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  • Beautiful natural spring waterfall in North Florida.
    Natural Spring Waterfall
  • Waterfall photographed in Rainbow Springs State Park, Marion County, Fl.
    Natural Spring Waterfall
  • The artist's fungus is a common species of very large polypore mushroom found on every continent except Antarctica. It gets its name from a very interesting style of art where the  mushroom is picked and the white pores of the fruiting body are scratched away to reveal the brown woody inside, creating a sort of natural canvas. This is where the artist can scrape away just enough to create scenes, images of people or nature, or anything else he or she can imagine. A simple search on the web can give you plenty of examples of artwork created with these mushrooms. These were photographed close to the edge of Coal Creek in Bellevue, Washington on an early autumn afternoon.
    Artist's Conk
  • The artist's fungus is a common species of very large polypore mushroom found on every continent except Antarctica. It gets its name from a very interesting style of art where the  mushroom is picked and the white pores of the fruiting body are scratched away to reveal the brown woody inside, creating a sort of natural canvas. This is where the artist can scrape away just enough to create scenes, images of people or nature, or anything else he or she can imagine. A simple search on the web can give you plenty of examples of artwork created with these mushrooms. These were photographed close to the edge of Coal Creek in Bellevue, Washington on an early autumn afternoon.
    Artist's Conk
  • A beam of late afternoon sunlight hits this natural waterfall in an old hammock in North Florida.
    Falling Creek Falls
  • One of the best natural areas in all of Florida - Fisheating Creek in South-Central Florida. This creek is full of fish and alligators, and can only be accessed by canoe or kayak.
    Fisheating Creek
  • This rare natural waterfall is found on the edge of the Osceola National Forest in Columbia County,  north of Lake City. This is just one of the many extraordinary sights to be seen in rural Florida!
    Falling Creek Falls
  • The artist's fungus is a common species of very large polypore mushroom found on every continent except Antarctica. It gets its name from a very interesting style of art where the  mushroom is picked and the white pores of the fruiting body are scratched away to reveal the dark brown woody inside, creating a sort of natural canvas. This is where the artist can scrape away just enough to create scenes, images of people or nature, or anything else he or she can imagine. A simple search on the web can give you plenty of examples of artwork created with these mushrooms. These were photographed on the side of a tree just outside of La Push, Washington near Rialto Beach.
    Artist's Conk
  • One of the best natural areas in all of Florida - Fisheating Creek. Completely rural with no signs of modern life - this is our favorite canoe trip for stepping back into time!
    Fisheating Creek
  • Somewhat common in its natural range, the willow bracket mushroom<br />
(Phellinus igniarius) is your typical hoof-shaped polypore  that is found not only on dead and decaying willows, but also aspens and birch trees, such as this one in Western Washington State on the side of a nature trail in Kent.
    Willow Bracket (Phellinus igniarius)
  • Somewhat common in its natural range, the willow bracket mushroom<br />
(Phellinus igniarius) is your typical hoof-shaped polypore  that is found not only on dead and decaying willows, but also aspens and birch trees, such as this one in Western Washington State on the side of a nature trail in Kent.
    Willow Bracket (Phellinus igniarius)
  • One of the 14 native doves to North America, the white-winged dove is one of the larger species and is rapidly spreading out of its native range in the desert of the American Southwest, Mexico, Central American and the Caribbean northward into American cities as it adapts to encroaching human development and disappearing natural habitat. These gorgeous doves are easy to spot with the white edges of their wings and the bright blue area around the eyes. This one was found and photographed new Weslaco Texas, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the Mexican border.
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
  • One of the 14 native doves to North America, the white-winged dove is one of the larger species and is rapidly spreading out of its native range in the desert of the American Southwest, Mexico, Central American and the Caribbean northward into American cities as it adapts to encroaching human development and disappearing natural habitat. These gorgeous doves are easy to spot with the white edges of their wings and the bright blue area around the eyes. This one was found and photographed new Weslaco Texas, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the Mexican border.
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
  • One of the 14 native doves to North America, the white-winged dove is one of the larger species and is rapidly spreading out of its native range in the desert of the American Southwest, Mexico, Central American and the Caribbean northward into American cities as it adapts to encroaching human development and disappearing natural habitat. These gorgeous doves are easy to spot with the white edges of their wings and the bright blue area around the eyes. This one was found and photographed new Weslaco Texas, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the Mexican border.
