Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • Like any member of the maple family, the winged seeds of the vine maple develop in pairs, which will dry, split, and "helicopter" to the ground on the wind where some of them will take root as part of the next generation. These seeds were photographed on Larch Mountain in Northern Oregon.
    Vine Maple Seeds
  • The familiar winged seedpods (or samaras) of the bigleaf maple, ripened and dries, ready to split and helicopter off into the wind. Unlike other maples, the fuzzy coating covering the main part of the seed is actually quite spiky and burr-like. I found that out the hard way. This one was photographed in the riparian forest near the Nisqually River Delta near Olympia, WA.
    Bigleaf Maple Samaras
  • This is how it all starts: tiny bright yellow-green flowers show before even the first hint of leaves in the massive bigleaf maples. As the spring progresses into summer, the seed pods begin to form, and as fall approaches, we see the first of the falling "whirlie-birds" we all know and love!
    Bigleaf Maple Flower Bud
  • 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
  • Perhaps the most common and recognizable native hardwood tree in the Pacific Northwest, the bigleaf maple is the largest maple in the area, and the leaves are a prized food source for deer and elk. Pictured here are the winged seeds so commonly and widely recognized by most people. Called samaras, these twin seeds when dried and mature, will split and "whirlybird"  down to the forest floor, and with any luck will sprout. This one was found growing near the edge of Deep Lake, near Enumclaw, WA.
    Bigleaf Maple with Samaras (Seedpods)
  • These ripe fruits of the Joshua tree range in size from 2-4 inches, and are clustered on the tall flower "spikes" that can be from 12-60 inches from the center of the rosette where new leaves form. These were photographed from below with a nice morning golden light in the Mojave Desert in Southern California.
    Fruit of the Joshua Tree
  • This lemony-yellow Indian paintbrush is a member of the broomrape family of paintbrushes that are found across much of the United States at high elevations. This one was photographed deep in rural Central Wyoming.
    Yellow Indian Paintbrush
  • Wild coffee is a very beautiful plant found in the southern half of Florida and throughout the Caribbean Islands. While wild coffee is in the same family as true coffee, these bright red berries only look very similar to ripe coffee berries, but they do not contain any caffeine and attempts to roast the dried berries and have only resulted in a headache-inducing beverage with a terrible taste. These were photographed growing wild in West Palm County, Florida.
    Wild Coffee
  • Wild coffee is a very beautiful plant found in the southern half of Florida and throughout the Caribbean Islands. While wild coffee is in the same family as true coffee, these bright red berries only look very similar to ripe coffee berries, but they do not contain any caffeine and attempts to roast the dried berries and have only resulted in a headache-inducing beverage with a terrible taste. These were photographed growing wild in West Palm County, Florida.
    Wild Coffee
  • Male catkins of the Sitka alder on a summer afternoon at the very top of Snoqualmie Pass at the edge of Gold Creek Pond. These unlikely looking flowers supply the pollen that will pollenate the nearby cone-like female catkins - not with insect pollinators, but by the wind!
    Sitka Alder Catkins
  • Female catkins of the Sitka alder on a summer afternoon at the very top of Snoqualmie Pass at the edge of Gold Creek Pond. These nondescript small "cones" patiently await pollen to be carried by the wind from the nearby male catkins to ensure the next generation of Sitka alders.
    Sitka Alder Catkins
  • Successfully pollinated and fruiting seedpods of the nearly impossible-to-find and leafless ribbon orchid. Not only is this orchid extremely rare in the United States, it is only found in one tiny pocket of one remote part of the Northwestern Florida Everglades known as the Fakahatchee Strand, which is its northernmost range This one was photographed deep in the Strand while standing about waist-deep in the black, slowly-moving waters deep in the shadows of ancient bald cypress trees. Luckily, it can also be found in parts of the Caribbean islands, Central America, and even in some parts of Northern South America.
    Ribbon Orchid Seedpods
  • I thought this was worth taking the photograph. Western trilliums are a delight to every hiker in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. They bloom early in the spring, they stand out in sharp white contrast to the dark and evergreen enormity of the deep woods, and after fading to pink or purple before eventually withering up, they are often forgotten. Pictured here is the pollinated seedpod of the trillium, which is done by solely by ants.
    Western White Trillium Seedpod
  • Male catkins of the Sitka alder on a summer afternoon at the very top of Snoqualmie Pass at the edge of Gold Creek Pond. These unlikely looking flowers supply the pollen that will pollenate the nearby cone-like female catkins - not with insect pollinators, but by the wind!
