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  • Although this impressive and well-known succulent is known around the world as one of the most common houseplants in the world, Kalanchoe daigremontiana 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. 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 (Kalanchoe daigremon..ana)
  • 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)
  • Found only in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, the hooded pitcher plant is one of the smaller of our native pitcher plants found at the edges of bogs and wet pinelands. Like all carnivorous plants, nectar glands inside the "hood" attract insects where a series of hairs inside the pitcher (a modified leaf) encourages the insect downward into the tube until it cannot turn around and escape. These insects will in turn be dissolved and deliver the essential nutrients that are needed in such a plant that grows in such nutrient-poor soils. This is the blossoming flower that is ironically also pollinated by flying insects. This one was found and photographed during the summer rains in the Osceola National Forest in North Florida.
    Hooded Pitcher Plant
  • Found only in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, the hooded pitcher plant is one of the smaller of our native pitcher plants found at the edges of bogs and wet pinelands. Like all carnivorous plants, nectar glands inside the hood and white translucent "windows" attract insects where a series of hairs inside the pitcher (a modified leaf) encourages the insect downward into the tube until it cannot turn around and escape. These insects will in turn be dissolved and deliver the essential nutrients that are needed in such a plant that grows in such nutrient-poor soils. This one was found and photographed during the summer rains in the Osceola National Forest in North Florida.
    Hooded Pitcher Plant
  • Close-up of the flower of Schnell's pitcher plant (Sarracenia flava var. rugelii) found growing in the Apalachicola National Forest in Northern Florida. This stunning carnivorous insect-eating plant is found in seepage bogs across  the East gulf coastal plain from Alabama to Virginia, and is a subspecies of the more common yellow pitcher plant.
    Flower of Schnell's Pitcher Plant
  • Perhaps the most beautiful of North America's threatened carnivorous plant species, the white-topped pitcher plant is native to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and the western tip of North Carolina. This surprising find in Georgia's Grady County is possibly the part of the state's easternmost population, and covered a very rural area in a pine forest no bigger than an acre.
    White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracen..lla)
  • A purple pitcher plant in flower in a bog in Liberty County, Florida. This petite carnivorous plant tends to be a bright red color when growing in the open where it is exposed to more sunlight, as compared to those that grow in the shade.
    Parrot Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia psi..ina)
  • The beautiful flower of the gulf purple pitcher plant, growing in the Apalachicola National Forest - world renowned for it's carnivorous plant biodiversity.
    Gulf Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarraceni..sea)
  • Seen from above, the California pitcher plant (Darlingtonia californica) grows well in sunny, wet places with poor soil nutrients. Unusual for pitcher plants, the water contained inside the covered (or hooded) pitchers is drawn in from the roots instead of using rainwater. This may possibly be a way to keep from diluting the enzymes in the "trap" that are used to dissolve and break down the trapped insects in a climate where there is so much rainfall.  These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plant
  • This particularly beautiful pitcher plant next to one of its flowers is very striking and not easily confused with other of our native pitcher plants. The green tubular leaves that trap insect prey are hooded, which keeps water out (unusual from most pitcher plants that collect rainwater) and insects in. This particular shape gives it another commonly used name - the cobra lily. This one was found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plant
  • Found only in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, the hooded pitcher plant is one of the smaller of our native pitcher plants found at the edges of bogs and wet pinelands. Like all carnivorous plants, red coloration and sweet nectar glands inside the "hood" attract insects where a series of hairs inside the pitcher (a modified leaf) encourages the insect downward into the tube until it cannot turn around and escape. These insects will in turn be dissolved and deliver the essential nutrients that are needed in such a plant that grows in such nutrient-poor soils. This one was found and photographed during the summer rains in the Osceola National Forest in North Florida.
    Hooded Pitcher Plant
  • 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 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
  • 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
  • A cluster of parrot pitcher plants growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. This is the smallest and most common pitcher plant to be found in Florida.
