Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • Until recently, the showy penstemon (including all other penstemons) was categorized as a member of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae), which they clearly and closely look similar to. Recently, they have been reclassified as part of the plantain family (Plantaginaceae). As is often the case in botany, new research and genetic testing makes it easier for botanists to more accurately understand these plants which often means reclassification.
    Showy Penstemon
  • Also known as a giant orchid - this terrestrial orchid looks like anything but and orchid. Many of the ones I've photographed have been about 40-50 inches tall on average.
    Crestless Plume Orchid (Orthochilus ..tus)
  • Swamp lilies growing deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. In the summertime, these can be found just about anywhere there is standing water in the Florida Everglades.
    Swamp Lilies
  • A location in Lee County has well over a hundred of these unusual tall orchids growing in two distinct colonies. The location will remain undisclosed as these orchids are becoming very rare at an alarming rate.
    Crestless Plume Orchid (Orthochilus ..tus)
  • Pine lily found growing on the side of a trail in the CREW Marsh Hiking Trails in Collier County, Fl.
    Pine Lily
  • The exotic and unusual alligator lily growing out of a swampy region in the Florida Everglades. These flowers are freshly opened, and naturally have this "ragged" edge.
    Alligator Lily
  • Also known by many other common names such as Catesby's lily, leopard lily, tiger lily, and southern-red lily, the wondrously beautiful pine lily is found natively throughout most of the Southeastern United States, Puerto Rico, various Caribbean Islands and even in parts of Central and South America. In North America, it blooms in late summer through to the fall in savannahs and moist pine flatwoods with somewhat acidic soils from Louisiana to Virginia, sometimes in association with carnivorous plants that require the same soil type. This one was found growing in the Estero Bay Preserve in Lee County, Fl.
    Pine Lily
  • Alligator Lily in the Big Cypress National Preserve. These are very common in summer when the prairies are completely flooded in the middle of the wet season.
    Alligator Lily
  • One of the several wild roses found in the Pacific Northwest, the Woods' rose often prefers a drier habitat, and is often found along riversides and streams, such as this one that was found growing in Kent, WA.
    Woods' Rose (Rosa woodsii)
  • The potbelly airplant growing in the Everglades National Park. The thick, firm leaves are covered in a silvery fuzz, and are identified by their twisting leaves, and cardboard-like texture.
    Potbelly Airplant (Tillandsia paucif..lia)
  • Potbelly airplant growing in the Everglades National Park. These are very common in the wetlands of South Florida, and are most often found on cypress trees.
    Potbelly Airplant (Tillandsia paucif..lia)
  • This night-flowering bromeliad is found mainly in Southern Mexico and Central America, but there is a small native population in Southwest Florida.
    Nodding Strap Airplant (Catopsis nutans)
  • The super rare nodding strap airplant growing over a pond in the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida.
    Nodding Strap Airplant (Catopsis nutans)
  • A perfect pair of this distant relative of the pineapple growing in a hardwood hammock in Southwest Florida.
    Fuzzywuzzy Airplant (Tillandsia prui..osa)
  • Also known as the hoary airplant, this rare bromeliad is infrequently seen in the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida, as this one was.
    Fuzzywuzzy Airplant (Tillandsia prui..osa)
  • These beautiful bright-red rose hips are the fruit of the native Wood's wild rose (Rosa woodsii), found throughout all of the western states and all of Canada (except the Maritime Provinces). Often ignored by everyone except wild food foragers, these rose hips are high in vitamin C and E and can be used to make excellent teas, jams, jellies, and even wine! I have personally used them along with wild apples to make a delicious autumn compote! These were found nearing full ripeness just outside of Olympia, Washington next to the Henderson Inlet.
    Wild Rose Hips (Rosa woodsii)
  • 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)
  • These beautiful bright-red rose hips are the fruit of the native Wood's wild rose (Rosa woodsii), found throughout all of the western states and all of Canada (except the Maritime Provinces). Often ignored by everyone except wild food foragers, these rose hips are high in vitamin C and E and can be used to make excellent teas, jams, jellies, and even wine! I have personally used them along with wild apples to make a delicious autumn compote! These were found nearing full ripeness just outside of Olympia, Washington next to the Henderson Inlet.