    Sitka Alder Catkins
  • Angiosperms, Asteraceae, Asterids, beautiful, beauty, biennial, bloom, blooming, blooms, blossom, blossoms, botany, bud, bull thistle, Carduoideae, Cirsium, Cirsium vulgare, color, common thistle, Cynareae, dicot, flora, flower, flowers, forb, fresh, green, herb, invasive, native, natural, nature, non-native, Olympia, Onopordum acanthium, pink, plant, Plantae, plants, ruderal, Scotch thistle, Scottish thistle, spear thistle, summer, thistle, Thurston County, vulgare, Washington, west coast, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, Woodard Bay Conservation Area
    Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) 2
  • A healthy and delicious papaya-lime smoothie on a white background.
    Papaya-Lime Smoothie
  • Angiosperms, Asteraceae, Asterids, beautiful, beauty, biennial, bloom, blooming, blooms, blossom, blossoms, botany, bud, bull thistle, Carduoideae, Cirsium, Cirsium vulgare, color, common thistle, Cynareae, dicot, flora, flower, flowers, forb, fresh, green, herb, invasive, native, natural, nature, non-native, Olympia, Onopordum acanthium, pink, plant, Plantae, plants, ruderal, Scotch thistle, Scottish thistle, spear thistle, summer, thistle, Thurston County, vulgare, Washington, west coast, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, Woodard Bay Conservation Area
    Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) 1
  • Grasses and sedges blowing in the wind at Plummer Creek Marsh on Chatcolet Lake in Northwestern Idaho.
    Grasses and Sedges
  • First light peeks over the steep basalt canyon walls to touch the Yakima River in the incredibly picturesque Yakima Canyon at dawn. With this chilly springtime morning, the sounds of bats, frogs and coyotes fade, only to be replaced by early-rising songbirds, blue herons and the splashing of hungry rainbow trout.
    Wild Grasses in the Yakima River Can..Dawn
  • A healthy and delicious papaya-lime smoothie on a white background.
    Papaya-Lime Smoothie
  • Fresh Organic Kiwi
    Fresh Organic Kiwi
  • These native beauties are very common in the springtime in the Pacific Northwest and can be found in California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia anywhere with moist soil and lots of shade. One interesting feature of the Pacific bleeding heart is how it is spread. The one to two inch pod contains large black seeds with a bit of white fat attached to each one. Ants love this fat, and carry the seeds away. When the seed is discarded, it has a chance to grow in a new location! These were found growing in an old coniferous forest near Deep Lake in Enumclaw, Washington.
    Pacific Bleeding Hearts
  • These native beauties are very common in the springtime in the Pacific Northwest and can be found in California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia anywhere with moist soil and lots of shade. One interesting feature of the Pacific bleeding heart is how it is spread. The one to two inch pod contains large black seeds with a bit of white fat attached to each one. Ants love this fat, and carry the seeds away. When the seed is discarded, it has a chance to grow in a new location! These were found growing in an old coniferous forest near Deep Lake in Enumclaw, Washington.
    Pacific Bleeding Hearts
  • The Joshua tree, symbol of the Mojave desert, reaches out into the blue early April sky. One reason it is believed that this iconic yucca is losing habitat, and declining in numbers is in the fossil record of the recent extinction (in geological years) of the Shasta ground sloth, one of the giant sloths that went the way of the mammoths and other American megafauna. Fossilized scat shows the remains of the seeds, leaves and pulp of joshua trees... and was possibly in a loose symbiotic relationship with it as to provide food in return for seed propagation.
    Joshua Tree
  • Close-up of the fantastically beautiful American beautyberry. These clusters of drupes (think blackberries) each contain a seed and are a very important source of food for many species of birds. 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
  • 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
  • A male blue dasher dragonfly perches on an old thistle flower that's gone to seed over a small pond in rural southern Georgia in Hardee County.
    Blue Dasher
  • One of the great adaptations the silky lupine has evolved is to grow in places where the soil has a very low fertility. Its nitrogen-fixing ability not only allows it to grow in large colonies in the most arid of dry steppes, it actually improves soil quality allowing new species of plants to come in, take seed and grow.
    Silky Lupine
  • 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 terrestrial cowhorn orchid found growing in the Fakahatchee Strand - in full flower weeks before it was stolen from the wild. This is why I no longer tell anyone where the rare orchids are - this happens all too often! They are too hard to find, and very disheartening when they are taken - usually to die in some orchid enthusiast's collection because it has been shocked by its removal from the conditions in which it grew from seed.
    Yellow Cowhorn Orchid (Cyrtopodium p..lum)
  • By the time I saw my first Rickett's noddingcaps orchid, It had already flowered and gone to seed. A good key to identifying this species is the underside of the heart-shaped leaves. If they are green - they you probably have this orchid.