    Parrot Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia psi..ina)
  • Close-up of the hairs underneath the "umbrella" part of the pitcher plant that guide the unsuspecting insects into the trap, or pitcher. Look closely and you can see the 13-14 gnats tangled among these hairs.
    White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracen..lla)
  • The beautiful and intricate design of red veins in the white-topped pitcher plant.
    White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracen..lla)
  • The "umbrella-less" short and stumpy gulf pitcher plant in flower growing in a roadside ditch in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Gulf Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarraceni..sea)
  • White-topped pitcher plants growing in a North Florida bog among a healthy population of threadleaf sundews - another carnivorous plant.
    White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracen..lla)
  • The elegant and beautiful white-topped pitcher plant growing in a Liberty County seepage bog. This location is possibly the easternmost population in Florida.
    White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracen..lla)
  • The gulf purple pitcher plant is the only Florida pitcher plant that collects rainwater - possibly as part of its insect-catching strategy.
    Gulf Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarraceni..sea)
  • Close-up of yellow pitcher plants in the Apalachicola National Forest, Fl. Insects are lured with with a sweet secretion, trapped, and digested by this carnivorous plant.
    Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
  • The flowers of the California pitcher plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    Flower of the California Pitcher Plant
  • The flowers of the California pitcher plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    Flower of the California Pitcher Plant
  • The flowers of the California pitcher plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    Flower of the California Pitcher Plant
  • 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
  • With a number of colorful and descriptive common names such as elkweed, green gentian, monument plant, and deer's ears, Frasera speciosa is a tall mountain-loving flowering plant that is hard to mistake for anything else. Found in most of the Western American states, and is commonly eaten by deer, moose, elk, and domestic livestock. Traditionally, the roots were cooked as food and the leaves were smoked a by Native Americans. This one was found blooming in the White River National Forest, just outside of Aspen, Colorado.
    Monument Plant
  • With a number of colorful and descriptive common names such as elkweed, green gentian, monument plant, and deer's ears, Frasera speciosa is a tall mountain-loving flowering plant that is hard to mistake for anything else. Found in most of the Western American states, and is commonly eaten by deer, moose, elk, and domestic livestock. Traditionally, the roots were cooked as food and the leaves were smoked a by Native Americans. This one was found blooming in the White River National Forest, just outside of Aspen, Colorado.
    Monument Plant Close-up
  • Close-up detail of the tiny flowers of the piggyback plant, also known as youth-on-age. This common forest groundcover forb is native to the Pacific Northwest's wet forests, and is often found on the sides of creeks and streams. It gets its unusual name from the fact that small growths will appear at the base of the leaves that will eventually fall off as a tiny new plant - foregoing the seed process.
    Piggyback Plant
  • The vanilla plant gets its name from the vanilla-like scent emitted when dried. This is an extremely common plant in South Florida and can be found in many types of habitat.
    Vanilla Plant
  • This Chihuahua Desert native agave is about to go into flower! Not a large agave, the slimfoot century plant ranges in size from one to three feet in width, but it's flowering stalk can reach an impressive 15 feet by the time the flowers are ready to be pollinated!!
    Slimfoot Century Plant
  • Also known as elkweed and green gentian, the monument plant is found in both the Cascade and Rocky Mountains. This close-up of one its flowers was found and photographed near Colorado's Maroon Bells just outside of Aspen.
    Monument Plant
  • Top stalk chopped down, this monument plant growing in the White River National Forest just outside of Aspen, Colorado is blooming with flowers nearly at ground level on a chilly summer morning at over 8000 feet in elevation.
    Monument Plant
  • A field of Schnell's pitcher plants with some yellow pitcher plants in the foreground in the Apalachicola National Forest. Among these were numerous other types of carnivorous plants, as well as a couple types of terrestrial orchids. This is a regular stop for us when we are in the area, and something that really must be experienced. No photograph can do it justice!
    Schnell's Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia ..lii)
  • Huge Schnell's pitcher plants growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. These carnivorous plants grow in poor soil, and get what they can't get from the soil by trapping and digesting insects inside these long trumpet-like leaves, which are lured by a sweet-smelling nectar. They are absolutely incredible to see in the wild!
