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Category Archives: adaptations
Dandelion: Easy to Grow
All winter and spring I try and try to get plants to grow. I pamper cranky houseplants, sprinkle seeds into pots and encourage them to grow into seedlings. I cheer for each crocus that pokes up through the snow, celebrate each brave hint of green, the first … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, edible, flowers, leaves, plant parts, seeds, spring
Tagged dandelion greens, dandelions
6 Comments
Poison Ivy: The Furry Plant
Now that’s a really hairy vine. There’s an old saying: “Hairy vine, a danger sign.” The fuzzy pelt on this vine is the sure indicator of poison ivy. And yes you can get a rash from the vine–from almost all parts … Continue reading
All Roads Lead to Dandelions
No matter where you go these days, it seems there’s a dandelion at your feet–or under your feet. The beginning of May is when dandelions run riot. This is a cobbled pathway in Central Park, New York City. The dandelions don’t … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, edible, flowers, leaves, plant parts, spring
Tagged dandelion roots
2 Comments
Tulips: Old Masters
This is the most bustling, enticing, delicious farmer’s market I’ve ever been to. Local spring greens, potatoes, herbs, leeks. Muffins, honey, goat cheese, maple syrup. And flowers, flowers, flowers, flowers. The famous Greenmarket in Union Square. Funny, I had to go to … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, photos, plant parts, seeds, spring, Uncategorized
Tagged Greenmarket, tulip history, tulips
2 Comments
Thistle: No More Waiting
Last December, I was at the Beacon train station, and I noticed a really magnificent specimen of a thistle. It was growing, still green in December, thriving among the gravel so carefully placed to keep weeds down (see Thistle: Waiting for the … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, leaves, plant parts, spring, Uncategorized, winter
Tagged thistles
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Flocks: Guest Photographer Diane Hale Smith
Thanks to Diane Hale Smith for these beautiful photographs! It’s spring. Really it is, in spite of the weather. The birds know. They can tell because there’s more light in the world. The days are longer, the nights are shrinking, … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, birds, photos, spring, wildlife
Tagged bird flocking behavior, diane hale smith
1 Comment
Burdock: Hooked Like Velcro
One day in 1941, a Swiss scientist was walking his dog, and noticed with annoyance, like so many other dog-walkers before and since, that his pet had blundered into the tall prickly plant called burdock. And as he was picking the … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, birds, edible, great ideas, plant parts, seeds, Uncategorized, wildlife
Tagged burdock, invention of velcro, velcro
3 Comments
Sensitive Plant: Am I Bothering You?
A Sri Lankan byway. Alongside the curb is a small roadside weed, very easy to miss. It has little lacy leaves and a small purple pom-pom of a flower. Pretty but not remarkable. But it’s one of the most incredible plants … Continue reading
Touch of Spring: Guest Photographer Frank Knight
Thanks to Frank Knight for this stunning photograph. Frank specializes in close-up photographs of flowers. I love this beautiful shot of a delicate cluster of poison ivy flowers. Yes. Poison ivy has flowers. Dainty and delicate, lovely flowers that, yes, … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, birds, edible, photos, plant parts, seeds, Uncategorized, wildlife
Tagged drupes, poison ivy, poison ivy berries, wildlife food
5 Comments
Honey Locust: Something Missing
Ever see these weird wiggly worm-like seed pods lying around in a parking lot? They come from a tree, Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos. The seed pods are a little sweet to taste, that’s where the honey part of the name comes … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, native American, plant parts
Tagged Cherokee folklore, folklore, honey locust, locust, native American folklore, thorns
4 Comments
Unmowed 