    Wild Rose Hips (Rosa woodsii)
  • Starting off as a grey-to-greenish lichen from the humid subtropical and tropical swamps of the American Southeast and southwards, the Christmas lichen develops an unusual and surprisingly bright pigment that becomes red or hot pink on the bark or dead wood of water-loving trees such as bald cypress. This patch was found on a cypress tree growing in the Corkscrew Swamp in Southwest Florida between Naples and Fort Myers.
    Christmas Lichen
  • This particular patch of Texas prickly pear cacti in Edinburg, Texas have a really pretty reddish-orange colorations to them. Most of the time, the flowers are a bright yellow.
    Texas Prickly Pear Flowers (Opuntia ..eri)
  • This particular patch of Texas prickly pear cacti in Edinburg, Texas have a really pretty reddish-orange colorations to them. Most of the time, the flowers are a bright yellow.
    Texas Prickly Pear Flowers (Opuntia ..eri)
  • Bailey's ballmoss is an interesting medium-sized bromeliad native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas and Northern Mexico that is usually found on the southern live oak or Texas ebony where it anchors itself into the tree's bark and gains nutrients from rainwater and whatever nutrients happen to land on them and their root anchor systems via wind and the weather. Like all bromeliads, these epiphytes do not harm the host tree, and are quite resistant to wind and storms. This one was one of many hundreds found in a growing in a Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) in Harlingen, Texas on a warm springtime afternoon.
    Bailey's Ballmoss (Tillandsia baileyi)
  • 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 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)
  • Close-up flowers of the unique flowers of the cochineal nopal cactus. This incredibly beautiful member of the prickly pear cactus family is endemic to Mexico and has moved across the world by plant enthusiasts and collectors due to its beauty and hardiness. With its stunningly beautiful, cone-shaped bright pink flowers to its relative lack of spines, this tree-like beauty can reach a height of 12-13 feel (4 meters) and the ripe red fruits and cactus pads are edible and delicious! This one was found growing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Cochineal Nopal Cactus (Opuntia coch..era)
  • Close-up flowers of the unique flowers of the cochineal nopal cactus. This incredibly beautiful member of the prickly pear cactus family is endemic to Mexico and has moved across the world by plant enthusiasts and collectors due to its beauty and hardiness. With its stunningly beautiful, cone-shaped bright pink flowers to its relative lack of spines, this tree-like beauty can reach a height of 12-13 feel (4 meters) and the ripe red fruits and cactus pads are edible and delicious! This one was found growing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Cochineal Nopal Cactus (Opuntia coch..era)
  • A perfect trio of flowers of the anacahuita, also known as the wild Texas olive, growing in a field in Harlingen, Texas. This member of the borage family is native to northeast Mexico and only is found in the United States in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Southern Texas. This tree provides fruit and pollen for many types of wildlife - especially hummingbirds! A jelly can be made from the olive-like fruit.
    Anacahuita (Cordia boissieri)
  • A Mexican fan palm growing in an unusual place: right at the edge of a pond in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in South Texas. Native to Baja California and parts of the Sonoran Desert, this very attractive palm has made it around the world in landscaped land and gardens where it can avoid frost. This extremely tough palm is drought and heat resistant and can tolerate the windiest of desert habitats.
    Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta)
  • This tiny native to Southern Texas and Mexico, the Julia's skipper butterfly can be found year-round and is very easily overlooked due to its small size, and muted coloration. This one was feeding on rose vervain nectar just next to the Rio Grande under some mesquite trees in Hidalgo County, Texas in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.
    Julia's Skipper (Nastra julia)
  • This tiny native to Southern Texas and Mexico, the Julia's skipper butterfly can be found year-round and is very easily overlooked due to its small size, and muted coloration. This one was feeding on rose vervain nectar just next to the Rio Grande under some mesquite trees in Hidalgo County, Texas in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.
    Julia's Skipper (Nastra julia)
  • The energetic and tiny clouded slipper butterfly is a common southeastern butterfly that is mostly found year-round in Florida and Texas and can be found as far south as Columbia. This one was feeding on rose vervain just next to the Rio Grande under some mesquite trees in Hidalgo County, Texas on the US-Mexico border.
    Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
  • As red as red can get! These intensely-bright small native hibiscus flowers are native to the Rio Grande Valley area along Southern Texas where they will continue to bloom all year long, even in the hottest part of summer just as long as the is no chance of frost. Heart leaf hibiscus flowers are favored by both butterflies and hummingbirds, and withstand long periods of high heat and lack of water. This one was photographed between various brief butterfly visits  just south of Alamo, Texas near the Rio Grande on a warm winter afternoon.
    Heart Leaf Hibiscus (Hibiscus martianus)
  • As far as foliage goes, it's hard to beat the beautifully variegated, spiky leaves of the Mexican prickly poppy. As in most wild poppies, it has and intensely colorful bright flower - in this case yellow. Native to Mexico and spreading northward into the central and eastern United States, it has now been found growing in the wild in parts of Ontario and Manitoba where the soil is dry and there is plenty of sunlight! This one was found growing by the banks of the Rio Grande on the US-Mexico border near Alamo, Texas.
    Mexican Prickly Poppy (Argemone mexi..ana)
  • As far as foliage goes, it's hard to beat the beautifully variegated, spiky leaves of the Mexican prickly poppy. As in most wild poppies, it has and intensely colorful bright flower - in this case yellow. Native to Mexico and spreading northward into the central and eastern United States, it has now been found growing in the wild in parts of Ontario and Manitoba where the soil is dry and there is plenty of sunlight! This one was found growing by the banks of the Rio Grande on the US-Mexico border near Alamo, Texas.
    Mexican Prickly Poppy (Argemone mexi..ana)
  • 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
  • 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
  • Very common across most of the Northern hemisphere, oakmoss is a type of fruticose lichen found not only on oaks, but pines and firs as well. In France and other parts of Southern Europe, it is harvested commercially for making perfume that has a sharp, slightly sweet odor. This one was found along with many hundreds of others above Soos Creek, in Kent, Washington State.
    Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri) - 1
  • Common pincushion is a very frequently encountered and wonderfully soft-to-the-touch moss found around the world in wet climates at low altitude where it is found growing in clumps on rocks, soil or the trunks of trees. This patch was growing on a fallen tree next to Soos Creek in Western Washington's King County.
    Common Pincushion (Dicranoweisia cir.. - 2
  • What a beauty! The shrubby penstemon is one of the many species of very pretty beardtongue wildflowers found all across the Pacific Northwest. This particular species is found growing in dense mats in the more arid regions on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains where there is less rainfall and more sunlight throughout the year. This one was found growing in thick profusion along one of the sides of Cowiche Canyon, just outside of Yakima, Washington.
    Shrubby Penstemon
  • 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
  • This tiny late-winter bloomer is a member of the figwort family and can be found anywhere in the wet conifer forests between the Puget Sound and San Fransisco Bay in the Pacific Northwest. This one was found growing at the base of a conifer on a wet, cold March mid-morning just outside of Yelm, Washington toward the northern end of its native range.
    Snow Queen
  • These tiny-flowered members of the Spiranthes orchids are found in summer growing in dry sandy areas. These were photographed near Lake Talquin in Gadsden County.
    Little Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes t.. - 3
  • The American red raspberry is an incredibly delicious native and wild fruit found throughout every Canadian province and territory, as well as every American state except for Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Hawaii, and all of the Gulf Coast states. Most could argue that they are even tastier than the commercially grown raspberries found in grocery stores! These were found growing in the mountains above the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington on a hot summer day.
    American Red Raspberry 2
  • Close-up of the bright red fruiting bodies of the jester lichen (Cladonia leporina) is an interesting member of the already interesting Cladionia lichens with their odd and often colorful fruiting bodies. What's particular about this species is their preferred habitat of dry, open sandy soils instead the typical Cladonia low-to-mid mountain forest that gets lots of rainfall. This one was found growing in mass profusion just above the high tide line in the Gulf Islands National Seashore next to Fort Pickens near Pensacola, Florida.