    Schnell's Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia ..lii)
  • Very large yellow pitcher plants growing on the edge of Tate's Hell State Forest in Gulf County on the Florida Panhandle coast. Many of these had spiders' traps inside - robbing the plants of their ability to catch insects.
    Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
  • Yellow pitcher plants found growing in a dried bog in the Apalachicola National Forest. At times, whole prairies can be loaded with these large trumpet-shaped plants!
    Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
  • When traveling through the Apalachicola National Forest in Liberty County, Florida, yellow pitcher plants stand in groves in the seepage bogs along several of the roads.
    Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
  • A field of California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica) growing in a wet bog in full flower! The flowers of this carnivorous plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plants
  • A field of California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica) growing in a wet bog in full flower! The flowers of this carnivorous plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plants
  • A field of California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica) growing in a wet bog in full flower! The flowers of this carnivorous plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plants
  • Close-up of a single pitcher - which is a actually modified leaf. Chemical attractants lure unsuspecting insects, and the downward pointing hairs  on the "ramp" lead them into the trap. Here enzymes within the collected rainwater will digest its prey and provide the necessary nutrients needed for growth and propagation.
    Gulf Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarraceni..sea)
  • This beautiful medium-sized agave is found in the Chihuahuan desert of New Mexico, Texas and Northern Mexico and has wide green-grey leaves with uneven sharp serrations. Found in variable habitats such as desert scrub to pinyon woodlands, this group was found in the Guadalupe Mountains in NW Texas near the New Mexico border.
    Slimfoot Century Plant
  • While not an orchid, mushroom, fungus, or anything related, the delicately beautiful Indian Pipes  - also known as the ghost plant - is actually a parasitic plant called a saprophyte. This unusual plant feeds on decaying tree roots and is found in very rich and old forests, but I have found them growing in Central Florida in an oak/palmetto scrub. Since they do not require sunlight to grow, they are most often found in the darkest parts of the forests where there is also a lot of moisture present. Therefore they do not need to be green (contain chlorophyll) to convert sunlight into energy.
    Indian Pipes (Monotropa uniflora)
  • Easily one of the coolest plants to be found in the Chihuahuan desert, and goes by a long list of common names, such as the Rose of Jericho, resurrection plant,  dinosaur plant, siempre viva, stone flower, doradilla, resurrection flower and many more. This attractive member of the spikemoss family looks almost like a lush, green fern during the rainy season in its native habitat of Northern Mexico, Texas and New Mexico, but during dry spells, it desiccates into a brown dormant ball that looks like a tumbleweed, only to rehydrate back to bright, vibrant green after it rains again. These were found in abundance after the springtime rains in West Texas' Big Bend National Park.
    Resurrection Moss
  • Easily one of the coolest plants to be found in the Chihuahuan desert, and goes by a long list of common names, such as the Rose of Jericho, resurrection plant,  dinosaur plant, siempre viva, stone flower, doradilla, resurrection flower and many more. This attractive member of the spikemoss family looks almost like a lush, green fern during the rainy season in its native habitat of Northern Mexico, Texas and New Mexico, but during dry spells, it desiccates into a brown dormant ball that looks like a tumbleweed, only to rehydrate back to bright, vibrant green after it rains again. These were found in abundance after the springtime rains in West Texas' Big Bend National Park.
    Resurrection Moss
  • Easily one of the coolest plants to be found in the Chihuahuan desert, and goes by a long list of common names, such as the Rose of Jericho, resurrection plant,  dinosaur plant, siempre viva, stone flower, doradilla, resurrection flower and many more. This attractive member of the spikemoss family looks almost like a lush, green fern during the rainy season in its native habitat of Northern Mexico, Texas and New Mexico, but during dry spells, it desiccates into a brown dormant ball that looks like a tumbleweed, only to rehydrate back to bright, vibrant green after it rains again. These were found in abundance after the springtime rains in West Texas' Big Bend National Park.