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
  • This extremely common grasshopper is found nearly everywhere in North America where there is sand or disturbed areas like empty property lots or roadsides, and is often seen as it does a "buzzy" flight away from intruders with what almost looks like yellowish butterfly wings, then seems to disappear due to its excellent natural camouflage. While usually harmless and unimportant agriculturally, it has occasionally been cause of concern for some crops such as wheat or tobacco. This one was found near Naches, Washington on a hot summer day.
    Carolina Grasshopper
  • This emerging Leucocoprinus birnbaumii (more commonly known as the plantpot dapperling or flowerpot parasol) is an tropical to subtropical common mushroom that is more widely known for popping up in cultivated flowerpots in hothouses far north of its natural range. While considered to be toxic and nearly impossible to get rid of, it's best to just learn to enjoy their delicate beauty and try not to accidentally eat them. This one was found growing on some old wood in a hardwood hammock on Key Largo, Florida.
    Plantpot Dapperling (Leucocoprinus b..mii)
  • Not too long ago I was traveling across Oregon Coast on a nature photography trip with an old friend and one of the places he wanted to check out was Thor's Well, located about midway down the state's incredible coastline at a place called Cape Perpetua. <br />
<br />
Formed out of natural volcanic rock (basalt), this wild geologic anomaly was probably formed by a cave beaten into the cliff that eventually collapsed forming this unusual seeming deep hole in the ground but is actually open underwater to the surf. This causes water to explode violently upward through the "well", followed by the foamy water to duck back down into the depths of the earth.<br />
<br />
It was utterly fascinating, even if I did get hit and completely soaked by one of the infamous rogue waves of the Pacific Ocean.
    Thor's Well
  • Fringecups are a very fragrant, attractive green and white (sometimes pinkish) wildflower commonly found along forest streams in the Pacific Northwest. This one was photographed in the Three Forks Natural Area between North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington.
    Fringecup
  • The rare and exquisite ghost orchid photographed just after dawn in its natural environment.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • These fascinating bird's nest fungi found near the base of a huge waterfall in Oregon's Marion County, just east of Salem are one of the many natural curiosities found in the Pacific Northwest. While it may not look like it, these are actually an unusual type of mushroom, rather than a type of lichen. These still have their spores (they look like eggs in a nest) but will expel them with raindrops during a rainstorm, spreading their DNA on the forest floor for the next generation to spread and prosper.
    Bird's Nest Fungi
  • These fascinating bird's nest fungi found near the base of a huge waterfall in Oregon's Marion County, just east of Salem are one of the many natural curiosities found in the Pacific Northwest. While it may not look like it, these are actually an unusual type of mushroom, rather than a type of lichen. These still have their spores (they look like eggs in a nest) but will expel them with raindrops during a rainstorm, spreading their DNA on the forest floor for the next generation to spread and prosper.
    Bird's Nest Fungi
  • This insanely colorful sunrise creates the perfect backlight to Mount Rundle in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada on a bitterly cold winter morning. The only thing that makes this better is the whole scene reflected in the open water of a natural hot spring that keeps this part of the Vermillion Lakes from freezing.
    Mount Rundle and Vermillion Lakes
  • This round-tailed horned lizard would not have been spotted had it not suddenly dashed out from where it stood motionless right in front of me in the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico's Socorro County. One of the smallest of the horned lizards, these delicate desert-dwellers make their living eating mostly harvester, honey-pot and big-headed ants, with the occasional termite, small insect or larvae. What is most amazing about them is their natural camouflage!
    Round-tail Horned Lizard
  • This round-tailed horned lizard would not have been spotted had it not suddenly dashed out from where it stood motionless right in front of me in the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico's Socorro County. One of the smallest of the horned lizards, these delicate desert-dwellers make their living eating mostly harvester, honey-pot and big-headed ants, with the occasional termite, small insect or larvae. What is most amazing about them is their natural camouflage!
    Round-tail Horned Lizard
  • These fascinating bird's nest fungi found along a coastal trail in Oregon's Tillamook County on a winter hike are one of the many natural curiosities found in the Pacific Northwest. While it may not look like it, these are actually a mushrooms rather than lichens. These have already fruited and cast off their spores during a rainstorm, dropping their DNA on the forest floor for the next generation to spread and prosper.