    Rickett's Noddingcaps (Triphora rick..tii)
  • Native to South and Southwest Texas, and Center Mexico, this absolutely beautiful tree is a member of the pea family. The Texas mountain laurel goes by many other local names such as frigolito, frijollito, frijolillo, coral bean, big-drunk bean and more. These beautiful flowers blossom in the spring, and will produce what are known as mescal beans with bright red pea-like seeds which are highly toxic to people. This one was found blooming in Harlingen, Texas on a beautiful sunny spring afternoon in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
    Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllu..ora)
  • Of all of the neotropical songbirds of North America, the black-crested titmouse has to be the cutest of them all! A member of the Paridae family of birds (which includes chickadees and other titmice), these little passerines are found in forests and riparian environments where they hunt for seeds, nuts, berries, insects and insect eggs from Central Mexico north through Central and Western Texas and just barely into Oklahoma. This adorable little one was found flitting among the trees in South Texas' Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus a..tus)
  • Rather drab compared to some of the other tropical and subtropical doves, the white-tipped dove has a beautiful reddish-pink eye ring and live primarily in South and Central America, but can be found as far north as the very southern tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. This one was seen and photographed foraging for seeds near Weslaco, Texas in Hidalgo County near the Mexican border.
    White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi)
  • 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)
  • Common in most of the western United States and Canada, the arrowleaf balsamroot is a member of the sunflower and aster family (hence the sunflower resemblance) and has a historical significance to the various tribes and peoples of the American West as a source of food and medicine. The large root can be baked or steamed as a good source of carbohydrates. The stems can be peeled and eaten, and even the seeds are a great source for both nutrients and calorie-rich oils. These beautiful examples this springtime beauty were photographed on a beautiful spring day just outside of Yakima, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • Common in most of the western United States and Canada, the arrowleaf balsamroot is a member of the sunflower and aster family (hence the sunflower resemblance) and has a historical significance to the various tribes and peoples of the American West as a source of food and medicine. The large root can be baked or steamed as a good source of carbohydrates. The stems can be peeled and eaten, and even the seeds are a great source for both nutrients and calorie-rich oils. These beautiful examples this springtime beauty were photographed on a beautiful spring day just outside of Yakima, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • 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
  • A wild male California quail hunts for seeds and insects in a disturbed field outside of Yakima, WA in Cowiche Canyon. Although it is California's state bird, this native quail is found from Canada to Mexico along the West Coast in dry, arid habitats.
    California Quail
  • 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
  • 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
  • Woolly vetch (sometimes called winter vetch) is an important crop used in agriculture for fixing depleted soil nitrogen, and is often planted in fields to correct deficiencies resulting from extensive farming. Found in nearly all of North America, woolly vetch doubles as a tenacious weed that is sometimes hard to remove as vast numbers of seeds are released early which grow back the next season.
    Woolly Vetch
  • Native to South and Southwest Texas, and Center Mexico, this absolutely beautiful tree is a member of the pea family. The Texas mountain laurel goes by many other local names such as frigolito, frijollito, frijolillo, coral bean, big-drunk bean and more. These beautiful flowers blossom in the spring, and will produce what are known as mescal beans with bright red pea-like seeds which are highly toxic to people. This one was found blooming in Harlingen, Texas on a beautiful sunny spring afternoon in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
    Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllu..ora)
  • A beautifully-colored fox squirrel with reddish fur searches for seeds and nuts on a late winter day in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco, Texas. Common all over the Eastern United States, Northern Mexico, and some of the Canadian provinces such as Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, this is the largest squirrel species in North America and can vary wildly in coloration from silvery-gray, reddish brown, jet black and sometimes white leucistic (not albino) ones can be found such as one group in Tallahassee, Florida.
    Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
  • Of all of the neotropical songbirds of North America, the black-crested titmouse has to be the cutest of them all! A member of the Paridae family of birds (which includes chickadees and other titmice), these little passerines are found in forests and riparian environments where they hunt for seeds, nuts, berries, insects and insect eggs from Central Mexico north through Central and Western Texas and just barely into Oklahoma. This adorable little one was found flitting among the trees in South Texas' Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus a..tus)
  • Of all of the neotropical songbirds of North America, the black-crested titmouse has to be the cutest of them all! A member of the Paridae family of birds (which includes chickadees and other titmice), these little passerines are found in forests and riparian environments where they hunt for seeds, nuts, berries, insects and insect eggs from Central Mexico north through Central and Western Texas and just barely into Oklahoma. This adorable little one was found flitting among the trees in South Texas' Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus a..tus)
  • The Inca dove is one of the prettiest doves found in the New World. Not because it has brightly colored plumage or is large and showy, but because this small dove has feathers that very much resemble fish scales and make for a very intricate and high-contract pattern, which in turn makes for excellent camouflage in the their native habitat. Native to Central America to the Southern United States from Texas to California, this pair was seen foraging for seeds in near the Mexican border near Weslaco, Texas.