    Resurrection Moss
  • Easily one of the coolest plants to be found in the Chihuahuan desert, and goes by a long list of common names, such as the Rose of Jericho, resurrection plant,  dinosaur plant, siempre viva, stone flower, doradilla, resurrection flower and many more. This attractive member of the spikemoss family looks almost like a lush, green fern during the rainy season in its native habitat of Northern Mexico, Texas and New Mexico, but during dry spells, it desiccates into a brown dormant ball that looks like a tumbleweed, only to rehydrate back to bright, vibrant green after it rains again. These were found in abundance after the springtime rains in West Texas' Big Bend National Park.
    Resurrection Moss
  • This parasitic plant in the Ocala National Forest gets its nourishment from tree roots. It flowers in the fall - popping out of the ground like a mushroom, flowers, then turns black and dies.
    Indian Pipes (Monotropa uniflora)
  • This parasitic plant in the Ocala National Forest gets its nourishment from tree roots. It flowers in the fall - popping out of the ground like a mushroom, flowers, then turns black and dies.
    Indian Pipes (Monotropa uniflora)
  • Wild golden currants vary in taste from plant to plant, much like other berry-producing plants. These currants range from light yellow to orange, red, and even black. Personally I think the orange and red ones are the sweetest, and the yellow ones (those that are fully ripe) are a bit bitter. All of them have large seeds inside, that are easier eaten than spit out. These were photographed (then eaten) in Cowiche Canyon, just to the west of Yakima, WA.
    Golden Currant
  • Close-up of the wiry stems of Spanish moss. Contrary to the name, Spanish moss in neither a moss, nor is it Spanish. It's a native bromeliad that is closely related to pineapples and air plants found in the tropics and subtropics. This interesting epiphytic plant is most often found hanging from live oaks in the American Southeast, Texas, Mexico and Caribbean Islands where it clings to the bark of these trees by tiny scales on their long thread-like stems. Spanish moss is completely harmless to their host trees, except in some cases where there can be so much of it that it actually blocks the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. This small, isolated piece on was found in the Corkscrew Swamp near Naples, Florida.
    Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides)
  • Contrary to the name, Spanish moss in neither a moss, nor is it Spanish. It's a native bromeliad that is closely related to pineapples and air plants found in the tropics and subtropics. This interesting epiphytic plant is most often found hanging from live oaks in the American Southeast, Texas, Mexico and Caribbean Islands where it clings to the bark of these trees by tiny scales on their long thread-like stems. Spanish moss is completely harmless to their host trees, except in some cases where there can be so much of it that it actually blocks the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. This one was found in an area along the Rio Grande right next to the US-Mexico border near Alamo, Texas.
    Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) - 1
  • Contrary to the name, Spanish moss in neither a moss, nor is it Spanish. It's a native bromeliad that is closely related to pineapples and air plants found in the tropics and subtropics. This interesting epiphytic plant is most often found hanging from live oaks in the American Southeast, Texas, Mexico and Caribbean Islands where it clings to the bark of these trees by tiny scales on their long thread-like stems. Spanish moss is completely harmless to their host trees, except in some cases where there can be so much of it that it actually blocks the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. This was part of an enormous patch found in an area along the Rio Grande right next to the US-Mexico border near Alamo, Texas.
    Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) - 3
  • Close-up of the wiry stems of Spanish moss. Contrary to the name, Spanish moss in neither a moss, nor is it Spanish. It's a native bromeliad that is closely related to pineapples and air plants found in the tropics and subtropics. This interesting epiphytic plant is most often found hanging from live oaks in the American Southeast, Texas, Mexico and Caribbean Islands where it clings to the bark of these trees by tiny scales on their long thread-like stems. Spanish moss is completely harmless to their host trees, except in some cases where there can be so much of it that it actually blocks the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. This was found in an area along the Rio Grande right next to the US-Mexico border near Alamo, Texas.
    Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) - 2
  • A distant relative of the pineapple, ballmoss (or ball moss) is not an actual moss but rather a bromeliad, sometimes called an air plant, that lives on trees where it has some protection from wind and sunlight but does not actually harm the tree in any way. With a native range from Argentina and Chile to the Southern United States, this interesting plant was found growing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the US-Mexico border near Weslaco, Texas.
    Ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata)
  • A distant relative of the pineapple, ballmoss (or ball moss) is not an actual moss but rather a bromeliad, sometimes called an air plant, that lives on trees where it has some protection from wind and sunlight but does not actually harm the tree in any way. With a native range from Argentina and Chile to the Southern United States, this interesting plant was found overhanging the Rio Grande River right on the US-Mexico border just south of Alamo, Texas in Hidalgo County.
    Ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata)
  • This pretty little bright yellow flowering pea is an invasive plant from Eurasia and Northern Africa and Africa that has taken over large parts of North America where it was once used to help control soil erosion in agricultural areas. These "escaped" plants were found growing in abundance along Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a cloudy summer day.
    Bird's-Foot Trefoil -1
  • 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
  • Closeup of the flowers of the Mojave yucca in the late afternoon golden light in Southern California. These flowers are pollinated at night by the Yucca moth (Tegeticula yuccasella), a species that depends on this plant for its survival. Not only will the moth  gather pollen, but she will lay her eggs in the ovaries of the flowers, and the larvae will feed directly on the developing fruit of the flowers, leaving some of the seeds to mature for the next generation of yucca plants.
    Mojave Yucca Flowers
  • A common western member of the lily family photographed here in Northern Oregon, this plant was historically a critical food source many groups and tribes of North American native Americans. It is documented that Lewis and Clark depended on the cooked bulbous roots of this plant for survival on their historic journey to find an overland route to the Pacific Ocean.
    Common Camas
  • A distant relative of the pineapple, ballmoss (or ball moss) is not an actual moss but rather a bromeliad, sometimes called an air plant, that lives on trees where it has some protection from wind and sunlight but does not actually harm the tree in any way. With a native range from Argentina and Chile to the Southern United States, this interesting plant was found growing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the US-Mexico border near Weslaco, Texas.
    Ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata)
  • This pretty little bright yellow flowering pea is an invasive plant from Eurasia and Northern Africa and Africa that has taken over large parts of North America where it was once used to help control soil erosion in agricultural areas. These "escaped" plants were found growing in abundance along Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a cloudy summer day.
    Lotuspedunculatus2021-3
  • This pretty little bright yellow flowering pea is an invasive plant from Eurasia and Northern Africa and Africa that has taken over large parts of North America where it was once used to help control soil erosion in agricultural areas. These "escaped" plants were found growing in abundance along Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a cloudy summer day.
    Bird's-Foot Trefoil -2
  • This large-leaved plant took me by surprise in the deserts of Southern Nevada. The greenish-brown flowers and dark green leaves mark it as what is known locally as wild rhubarb. This plant contains a remarkable amount of tannins and has been used in making leather products.
    Canaigre Dock
  • A Spanish dagger in full flower! While there seems to be a bit of botanical classification confusion at the time of writing this whether the genus "Yucca" belongs to the Asparagaceae or Agavaceae family of plants, one thing is for sure - this very beautiful and very spiky plant can reach to over 30 feet tall, and the spiky leaves are so sharp, that when the Spanish conquered many parts of the New World and build forts, the Conquistadors planted walls walls of these to help fortify their defenses against attack. Native to Texas, New Mexico and Northern Mexico, the Spanish dagger is also locally common in Southwest Florida. This one was photographed in South Texas near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Spanish Dagger (Yucca treculeana)
  • The positively tiny clusters of the infamous stinging nettle are easily overlooked, especially when one is trying to avoid the painful rash this plant give in order to protect itself. This one was found in full bloom along Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a cloudy summer day.