    Jester Lichen-4
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 1
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing next to Lake Gulch in rural Baker County, Oregon on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-6
  • Considered to be the very best pie and jam blackberry, the native trailing blackberry (also called the Pacific blackberry, Douglas berry or and combinations of <fill-in-the-blank> dewberry, the small but very sweet hiker's treat is usually found low to the ground on vines that seem to grow over everything like logs, rocks and through thick mats of vegetation that can grow up to 15 feet long or more! This not-quite-ripe-yet blackberry was found in an old-growth forest in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)
  • This beautiful native morning glory can be found in every state and province in North America in scattered populations across the United States and Canada. Commonly associated with salt or freshwater marshes and ranging in colors from pink, white with pink stripes to pure white, these beautiful summer bloomers grow on long herbaceous (non-woody) vines. This one was found growing in a thick patch next to a creek that was emptying into Henderson Inlet near Olympia, Washington, which is connects to the Puget Sound.
    Hedge Morning Glory (Calystegia sepium)
  • Getting their name from the sweet nectar produced by their beautiful bright red-orange flowers and tube-like flowers, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. These were found growing on a bright summer day overlooking the Puget Sound on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • Getting their name from the sweet nectar produced by their beautiful bright red-orange flowers and tube-like flowers, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. These were found growing on a bright summer day overlooking the Puget Sound on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • Also known as the orange mountain dandelion, this native relative to the (non-native) common dandelion is found across most of Western Canada and the United States in mountain valleys and subalpine altitudes. The leaves are edible and can be used for fermented beverages! This one was found and photographed in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County on a hot summer day.
    Orange Agoseris
  • Starting off as a grey-to-greenish lichen from the humid subtropical and tropical swamps of the American Southeast and southwards, the Christmas lichen develops an unusual and surprisingly bright pigment that becomes red or hot pink on the bark or dead wood of water-loving trees such as bald cypress. This patch was found on a cypress tree growing in the Corkscrew Swamp in Southwest Florida between Naples and Fort Myers.
    Christmas Lichen
  • This large shade-loving epiphytic fern is native to the tropical eastern coasts of the Americas and the Caribbean Islands. Going by a variety of common names such as golden polypody, golden serpent fern, cabbage palm fern, gold-foot fern, blue-star fern, hare-foot fern and rabbit's foot fern Phlebodium aureum is commonly grown as a houseplant. This one was found growing at the base of a bald cypress tree deep in the Corkscrew Swamp in Southwest Florida's Collier County between Naples and Fort Myers.
    Golden Polypody
  • The firebush is a real beauty of the tropics and is a commonly encountered native shrub in South Florida and many parts of Mexico and Central America. A relative of coffee, the firebush, (also known by many other names such as Mexican firecracker, hummingbird bush, scarlet bush, and redhead, attracts large numbers of butterflies and hummingbirds who feed on the sweet nectar provided by the bright orange and red tubular flowers. This one was found growing in a nature preserve in Palm Beach County in South Florida.
    Firebush
  • Also known as the seaside gentian, the catchfly prairie gentian is a particularly pretty gentian that is found in moist somewhat alkaline soils and has a high tolerance for salt in the soil or windblown salt. Found around the Southern United States, most of Mexico and across most of the Caribbean Islands, it has also been found growing in the center of the continent as far north as Montana. This one was growing next to La Sal del Rey, one of the largest prehistoric salt lakes in Texas, which is ten times saltier than the ocean!
    Catchfly Prairie Gentian
  • As with so many of our local and native wildflowers, different people have different names for the same plants and Texas bluebells are no different. Also known as bluebell gentian, Lisianthus, prairie gentian, Texas bluebell and showy prairie gentian, this pretty member of the gentian family is found mostly in Texas, with small pockets of them growing wild in Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska and are usually found growing in open grassland. This one in Southern Hidalgo, Texas near Weslaco was damaged by some insect in such an unusual way that I just had to take a photo.
    Texas Bluebell
  • As with so many of our local and native wildflowers, different people have different names for the same plants and Texas bluebells are no different. Also known as bluebell gentian, Lisianthus, prairie gentian, Texas bluebell and showy prairie gentian, this pretty member of the gentian family is found mostly in Texas, with small pockets of them growing wild in Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska and are usually found growing in open grassland. This one in Southern Hidalgo, Texas near Weslaco was damaged by some insect in such an unusual way that I just had to take a photo.