    Inca Doves (Columbina inca)
  • Found all across nearly all of the Northern Hemisphere and Southeast Asia and common in many parts of Africa and India, the northern shoveler is a dabbling duck that has a large, spade-like bill that it uses to filter out tiny plants, seeds and invertebrates from the water. This beautiful drake (male duck) was found in a pond in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge near the Texas-Mexico border.
    Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
  • Considered non-native and invasive from Europe (although there is some speculation that there is an American native subspecies) the elegant and creatively named common reed is an important wetland grass that is found in every state and province in North America except for Hawaii and Alaska, ranging as for north as the Canadian Northwest Territories. Growing to heights of 20 feet (6 meters) this enormous aquatic wetland grass can grow massive thickets providing refuge, seeds and food for wildlife. These were found and photographed in Hidalgo County in South Texas on the Rio Grande, which forms the US-Mexico border.
    Common Reed (Phragmites australis)
  • Very common and easily recognized across most of the eastern half of North American and along most the US/Mexico border, excluding California, the red cardinal (and in particular - the bright red male as seen here) one of our most common backyard birds. They are often seen in pairs searching for seeds and insects in bushes and on the ground, or frequenting bird feeder. This one was a surprise for me, because I've been unsuccessful in getting a decent shot of a nice bright red male for 20 years until last week in South Texas. This one suddenly landed right in front of me and stayed there for about 5 minutes while I had a blast photographing him from different angles.
    Northern Cardinal
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 1
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 2
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 3
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 4
  • 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)
  • Close-up of the flowerhead of the arrowleaf balsamroot. It is often thought the entire sunflower-like head is the flower, but what are often mistaken for the long yellow petals are actually the ray florets, and the actual flowers are the dozens of tiny "mini-flowers" called disk florets, and these when fertilized are what produce the seeds. This perfectly-shaped arrowleaf balsamroot was photographed on a beautiful spring day just outside of Yakima, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • Also known as skyrocket, scarlet gilia is a very tall member of the phlox family and a favorite of hummingbirds, various moths, elk and deer. It can be found throughout most of the western half of the United States and north into British Columbia in rocky deserts, mountain meadows, and subalpine rock fields. Once the scarlet gilia blooms, the whole plant dies, but pollinated seeds will grow the next generation of these spectacular wildflowers! This four-foot tall scarlet gilia was photographed deep in the desert canyons south of Ellensburg, Washington.
    Scarlet Gilia
  • Also known as skyrocket, scarlet gilia is a very tall member of the phlox family and a favorite of hummingbirds, various moths, elk and deer. It can be found throughout most of the western half of the United States and north into British Columbia in rocky deserts, mountain meadows, and subalpine rock fields. Once the scarlet gilia blooms, the whole plant dies, but pollinated seeds will grow the next generation of these spectacular wildflowers! This four-foot tall scarlet gilia was photographed deep in the desert canyons south of Ellensburg, Washington.
    Scarlet Gilia
  • Also known as skyrocket, scarlet gilia is a very tall member of the phlox family and a favorite of hummingbirds, various moths, elk and deer. It can be found throughout most of the western half of the United States and north into British Columbia in rocky deserts, mountain meadows, and subalpine rock fields. Once the scarlet gilia blooms, the whole plant dies, but pollinated seeds will grow the next generation of these spectacular wildflowers! This four-foot tall scarlet gilia was photographed deep in the desert canyons south of Ellensburg, Washington.
    Scarlet Gilia
  • 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 flowers here in the Mercer Slough of Bellevue, Washington are native to Europe and Asia, and arrived roughly in the 1860's. The berries 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
  • Larkspurs are an easily recognized member of the buttercup family found across most of the Northern hemisphere and mountain ranges of Africa. All are highly toxic to people and some livestock, especially the seeds. The Kittitas larkspur is found only in the state of Washington on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains near mountain streams where the climate is much drier and there is much more sunlight. This one was found growing above Umtanum Creek in Kittitas County, just south of Ellensburg, WA.