    Stinging Nettle Flowers
  • Also known as Virginia glasswort or pickleweed, this interesting saltwater-loving member of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae) can be found in many seaside habitats with saltwater on the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Extremely tough, it can grow in acidic, neutral and very alkaline soils, and new studies show that the seeds contain 32% fat, which means it has the potential for commercial use in the production of biofuel. Even more interesting and important, if it can be used commercially, this plant is a halophyte - meaning it doesn't require saltwater for irrigation so in the right conditions it might be grown anywhere. These dense mat of American glasswort was found growing in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    American Glasswort (Salicornia virgi..ica)
  • Also known as Virginia glasswort or pickleweed, this interesting saltwater-loving member of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae) can be found in many seaside habitats with saltwater on the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Extremely tough, it can grow in acidic, neutral and very alkaline soils, and new studies show that the seeds contain 32% fat, which means it has the potential for commercial use in the production of biofuel. Even more interesting and important, if it can be used commercially, this plant is a halophyte - meaning it doesn't require saltwater for irrigation so in the right conditions it might be grown anywhere. These dense mat of American glasswort was found growing in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    American Glasswort (Salicornia virgi..ica)
  • This plant needs no introduction to most of us. I learned about it the hard way while unknowingly walking through a huge patch of it in shorts. While not native to North America, this "uncomfortable" is an unfortunate import from Europe, Asia and Western Africa where it has been stinging people and animals forever and now can be found growing in every state (except Hawaii) and province of the United States, Canada, and even in parts of Northern Mexico. As an act of delicious revenge, when the leaves of the stinging nettle are added to boiling water, the tiny stinging hairs break down resulting in a very healthy and nourishing food source, similar to cooked spinach. This one was found growing above the forrest cliffs of Whidbey Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
    StingingNettle2020-1.jpg
  • A free-floating leafy bladderwort in flower as it floats in the swampy water of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on the Florida Panhandle. This interesting carnivorous plant has tiny sensitive traps in its root-like strictures that capture tiny invertebrates as they seek shelter that it will ingest as a food source.
    Leafy Bladderwort
  • The world's most famous carnivorous plant - the venus flytrap, growing wild in a bog in North Florida. These natives to the American Southeast - primarily North and South Carolina, have been spreading and thriving in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
  • A Spanish dagger in full flower! While there seems to be a bit of botanical classification confusion at the time of writing this whether the genus "Yucca" belongs to the Asparagaceae or Agavaceae family of plants, one thing is for sure - this very beautiful and very spiky plant can reach to over 30 feet tall, and the spiky leaves are so sharp, that when the Spanish conquered many parts of the New World and build forts, the Conquistadors planted walls walls of these to help fortify their defenses against attack. Native to Texas, New Mexico and Northern Mexico, the Spanish dagger is also locally common in Southwest Florida. This one was photographed in South Texas near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Spanish Dagger (Yucca treculeana)
  • A Spanish dagger getting ready to flower! While there seems to be a bit of botanical classification confusion at the time of writing this whether the genus "Yucca" belongs to the Asparagaceae or Agavaceae family of plants, one thing is for sure - this very beautiful and very spiky plant can reach to over 30 feet tall, and the spiky leaves are so sharp, that when the Spanish conquered many parts of the New World and build forts, the Conquistadors planted walls walls of these to help fortify their defenses against attack. Native to Texas, New Mexico and Northern Mexico, the Spanish dagger is also locally common in Southwest Florida. This one was photographed in South Texas near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Spanish Dagger (Yucca treculeana)
  • A common wetland plant in Florida, Alabama and Louisiana, the alligator flag (also known as bent alligator-flag or arrowroot) has large lance-shaped leaves and can grow in standing freshwater to a height of six to ten feet! This one was blooming out of season (usually May through July) in late November in the Corkscrew Swamp in Southwest Florida.