    Bird's Nest Fungi
  • Double Arch is found in Arches National Park in Eastern Utah and is part of the amazing red alien sandstone landscape that is called the Moab Desert. This area has the largest number of natural stone arches than anywhere else in the world, but what makes this rock formation so unique is that they were both eroded from the very same piece of stone. Most arches are formed from water erosion flowing either within or from the sides of the rock over the millennia, but these two arches were formed from water eroding from the top of the stone, downwards. For this reason they are called pothole arches. Because this photograph was made at the beginning of a sudden storm, you can see the rainwater running down the rock from the top of the arch, and this is the very process that carved these arches to begin with, and that will also eventually one day cause this magnificent national treasure to collapse.
    Double Arch, Moab Desert, Utah
  • The Oregon Coast is renowned for its natural beauty, sea stacks, and gorgeous sunsets. I caught this rock formation in the late afternoon "golden light" and focused on the interplay between light and shadow.
    Oregon Sea Stacks in Golden Light
  • Early morning photograph of a native Mojave yucca in its natural habitat on a cool spring morning in Mojave Desert in Southern California. These are often found growing among the Mojave's iconic Joshua trees - another member of the same genus.
    Mojave Yucca
  • A close-up of a western coralroot orchid in natural sunlight deep in a forest as the sun is setting below the foliage above. Because this was on the edge of a cliff in Northern Oregon, light lit the forest floor for only a few minutes.
    Western Coralroot (Corallorhiza mert..ana)
  • One of my very favorite wildflowers of the subalpine mountain meadows, the great red paintbrush can be found in great profusion with many other spectacular vibrant wildflowers when the snow melts in the summertime. The reason you won't find this in garden nurseries is that without its fellow wildflowers in their natural environment, it doesn't have its fellow neighboring plants to feed on. Yes - it's (at least partially) parasitic!
    Great Red Indian Paintbrush
  • A close-up of a cigar orchid flower against a black diffuser (a photographer's tool for adjusting natural light) in the Big Cypress National Preserve.
    Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)
  • Canada goose photographed on 1/18/2010 next to a pond in Southern Alabama. I couldn't have asked for better natural lighting!
    Alabama Canada Goose
  • The rare and exquisite ghost orchid photographed just after dawn in its natural environment.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • Wide angle shot of a section of a huge cluster of green-fly orchids, some of them in bloom. These were found in Juniper Springs in the Ocala National Forest. These are very common above natural springs and sinkholes.
    Green-fly Orchid (Epidendrum magnoli..iae)
  • This edible and harmless but mostly tasteless pretty bright red fruit with a velvety texture is the end result of a nondescript native forest lily with tiny white flowers after undergoing natural pollination. It can be found in all of the western states (excluding California) and all of the western Canadian provinces including Ontario. This one was found growing next to a small mountain stream in rural Southwestern Montana in Mineral County.
    Rough-fruited Fairybell Berry
  • The fantastically beautiful American beautyberry in all its glory in its natural habitat. These clusters of drupes (think blackberries) each contain a seed and are a very important source of food for many species of birds, and the foliage is a very important food source for deer. The berries are edible to a point, but can be extremely astringent. they are well suited to making jams and wine, however. The roots can be used to make an herbal tea, and it's said that the crushed leaves can repel mosquitos when rubbed on the skin. This perfect example of a beautyberry in fruit was found in Palm Beach County on a cool fall afternoon.
    American Beautyberry
  • These fascinating bird's nest fungi found near the base of a huge waterfall in Oregon's Marion County, just east of Salem are one of the many natural curiosities found in the Pacific Northwest. While it may not look like it, these are actually an unusual type of mushroom, rather than a type of lichen. These still have their spores (they look like eggs in a nest) but will expel them with raindrops during a rainstorm, spreading their DNA on the forest floor for the next generation to spread and prosper.
    Bird's Nest Fungi
  • This round-tailed horned lizard would not have been spotted had it not suddenly dashed out from where it stood motionless right in front of me in the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico's Socorro County. One of the smallest of the horned lizards, these delicate desert-dwellers make their living eating mostly harvester, honey-pot and big-headed ants, with the occasional termite, small insect or larvae. What is most amazing about them is their natural camouflage!