    Kittitas Larkspur
  • Somewhat common in the western half of North America, the arrowleaf balsamroot is a large and unmistakably beautiful and showy member of the sunflower family that is found in a variety of habitats from desert scrub and grasslands to mountain forests. They are often eaten by elk and deer, and were historically eaten by Native American tribes as raw or steamed greens, or as a flour made from the dried and pounded seeds. Even the long taproot is edible. This one was found growing in the sides of many canyons and ravines of the Eastern Cascades Mountains, just south of Ellensburg, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • Somewhat common in the western half of North America, the arrowleaf balsamroot is a large and unmistakably beautiful and showy member of the sunflower family that is found in a variety of habitats from desert scrub and grasslands to mountain forests. They are often eaten by elk and deer, and were historically eaten by Native American tribes as raw or steamed greens, or as a flour made from the dried and pounded seeds. Even the long taproot is edible. This one was found growing in the sides of many canyons and ravines of the Eastern Cascades Mountains, just south of Ellensburg, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • Somewhat common in the western half of North America, the arrowleaf balsamroot is a large and unmistakably beautiful and showy member of the sunflower family that is found in a variety of habitats from desert scrub and grasslands to mountain forests. They are often eaten by elk and deer, and were historically eaten by Native American tribes as raw or steamed greens, or as a flour made from the dried and pounded seeds. Even the long taproot is edible. This one was found growing in the sides of many canyons and ravines of the Eastern Cascades Mountains, just south of Ellensburg, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • This wonderful alpine wildflower and member of the buttercup family is found at very high elevations in California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta, and only shows itself in summer when the snow finally melts, preferring wet, gravelly soils, common at such altitudes. When pollinated, the the seedpods resemble large green furry mops turned upside down, where brisk alpine winds will disperse the seeds ensuring the next generation.
    Western Pasqueflower
  • Also known as the edible thistle, his Pacific Northwest member of the aster family is found in alpine and subalpine forested mountains. The peeled stems can be eaten, and the flowers and seeds are a common food source for butterflies, bees, and birds. This one was found just below the top of Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains of Washington.
    Indian Thistle
  • This smallest member of the chipmunk family in North America is found in coniferous forests, juniper woodlands, and sagebrush deserts where it feasts on mostly seeds, but will also eat flowers, buds, leaves, grasses, fungi, and even insects, eggs, and carrion!
    Least Chipmunk
  • 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
  • This native buckwheat has just past its peak flowering and as the flowers begin to droop, seeds will ripen that will feed the wildlife of the sagebrush desert, like here in Central Washington's Cowiche Canyon.
    Parsley Desert Buckwheat
  • Close-up of the incredibly colorful inflorescence of the northern needleleaf airplant, one of many subtropical airplants only found in Southern Florida. Soon after flowering it will die (typical of bromeliads), and the drying seedpods will split, sending the tiny airborne seeds to take root on another tree to start the next generation.
    Northern Needleleaf (Tillandsia balb..ana)
  • Queen's cups are a small plain white lily that often grows in vast carpets in the wet forests of the Pacific Northwest. After the flower wilts, a bright blue berry develops and although it is inedible for humans, it is eaten by grouse, who then spread the seeds for the next season.
    Queen's Cup
  • A very common aquatic wildflower found all across Western North America,  the yellow pond-lily is a type of spatterdock often confused with water lilies. This one was photographed in the sub-alpine elevations of Oregon's Mount Hood. An interesting side note is that the seeds are edible, and will pop just like popcorn!
    Yellow Pond-lily
  • A white-tailed ground squirrel peeks out of its burrow among a pile of rocks in Southern Nevada. These tough little rodents live in very hot, dry environments, and get most of their moisture from their food which includes insects, seeds, fruits, cactus, grasses and even sometimes carrion.
    White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
  • Steller's jays are aggressive feeders, and will feed on anything from plants (seeds, nuts, fruit), animals (invertebrates, baby birds, and some reptiles) During the non-breeding season, when not scavenging human habitation, they will scavenge seeds, cones and acorns.
    Steller's Jay
  • A close-up look at the flowers of pinedrops. After pollination, the flowers will fruit, eventually releasing many tiny seeds with diaphanous wings that will propagate the next generation of these saprophytic pinedrops.
    Pinedrops
  • The fantastically mottled and twisted flowers of the cigar orchid in a massive display deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve. This is by far the largest one I've found, and hopefully will provide plenty of seeds for this orchid to recover after decades of poaching.
    Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)
  • 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
  • This is one of those orchids that  I just can't seem to get the timing right on catching it in flower. Shown here is the split seedpod, with all seeds already blown away by the wind.
    Craighead's Noddingcaps (Triphora cr..dii)
  • Clamshell orchid that has been pollenated, these "fruits" will eventually ripen, and split, releasing their seeds to catch the wind and hopefully land in a suitable place to become another of these flowering beauties.
    Clamshell Orchid (Prosthechea cochle..dra)