    Alligator Flag Flower
  • Also known as heal-all, self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) is a beautiful member of the mint family common all over much of North America all the way up to the Arctic Circle as an important medicinal plant. It is used for a variety of uses in many countries across the globe: it can be eaten fresh as a salad or cooked in soups and stews, a refreshing tea or as a olive-green dye. Medicinally, it is used for the treatment of wounds, ulcers, sores and is known to have antibacterial properties. This beauty was found in full flower in an old-growth forest in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris)
  • Also known as Virginia glasswort or pickleweed, this interesting saltwater-loving member of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae) can be found in many seaside habitats with saltwater on the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Extremely tough, it can grow in acidic, neutral and very alkaline soils, and new studies show that the seeds contain 32% fat, which means it has the potential for commercial use in the production of biofuel. Even more interesting and important, if it can be used commercially, this plant is a halophyte - meaning it doesn't require saltwater for irrigation so in the right conditions it might be grown anywhere. These dense mat of American glasswort was found growing in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    American Glasswort (Salicornia virgi..ica)
  • 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)
  • While devoid of chlorophyll and unable to make its own food like most plants, the clustered broomrape is a parasitic plant that steals nutrients from neighboring host plants. These fuzzy and perfect examples of the yellow variety were found growing among patches of poison oak in southern Oregon near Medford.
    Clustered Broomrape
  • Often referred to as a weed, the very common yellow woodsorrel is found almost all over North America, with the exception of Labrador, Alberta, California, Oregon, Nevada and Utah. Commonly found growing in flowerbeds, lawns, etc. - all parts of this native beauty is edible. I grew up chewing on this plant because I love the intensely citrusy tanginess of it.
    Common Yellow Woodsorrel
  • Fairly widespread across most of North America, excluding the Southeast and the extreme Northeast, the golden currant is a member of the currant and gooseberry family. In early spring, this plant is covered in hundreds of beautiful small bright yellow flowers. By late spring and early summer, the limbs of this small water-loving shrub become heavily laden with golden yellow/orange edible fruits, such as these growing next to Cowiche Creek, just west of Yakima, Washington.
    Golden Currant
  • Detailed image of the inflorescence of the northern needleleaf air plant, complete with it's purple, tube-like flower. This one was found growing in a tree in the Fakahatchee Strand of Southwest Florida - one of North Americas hotspots for rare plants such as these bromeliads.
    Northern Needleleaf (Tillandsia balb..ana)
  • Close-up view of the hundreds of shiny, sticky hairs that attract and entrap insects. Doomed insects will then be digested with powerful enzymes and absorbed by the plant. This enables the Tracy's sundew to thrive in areas where the soil is very poor in nutrients and highly acidic.
    Threadleaf Sundew (Drosera tracyi)
  • The tiny and beautiful pink sundew has many leaves with sticky pads arranged in a rosette. These sticky sweet drops of muscilage attract flying insects that become trapped and then are slowly digested by the plant.
    Pink Sundew (Drosera capillaris)
  • 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
  • Chia is a common member of the mint family found throughout much of its native range in the Southwestern United States. Very popular in today's health food trends, it has a long history of use among American Indian tribes, and was often planted alongside corn. The tiny nut-like seeds were mixed with water and herbs to make a minty beverage, they were ground and mixed with water to make a sticky poultice for wounds, and today it is often used as a treatment from diabetes. This particular plant was photographed in a washed-out arroyo in Southern California's Joshua Tree National Park.
    Chia
  • Close-up of the desert broomrape, showing off the beautiful and unusual hairy flowers. Because it doesn't use chlorophyll like most all plants to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into food, it doesn't need to be green. Instead, this oddly beautiful parasitic plant steals nutrients from neighboring plants and has a rather fond taste for asters, such as the sunflowers are common in the desert. This one was found growing in Western Texas near the Rio Grande River.
    Desert Broomrape
  • Newly budding bitterroots growing at the top of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington. A sometime food source of many of the Native Americans who inhabited the Western plains and sagebrush deserts where the bitterroot grows, the first European explorers found the roots too bitter to be palatable, so the first to arrive - the French named this plant the "racine amer" translated literally as bitter root. Not are these some of the most beautiful of all the flowering plants of the summer, these are also the toughest!