    Round-tail Horned Lizard
  • This round-tailed horned lizard would not have been spotted had it not suddenly dashed out from where it stood motionless right in front of me in the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico's Socorro County. One of the smallest of the horned lizards, these delicate desert-dwellers make their living eating mostly harvester, honey-pot and big-headed ants, with the occasional termite, small insect or larvae. What is most amazing about them is their natural camouflage!
    Round-tail Horned Lizard
  • This round-tailed horned lizard would not have been spotted had it not suddenly dashed out from where it stood motionless right in front of me in the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico's Socorro County. One of the smallest of the horned lizards, these delicate desert-dwellers make their living eating mostly harvester, honey-pot and big-headed ants, with the occasional termite, small insect or larvae. What is most amazing about them is their natural camouflage!
    Round-tail Horned Lizard
  • The yellow-spotted millipede also known as the almond-scented or cyanide millipede, is a fairly common millipede found in coastal Pacific forests from Central California to Alaska. Although it has few natural predators, this millipede is a perfect example of aposematism (warning coloration) and when threatened it has the ability to exude a toxic hydrogen cyanide as a defense. This one was found in the forest just off the side of the Sol Duc Trail in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State.
    Yellow-Spotted Millipede
  • A common yucca of the Chihuahuan desert, the soapweed yucca is and was a significantly important plant for the Native American tribes inhabiting the area where it is found. A common yucca of the Chihuahuan desert, the soapweed yucca's fibrous leaves were used use to make belts, cloth, baskets, cords and mats, the roots were used to make a natural soap - hence the common name.
    Soaptree Yucca
  • This white-tailed deer was apparently used to people as it let me get this close to it just outside of Tallahassee on the Florida Panhandle. Extremely common all over the United States and Canada, its range extends from the Atlantic Ocean and west all the way to the Rocky Mountains (fantastic natural barrier), where its cousin - the black-tailed deer completes the range all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Somehow the white-tailed deer has nearly made it to the Pacific Ocean in Canada, and has a strong toehold in all of Central American and the northern part of South America. This is a huge native range for an ungulate (deer, elk, moose family) and it has been introduced in many other parts of the word such and the Caribbean Islands, Europe and even New Zealand.
    White-tailed Deer
  • A female Horace's duskywing rests on some sort of aster just outside of Punta Gorda, Florida in a pineland scrub. A somewhat small and plain member of the skipper family of butterflies (and easily confused for a moth) this easily photographed  species has a home range from all over the Eastern United States and all the way west to the Rocky Mountains, which is an effective natural barrier.
    Horace's Duskywing
  • These wild southern fox grapes, also more popularly known as muscadine grapes, are the wild and natural progenitors of the commercially important and harvested varietal grapes used for making jams and wines. These wild grapes were photographed in Southwest Florida's Fakahatchee Strand - where I regularly snack/gorge on them during the summer when they are are their peak ripeness in the swamps. Delicious!
    Wild Grapes of the Florida Everglades
  • A pair of Canada geese photographed in Southern Alabama. I couldn't have asked for better natural lighting!
    Alabama Canada Geese
  • As in many other instances in the natural world, brilliant red coloring stands as a warning to those looking for an easy meal. When the flowers of the coral bean are pollinated, the resulting seedpods contain a number of bright red seeds that are high in alkaloids - toxic to both humans and wildlife and known to cause paralysis when ingested.
    Coral Bean
  • The world-famous ghost orchid photographed here in its natural environment.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • The rare and exquisite ghost orchid photographed just after dawn in its natural environment.
    Ghost of the Fakahatchee (Dendrophyl..nii)
  • Orange fringed orchid close-up in its natural environment in North-Central Florida.
    Orange Fringed Orchid (Platanthera c..ris)
  • Bronze green-fly orchid in bloom on a fallen oak tree next to the Hillsborough River near Tampa, Florida. These can often be found in dense hardwood forests near natural springs or rivers.
    Bronze Green-Fly Orchid (Epidendrum ..num)
  • Native desert fan palms photographed from above on a rocky cliff over a natural oasis in Southern California.
    Desert Fan Palms
  • Located directly over the San Andreas Fault, this wonderful natural oasis in Southern California is an ideal habitat for many of the desert's inhabitants in search of shade, water, and the prey that come here to seek refuge.