    Texas Bluebell
  • This particular patch of Texas prickly pear cacti in Edinburg, Texas have a really pretty reddish-orange colorations to them. Most of the time, the flowers are a bright yellow.
    Texas Prickly Pear Flowers (Opuntia ..eri)
  • This particular patch of Texas prickly pear cacti in Edinburg, Texas have a really pretty reddish-orange colorations to them. Most of the time, the flowers are a bright yellow.
    Texas Prickly Pear Flowers (Opuntia ..eri)
  • 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)
  • Close-up of the flower of Bailey's ballmoss. This airplant is an interesting medium-sized bromeliad native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas and Northern Mexico that is usually found on the southern live oak or Texas ebony where it anchors itself into the tree's bark and gains nutrients from rainwater and whatever nutrients happen to land on them and their root anchor systems via wind and the weather. Like all bromeliads, these epiphytes do not harm the host tree, and are quite resistant to wind and storms. This one was one of many hundreds found in a growing in a Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) in Harlingen, Texas on a warm springtime afternoon.
    Bailey's Ballmoss (Tillandsia baileyi)
  • Bailey's ballmoss is an interesting medium-sized bromeliad native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas and Northern Mexico that is usually found on the southern live oak or Texas ebony where it anchors itself into the tree's bark and gains nutrients from rainwater and whatever nutrients happen to land on them and their root anchor systems via wind and the weather. Like all bromeliads, these epiphytes do not harm the host tree, and are quite resistant to wind and storms. This one was one of many hundreds found in a growing in a Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) in Harlingen, Texas on a warm springtime afternoon.
    Bailey's Ballmoss (Tillandsia baileyi)
  • Bailey's ballmoss is an interesting medium-sized bromeliad native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas and Northern Mexico that is usually found on the southern live oak or Texas ebony where it anchors itself into the tree's bark and gains nutrients from rainwater and whatever nutrients happen to land on them and their root anchor systems via wind and the weather. Like all bromeliads, these epiphytes do not harm the host tree, and are quite resistant to wind and storms. This one was one of many hundreds found in a growing in a Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) in Harlingen, Texas on a warm springtime afternoon.
    Bailey's Ballmoss (Tillandsia baileyi)
  • Close-up of the flower of Bailey's ballmoss. This airplant is an interesting medium-sized bromeliad native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas and Northern Mexico that is usually found on the southern live oak or Texas ebony where it anchors itself into the tree's bark and gains nutrients from rainwater and whatever nutrients happen to land on them and their root anchor systems via wind and the weather. Like all bromeliads, these epiphytes do not harm the host tree, and are quite resistant to wind and storms. This one was one of many hundreds found in a growing in a Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) in Harlingen, Texas on a warm springtime afternoon.
    Bailey's Ballmoss (Tillandsia baileyi)
  • 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 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 red member of the tropical family of wildflowers, Acanthaceae, is native to Florida, South Texas and parts of Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula in particular. This one was one of many hundreds found blooming in profusion in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco, Texas on a warm, late winter morning.
    Sixangle Foldwing (Dicliptera sexang..ris)
  • Close-up flowers of the unique flowers of the cochineal nopal cactus. This incredibly beautiful member of the prickly pear cactus family is endemic to Mexico and has moved across the world by plant enthusiasts and collectors due to its beauty and hardiness. With its stunningly beautiful, cone-shaped bright pink flowers to its relative lack of spines, this tree-like beauty can reach a height of 12-13 feel (4 meters) and the ripe red fruits and cactus pads are edible and delicious! This one was found growing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Cochineal Nopal Cactus (Opuntia coch..era)
  • Although this pricklypoppy is not colored red, the flowers of this South Texas native ranges from dark purple to red, bright pink, fuchsia, light pink to pure white. This one was found in a massive disturbed field with several hundred others in Harlingen, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley.