    Bitterroot
  • Newly budding bitterroots growing at the top of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington. A sometime food source of many of the Native Americans who inhabited the Western plains and sagebrush deserts where the bitterroot grows, the first European explorers found the roots too bitter to be palatable, so the first to arrive - the French named this plant the "racine amer" translated literally as bitter root. Not are these some of the most beautiful of all the flowering plants of the summer, these are also the toughest!
    Bitterroot
  • With the reputation of being the plant that has killed more people in the Pacific Northwest than any other plant ever will, the death camas is a rather plain-looking, white-flowered member of the bunchflower family that often grows in and among the historically significant common camas, which has been used as a food source for centuries, if not millennia. The corm (think of something similar to a tulip or daffodil bulb) of the common blue-flowering camas was an extremely important food source for the native peoples and settling pioneers, and when dug up when not in flower, the nutritious common camas corm and the highly poisonous death camas corm are virtually indistinguishable. This was one of hundreds found and photographed among the edible common camas on Fidalgo Island in Anacortes, Washington on a mid-April afternoon almost at the very edge of the high cliffs overlooking Rosario Strait.
    Meadow Death Camas
  • With the reputation of being the plant that has killed more people in the Pacific Northwest than any other plant ever will, the death camas is a rather plain-looking, white-flowered member of the bunchflower family that often grows in and among the historically significant common camas, which has been used as a food source for centuries, if not millennia. The corm (think of something similar to a tulip or daffodil bulb) of the common blue-flowering camas was an extremely important food source for the native peoples and settling pioneers, and when dug up when not in flower, the nutritious common camas corm and the highly poisonous death camas corm are virtually indistinguishable. This was one of hundreds found and photographed among the edible common camas on Fidalgo Island in Anacortes, Washington on a mid-April afternoon almost at the very edge of the high cliffs overlooking Rosario Strait.
    Meadow Death Camas
  • With the reputation of being the plant that has killed more people in the Pacific Northwest than any other plant ever will, the death camas is a rather plain-looking, white-flowered member of the bunchflower family that often grows in and among the historically significant common camas, which has been used as a food source for centuries, if not millennia. The corm (think of something similar to a tulip or daffodil bulb) of the common blue-flowering camas was an extremely important food source for the native peoples and settling pioneers, and when dug up when not in flower, the nutritious common camas corm and the highly poisonous death camas corm are virtually indistinguishable. This was one of hundreds found and photographed among the edible common camas on Fidalgo Island in Anacortes, Washington on a mid-April afternoon almost at the very edge of the high cliffs overlooking Rosario Strait.
    Meadow Death Camas
  • An unusually short yet still flowering spotted coralroot orchid growing in the coastal forest on Fidalgo Island. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland. Like most coralroots, they are often found on the forest floor in areas devoid of other low-growth/forest floor vegetation. I usually find them by habitat-type, as they seem to grow best in places where a bit of sunlight reaches a permanently dark forest floor, and can be spectacular when a beam of light penetrates the darkness to reveal this beautiful orchid standing tall. Because it lacks chlorophyll, the leaves of this plant do not use photosynthesis to create its own food, but unusually the ovaries of the flower can, in very small amounts. The main source of nutrients is like that of many other non-green plants (called myco-heterotrophs) - they parasitize the vegetative part of underground fungi, in this case - the mushroom family Russulaceae.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • A trio of spotted coralroot orchids growing in the coastal forest on Fidalgo Island. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland. Like most coralroots, they are often found on the forest floor in areas devoid of other low-growth/forest floor vegetation. I usually find them by habitat-type, as they seem to grow best in places where a bit of sunlight reaches a permanently dark forest floor, and can be spectacular when a beam of light penetrates the darkness to reveal this beautiful orchid standing tall. Because it lacks chlorophyll, the leaves of this plant do not use photosynthesis to create its own food, but unusually the ovaries of the flower can, in very small amounts. The main source of nutrients is like that of many other non-green plants (called myco-heterotrophs) - they parasitize the vegetative part of underground fungi, in this case - the mushroom family Russulaceae.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
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