    Coachella Valley Oasis
  • Massive panoramic view of Southern Utah's Bryce Canyon with its hundreds upon hundreds of hoodoos and other wild sandstone rock formations. In fact - while every continent on Earth has these hoodoos, nowhere in the world has as many as there are right here, in Bryce Canyon National Park! This massive print is at full natural size a whopping 9.75 feet x 3.6 feet (3m x 1.1m) and was created from twelve images. So large in fact that you can see the individual branches on every tree!
    Bryce Canyon Panorama
  • Crow poison, also known as Osceola's plume, is a beautiful but very dangerous bog plant found in the American Southeast. Until recently it was considered a member of the lily family, but now is placed in the bunchflower family alongside many other similar and poisonous plants sharing genetic similarities.  The large beauty was photographed in the Apalachicola National Forest in the Florida Panhandle, where regular natural seasonal wildfires seem to promote the growth of this and other moisture-loving plants. Word of caution: all parts of this plant are considered very dangerous, and have caused the death of many livestock animals.
    Crow Poison
  • One of the most beautiful native lilies found in North America, this combined image of several large images stitched together is of a big clump of avalanche lilies in full bloom on Larch Mountain in Oregon. This massive print is at full natural size an enormous 10.75 feet x 2.1 feet (3.3m x 0.66m) and was created from five images.
    Avalanche Lily Panorama
  • A blooming sticky purple geranium opens its first blossom on a warm summer day in rural Montana at the edge of a mountain forest. This plant is a natural astringent, and has a long history of being used by Native American tribes for various medicinal uses.
    Sticky Purple Geranium
  • This natural hybrid (Opuntia engelmannii x phaecantha) of two common and local prickly pear cacti - the Engelmann's Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii) and the brown-spined prickly pear (Opuntia phaecantha),  shows characteristics of both and have resulted in a large, mature beautiful cactus growing at some elevation in the Ajo Mountains in Southern Arizona. Since so many of our native members of the Opuntia genus are so closely related and have overlapping natural ranges, hybridization is common among many species, and is the source of much confusion and frustration for biologist and naturalist alike! This particular plant has the beautiful silvery white spines and flower petal shape of O. engelmannii and the flower coloration and growth pattern of O. phaecantha.
    Natural Prickly Pear Hybrid
  • This natural hybrid (Opuntia engelmannii x phaecantha) of two common and local prickly pear cacti - the Engelmann's Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii) and the brown-spined prickly pear (Opuntia phaecantha),  shows characteristics of both and have resulted in a large, mature beautiful cactus growing at some elevation in the Ajo Mountains in Southern Arizona. Since so many of our native members of the Opuntia genus are so closely related and have overlapping natural ranges, hybridization is common among many species, and is the source of much confusion and frustration for biologist and naturalist alike! This particular plant has the beautiful silvery white spines and flower petal shape of O. engelmannii and the flower coloration and growth pattern of O. phaecantha.
    Natural Prickly Pear Hybrid
  • This natural hybrid (Opuntia engelmannii x phaecantha) of two common and local prickly pear cacti - the Engelmann's Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii) and the brown-spined prickly pear (Opuntia phaecantha),  shows characteristics of both and have resulted in a large, mature beautiful cactus growing at some elevation in the Ajo Mountains in Southern Arizona. Since so many of our native members of the Opuntia genus are so closely related and have overlapping natural ranges, hybridization is common among many species, and is the source of much confusion and frustration for biologist and naturalist alike! This particular plant has the beautiful silvery white spines and flower petal shape of O. engelmannii and the flower coloration and growth pattern of O. phaecantha.
    Natural Prickly Pear Hybrid
  • This natural hybrid (Opuntia engelmannii x phaecantha) of two common and local prickly pear cacti - the Engelmann's Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii) and the brown-spined prickly pear (Opuntia phaecantha),  shows characteristics of both and have resulted in a large, mature beautiful cactus growing at some elevation in the Ajo Mountains in Southern Arizona. Since so many of our native members of the Opuntia genus are so closely related and have overlapping natural ranges, hybridization is common among many species, and is the source of much confusion and frustration for biologist and naturalist alike! This particular plant has the beautiful silvery white spines and flower petal shape of O. engelmannii and the flower coloration and growth pattern of O. phaecantha.