    Red Pricklypoppy (Argemone sanguinea)
  • The energetic and tiny clouded slipper butterfly is a common southeastern butterfly that is mostly found year-round in Florida and Texas and can be found as far south as Columbia. This one was feeding on rose vervain just next to the Rio Grande under some mesquite trees in Hidalgo County, Texas on the US-Mexico border.
    Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
  • As red as red can get! These intensely-bright small native hibiscus flowers are native to the Rio Grande Valley area along Southern Texas where they will continue to bloom all year long, even in the hottest part of summer just as long as the is no chance of frost. Heart leaf hibiscus flowers are favored by both butterflies and hummingbirds, and withstand long periods of high heat and lack of water. This one was photographed between various brief butterfly visits  just south of Alamo, Texas near the Rio Grande on a warm winter afternoon.
    Heart Leaf Hibiscus (Hibiscus martianus)
  • 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
  • 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)
  • 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 superficially it looks like your common dandelion, the common cat's-ear is an invasive Eurasian species of aster that has run wild in the Pacific Northwest, particularly west of the Cascade Mountains where it is listed as a noxious weed. This one was found about 15 miles to the northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington state in an open field by the Carbon River.
    Common Cat's-Ear
  • Holly-like and beautiful, this member of the barberry family is just about to blossom on a cold, wet rainy March morning along a nature trail about 25 miles south of Seattle, Washington. The delicious fruits that will follow (not real grapes) not only grow in great profusion, but are a very important food source for native wildlife!
    Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
  • Holly-like and beautiful, this member of the barberry family is just about to blossom on a cold, wet rainy March morning along a nature trail about 25 miles south of Seattle, Washington. The delicious fruits that will follow (not real grapes) not only grow in great profusion, but are a very important food source for native wildlife!
    Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
  • One of the first flowers to be seen in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Indian plum fills the forest with clusters of beautiful showy white flowers that soon develop small berries that turn from peach to red and finally dark blue or purple when ripe. Although not really a plum, it is a unique fruit that is pleasantly similar in taste to cherries or watermelon. Historically, local Native American tribes would mix these berries with generous amounts of oolichan (an oil from a local oily fish - similar to a smelt) and was popular at feasts. The bark was also used as a medicinal tea. This one was one fo the first of the season, showing itself along side Soos Creek in Kent, Washington, about 25 miles south of Seattle on a chilly, wet March afternoon.
    Indian Plum Blossoms
  • Common pincushion is a very frequently encountered and wonderfully soft-to-the-touch moss found around the world in wet climates at low altitude where it is found growing in clumps on rocks, soil or the trunks of trees. This patch was growing on a fallen tree next to Soos Creek in Western Washington's King County.
    Common Pincushion (Dicranoweisia cir.. - 4
  • Lyell's bristle-moss is a very attractive moss found west of the Rocky Mountains and in other parts of Europe in cool, forested habitats where it forms dense mats in trees and occasionally on soil. In the Pacific Northwest where this one was found (King County, Washington) is extremely common and is often a main feature of many of the urban and suburban hiking trails through many of the public parks, where thick mats hang from the trees creating a sort of beautiful green tunnel through the forest.
    Lyell's Bristle-Moss (Pulvigera lyellii)
  • Common pincushion is a very frequently encountered and wonderfully soft-to-the-touch moss found around the world in wet climates at low altitude where it is found growing in clumps on rocks, soil or the trunks of trees. This patch was growing on a fallen tree next to Soos Creek in Western Washington's King County.
    Common Pincushion (Dicranoweisia cir.. - 3
  • 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
  • Hardhack (also known by many other common names such as rose spirea, western spiraea, steeplebush and more) is common wetland flowering bush in the rose family that easily reaches a hight of around 7 feet and can be found in wet soils across the Pacific Northeast and Western Canadian provinces. It attracts a large number of pollinating bees, bumblebees and hummingbirds, and the thick vegetation it provides makes it ideal cover for all sorts of small mammals and birds to take shelter, such as rabbits, towhees and other passerine songbirds. This one was found in full flower on the edge of Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a cloudy summer day.
    Hardhack
  • Old man's beard (also known as Methuselah's beard lichen) is a very common lichen found in the trees of the Pacific Northwest's conifer forests that can reach lengths of over 20 feet and spreads by fragmentation. It can also be found in Northeastern but never quite reaches the size and length of its West Coast counterparts. This small specimen was found growing above a small waterfall just outside of Yelm, Washington on a wet, late winter morning.
