or greatly reduce the rash from contact with poison ivy. Just be wary of the berries produced after the flowers are pollinated as they can be quite toxic to humans, especially children.<br />
<br />
This one was one of thousands found growing on the edges of Soos Creek in Southern King County, in Kent, Washington.
    Jewelweed
  • The brown anole is a member of the spiny lizard family and native to Cuba and the Bahamas. Common, and invasive to the United States, it is spreading north from the Florida Keys, and in a little more more than a century it has established itself as far north as Georgia and as far west as Texas in recent years. The problem with this particular species is that it is outcompeting with the native and less aggressive green anole, with the additional pressure of adult male brown anoles having been known to prey on young green anoles. This one was one of many spotted scurrying around hunting among the trees one November evening in the Corkscrew Swamp near Naples, Florida and the nighttime insects started to come out.
    BrownAnole2021-2.jpg
  • The brown anole is a member of the spiny lizard family and native to Cuba and the Bahamas. Common, and invasive to the United States, it is spreading north from the Florida Keys, and in a little more more than a century it has established itself as far north as Georgia and as far west as Texas in recent years. The problem with this particular species is that it is outcompeting the native and less aggressive green anole, with the additional pressure of adult male brown anoles having been known to prey on young green anoles. This particular individual resting on a  banana tree in Fort Myers, Florida is a female. Males tend to be larger and more boldly patterned. Anolis
    Brown Anole