    Natural Prickly Pear Hybrid
  • This natural hybrid (Opuntia engelmannii x phaecantha) of two common and local prickly pear cacti - the Engelmann's Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii) and the brown-spined prickly pear (Opuntia phaecantha),  shows characteristics of both and have resulted in a large, mature beautiful cactus growing at some elevation in the Ajo Mountains in Southern Arizona. Since so many of our native members of the Opuntia genus are so closely related and have overlapping natural ranges, hybridization is common among many species, and is the source of much confusion and frustration for biologist and naturalist alike! This particular plant has the beautiful silvery white spines and flower petal shape of O. engelmannii and the flower coloration and growth pattern of O. phaecantha.
    Natural Prickly Pear Hybrid
  • The exotic and unusual alligator lily growing out of a swampy region in the Florida Everglades. These flowers are freshly opened, and naturally have this "ragged" edge.
    Alligator Lily
  • Looking very much like it's cousin, the infamous fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria), the peach-colored fly agaric (Amanita persicina) looks virtually the same, except for instead of the vibrant red color with scaly cap it has a somewhat softer, light orange, or peach hue. Found only in the Southeastern United States stretching up to coastal New England, this forest fungus develops these beautiful large mushrooms in the fall and winter. This one was in the process of emerging from the soil on a November morning in Pensacola, Florida on the side of a nature trail.
    Peach-colored Fly Agaric
  • Looking very much like it's cousin, the infamous fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria), the peach-colored fly agaric (Amanita persicina) looks virtually the same, except for instead of the vibrant red color with scaly cap it has a somewhat softer, light orange, or peach hue. Found only in the Southeastern United States stretching up to coastal New England, this forest fungus develops these beautiful large mushrooms in the fall and winter. This one was in the process of emerging from the soil on a November morning in Pensacola, Florida on the side of a nature trail.
    Peach-colored Fly Agaric
  • Looking very much like it's cousin, the infamous fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria), the peach-colored fly agaric (Amanita persicina) looks virtually the same, except for instead of the vibrant red color with scaly cap it has a somewhat softer, light orange, or peach hue. Found only in the Southeastern United States stretching up to coastal New England, this forest fungus develops these beautiful large mushrooms in the fall and winter. This fully developed mushroom was spotted on a November morning in Pensacola, Florida on the side of a nature trail.
    Peach-colored Fly Agaric
  • The firebush is a real beauty of the tropics and is a commonly encountered native shrub in South Florida and many parts of Mexico and Central America. A relative of coffee, the firebush, (also known by many other names such as Mexican firecracker, hummingbird bush, scarlet bush, and redhead, attracts large numbers of butterflies and hummingbirds who feed on the sweet nectar provided by the bright orange and red tubular flowers. This one was found growing in a nature preserve in Palm Beach County in South Florida.
    Firebush
  • Holly-like and beautiful, this member of the barberry family is just about to blossom on a cold, wet rainy March morning along a nature trail about 25 miles south of Seattle, Washington. The delicious fruits that will follow (not real grapes) not only grow in great profusion, but are a very important food source for native wildlife!
    Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
  • The firebush is a real beauty of the tropics and is a commonly encountered native shrub in South Florida and many parts of Mexico and Central America. A relative of coffee, the firebush (also known by many other names such as Mexican firecracker, hummingbird bush, scarlet bush, and redhead) attracts large numbers of butterflies and hummingbirds who feed on the sweet nectar provided by the bright orange and red tubular flowers. This one was found growing in a nature preserve in Palm Beach County in South Florida.
    Firebush
  • Holly-like and beautiful, this member of the barberry family is just about to blossom on a cold, wet rainy March morning along a nature trail about 25 miles south of Seattle, Washington. The delicious fruits that will follow (not real grapes) not only grow in great profusion, but are a very important food source for native wildlife!
    Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
  • This beautiful and impressively large (up to 4'-6' tall) naturalized European plant has taken hold in the Pacific Northwest and is now considered naturalized. This one was photographed<br />
 in Steven's Pass in Washington's Cascade Mountains.
    Foxglove
  • 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 South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flowers
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flowers
  • 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
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • 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
  • This non-native, naturalized beautiful member of the borage family can be near water throughout most of the states and provinces of North America. These blue forget-me-nots were photographed in Central Montana.
    True Forget-Me-Not
  • A widespread North American naturalized wildflower that orginates from the Old World, the white campion is a summer bloomer that is found often in disturbed areas. This one was photographed<br />
 about 35 miles south of Seattle, Washington in suburban Federal Way.