    Old Man's Beard Lichen
  • Somewhat rare and found primarily in the wet conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest and limited parts of Idaho and Montana, this intricate coral lichen is found at medium to low elevations. This one was found in a forest just outside of Yelm, Washington on a cold, wet late winter morning.
    Tuckerman's Coral Lichen
  • The American red raspberry is an incredibly delicious native and wild fruit found throughout every Canadian province and territory, as well as every American state except for Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Hawaii, and all of the Gulf Coast states. Most could argue that they are even tastier than the commercially grown raspberries found in grocery stores! These were found growing in the mountains above the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington on a hot summer day.
    American Red Raspberry 1
  • The American red raspberry is an incredibly delicious native and wild fruit found throughout every Canadian province and territory, as well as every American state except for Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Hawaii, and all of the Gulf Coast states. Most could argue that they are even tastier than the commercially grown raspberries found in grocery stores! These were found growing in the mountains above the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington on a hot summer day.
    American Red Raspberry 3
  • The wild poinsettia goes by many common names such as fire-on-the-mountain, paintedleaf, and dwarf poinsettia and is a member of the spurge family native to North and South America, but has spread all over the world. Related to the commercially important poinsettia that we all have come to love at Christmastime, this one was found growing wild among some landscaping at a community park in Palm Beach County, Florida. Many people think the red part of the is the petals, but they are actually just colored leaves called bracts that surround the flowers. You can see the tiny yellow flowers just inside the red bracts.
    Wild Poinsettia
  • Here's a perfect view of the bright red fruiting bodies of the jester lichen (Cladonia leporina) is an interesting member of the already interesting Cladionia lichens with their odd and often colorful fruiting bodies. What's particular about this species is their preferred habitat of dry, open sandy soils instead the typical Cladonia low-to-mid mountain forest that gets lots of rainfall. This one was found growing in mass profusion just above the high tide line in the Gulf Islands National Seashore next to Fort Pickens near Pensacola, Florida.
    Jester Lichen-3
  • Close-up of the jester lichen (Cladonia leporina) is an interesting member of the already interesting Cladionia lichens with their odd and often colorful fruiting bodies. What's particular about this species is their preferred habitat of dry, open sandy soils instead the typical Cladonia low-to-mid mountain forest that gets lots of rainfall. This one was found growing in mass profusion just above the high tide line in the Gulf Islands National Seashore next to Fort Pickens near Pensacola, Florida.
    Jester Lichen-2
  • Common in ponds and lakes all over Florida and eastern North America, this native spadderdock is often confused with the water lily, and is found as far north as Nova Scotia. The difference between spadderdock and true water lilies is that spadderdock has heart-shaped leaves and small, half-opened flowers and water lilies have round leaves and large showy flowers. This one was found growing in a lake in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Spadderdock2021-1.jpg
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 2
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing next to Lake Gulch in rural Baker County, Oregon on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-7
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing next to Lake Gulch in rural Baker County, Oregon on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-4
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing on the side of a rocky mountain slope just above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-2
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing next to Lake Gulch in rural Baker County, Oregon on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-3
  • Just about nobody notices the tiny, delicate green flowers of the stinging nettle. And they usually don't even notice this common North American native woodland plant at all until they walk through a patch of it with bare legs or bare feet, when the intense itching and burning starts when the sharp needles that cover the leaves puncture the skin. The good thing is that the pain goes away after about 5 or 10 minutes. This one was found in full flower in an old-growth forest in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    Stinging Nettle Flowers
  • When looking at the flower of the Himalayan blackberry, it's easy to see that it actually is a member of the rose family. A favorite of bees and loads of other wildlife who love the delicious sweet blackberries that come later in the summer, this highly invasive import which is actually from the Armenia area (not sure where the  Himalayan part of the name comes from)  thrives in the Pacific Northwest and is a major pest for gardeners and forest stewards all over the region. This one was found in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington on a beautiful summer afternoon.
    Himalayan Blackberry Flowers
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