    White Campion
  • This beautiful member of the carnation family is not native to North America, but is so widespread that it is now called naturalized instead of invasive. This one was photographed in King County, Washington.
    White Campion
  • These very beautiful bittersweet nightshade berries found ripening on the vine are native to Europe and Asia, and arrived roughly in the 1860's and were used by the Makah Indians as a medicine for stomach issues. Now naturalized throughout most of North America, this relative to the potato is an invasive weed that can grow in huge thickets and can compete with native plants. This plant is known to be VERY DANGEROUS to both humans and other animals and has caused people to die. It is said that once the berries are fully ripe (when they are bright red) that the amount of solanine - the toxic alkaloid, is greatly reduced. Seeds are spread by the common song sparrow and a few other birds that eat them, who are unaffected by the poisons the berries carry.
    Bittersweet Nightshade
  • Also known as pinkladies, pink evening primrose and Mexican evening primrose, this wonderfully beautiful native to the Central United States and Northeastern Mexico is spreading across all of the lower half of the continental United States from coast to coast, mostly due to its use in gardens and hardy nature. These were photographed just a few feet from the beach in North Florida's St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf of Mexico.
    Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera sp..osa)
  • Also known as pinkladies, pink evening primrose and Mexican evening primrose, this wonderfully beautiful native to the Central United States and Northeastern Mexico is spreading across all of the lower half of the continental United States from coast to coast, mostly due to its use in gardens and hardy nature. These were photographed just a few feet from the beach in North Florida's St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf of Mexico.
    Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera sp..osa)
  • Also known as pinkladies, pink evening primrose and Mexican evening primrose, this wonderfully beautiful native to the Central United States and Northeastern Mexico is spreading across all of the lower half of the continental United States from coast to coast, mostly due to its use in gardens and hardy nature. These were photographed just a few feet from the beach in North Florida's St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf of Mexico.
    Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera sp..osa)
  • The American strawberry bush - also known by many other names such as the "hearts-a-bustin" and "hearts-bustin'-with-love", this member of the bittersweet family is one of those oddly beautiful plants you find sometimes in autumn while out in some of the more remote places in the Untied States. Found in all of the eastern states (excluding New England), most of the lower Midwest states, and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma, it literally looks like a strawberry growing on a shrub that is bursting with bright red seeds exposed within. As with many red-colored fruits in nature, this is best not to be eaten, as it has been reported to induce severe diarrhea in humans. The leaves, bark and stems are enjoyed by deer and other native wildlife who spread the seeds after consumption. This was found in Florida's Ocala National Forest near Juniper Springs.
    American Strawberry Bush
  • The American strawberry bush - also known by many other names such as the "hearts-a-bustin" and "hearts-bustin'-with-love", this member of the bittersweet family is one of those oddly beautiful plants you find sometimes in autumn while out in some of the more remote places in the Untied States. Found in all of the eastern states (excluding New England), most of the lower Midwest states, and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma, it literally looks like a strawberry growing on a shrub that is bursting with bright red seeds exposed within. As with many red-colored fruits in nature, this is best not to be eaten, as it has been reported to induce severe diarrhea in humans. The leaves, bark and stems are enjoyed by deer and other native wildlife who spread the seeds after consumption. This was found in Florida's Ocala National Forest near Juniper Springs.
    American Strawberry Bush
  • The American strawberry bush - also known by many other names such as the "hearts-a-bustin" and "hearts-bustin'-with-love", this member of the bittersweet family is one of those oddly beautiful plants you find sometimes in autumn while out in some of the more remote places in the Untied States. Found in all of the eastern states (excluding New England), most of the lower Midwest states, and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma, it literally looks like a strawberry growing on a shrub that is bursting with bright red seeds exposed within. As with many red-colored fruits in nature, this is best not to be eaten, as it has been reported to induce severe diarrhea in humans. The leaves, bark and stems are enjoyed by deer and other native wildlife who spread the seeds after consumption. This was found in Florida's Ocala National Forest near Juniper Springs.
    American Strawberry Bush
  • The American strawberry bush - also known by many other names such as the "hearts-a-bustin" and "hearts-bustin'-with-love", this member of the bittersweet family is one of those oddly beautiful plants you find sometimes in autumn while out in some of the more remote places in the Untied States. Found in all of the eastern states (excluding New England), most of the lower Midwest states, and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma, it literally looks like a strawberry growing on a shrub that is bursting with bright red seeds exposed within. As with many red-colored fruits in nature, this is best not to be eaten, as it has been reported to induce severe diarrhea in humans. The leaves, bark and stems are enjoyed by deer and other native wildlife who spread the seeds after consumption. This was found in Florida's Ocala National Forest near Juniper Springs.
    American Strawberry Bush
  • These very beautiful bittersweet nightshade berries found ripening on the vine are native to Europe and Asia, and arrived roughly in the 1860's and were used by the Makah Indians as a medicine for stomach issues. Now naturalized throughout most of North America, this relative to the potato is an invasive weed that can grow in huge thickets and can compete with native plants. This plant is known to be VERY DANGEROUS to both humans and other animals and has caused people to die. It is said that once the berries are fully ripe (when they are bright red) that the amount of solanine - the toxic alkaloid, is greatly reduced. Seeds are spread by the common song sparrow and a few other birds that eat them, who are unaffected by the poisons the berries carry.
    Bittersweet Nightshade
  • These very beautiful bittersweet nightshade berries found ripening on the vine are native to Europe and Asia, and arrived roughly in the 1860's and were used by the Makah Indians as a medicine for stomach issues. Now naturalized throughout most of North America, this relative to the potato is an invasive weed that can grow in huge thickets and can compete with native plants. This plant is known to be VERY DANGEROUS to both humans and other animals and has caused people to die. It is said that once the berries are fully ripe (when they are bright red) that the amount of solanine - the toxic alkaloid, is greatly reduced. Seeds are spread by the common song sparrow and a few other birds that eat them, who are unaffected by the poisons the berries carry.
    Bittersweet Nightshade
  • These very beautiful bittersweet nightshade berries found ripening on the vine are native to Europe and Asia, and arrived roughly in the 1860's and were used by the Makah Indians as a medicine for stomach issues. Now naturalized throughout most of North America, this relative to the potato is an invasive weed that can grow in huge thickets and can compete with native plants. This plant is known to be VERY DANGEROUS to both humans and other animals and has caused people to die. It is said that once the berries are fully ripe (when they are bright red) that the amount of solanine - the toxic alkaloid, is greatly reduced. Seeds are spread by the common song sparrow and a few other birds that eat them, who are unaffected by the poisons the berries carry.
    Bittersweet Nightshade
  • These very beautiful bittersweet nightshade berries found ripening on the vine are native to Europe and Asia, and arrived roughly in the 1860's and were used by the Makah Indians as a medicine for stomach issues. Now naturalized throughout most of North America, this relative to the potato is an invasive weed that can grow in huge thickets and can compete with native plants. This plant is known to be VERY DANGEROUS to both humans and other animals and has caused people to die. It is said that once the berries are fully ripe (when they are bright red) that the amount of solanine - the toxic alkaloid, is greatly reduced. Seeds are spread by the common song sparrow and a few other birds that eat them, who are unaffected by the poisons the berries carry.
    Bittersweet Nightshade
  • These very beautiful bittersweet nightshade berries found ripening on the vine are native to Europe and Asia, and arrived roughly in the 1860's and were used by the Makah Indians as a medicine for stomach issues. Now naturalized throughout most of North America, this relative to the potato is an invasive weed that can grow in huge thickets and can compete with native plants. This plant is known to be VERY DANGEROUS to both humans and other animals and has caused people to die. It is said that once the berries are fully ripe (when they are bright red) that the amount of solanine - the toxic alkaloid, is greatly reduced. Seeds are spread by the common song sparrow and a few other birds that eat them, who are unaffected by the poisons the berries carry.
    Bittersweet Nightshade
  • These very beautiful bittersweet nightshade berries found ripening on the vine are native to Europe and Asia, and arrived roughly in the 1860's and were used by the Makah Indians as a medicine for stomach issues. Now naturalized throughout most of North America, this relative to the potato is an invasive weed that can grow in huge thickets and can compete with native plants. This plant is known to be VERY DANGEROUS to both humans and other animals and has caused people to die. It is said that once the berries are fully ripe (when they are bright red) that the amount of solanine - the toxic alkaloid, is greatly reduced. Seeds are spread by the common song sparrow and a few other birds that eat them, who are unaffected by the poisons the berries carry.
    Bittersweet Nightshade
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