http://wildeherb.com WildeHerb is a collection of wild herb and wildflower sightings. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:48:03 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This morning I found the cereal cupboard bare except for a sample-sized box of Fiber One cereal, made by General Mills. Left behind by one of the summer guests of the mountain, I figured that the children chose all the really sweet ones first. Fiber One sample cereal box. I wouldn't ... http://wildeherb.com/2008/08/21/chicory-blossoms-decorate-country-roads-with-sky-blue-wild-flowers/ For three years now I have been spying on a special plant, just waiting for it to flower. We're fortunate enough to have three members of the orchid family, Orchidaceae, on our property here in Central Pennsylvania. Pink Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium acaule, and Downy Rattlesnake Plantain, Goodyera pubescens, have already flowered ... http://wildeherb.com/2008/08/19/another-orchid-on-the-mountain-whorled-pogonia/ A new plant caught my eye last week as I walked down the lane to pick a couple hands full of blackberries. It reminded me of Lopseed because it had a similar arrangement of very small flowers on spikes that arose from leaf axils and from its terminal stem. No flowers ... http://wildeherb.com/2008/08/18/white-vervain-grows-along-the-lane-in-part-sun/ Out of curiosity I let this really fast growing plant continue growing - even though I was pretty sure it was a bad weed. I was too curious for my own good - perhaps I was a cat in another lifetime. Anyway, this 10 foot tall plant is a giant. Some ... http://wildeherb.com/2008/08/11/giant-and-common-ragweed-made-for-sneezing/ As I was saying...this has been a wetter year than the previous couple of years, and so, we're eating great bunches of wild berries and getting to see a couple plants flowering that blossom in the wet conditions. All the rain sure makes for nice gardening - no extra watering ... http://wildeherb.com/2008/08/10/joepye-weed-doesnt-like-it-dry-or-too-shady/ Who's your neighbor, Boneset? A fault, I find, of many field guides is that the neighboring plants of the one you're reading about are not usually mentioned. OK, maybe it's not a fault, but it sure would make a nice addition to list some of the 'cohorts' or associates that may ... http://wildeherb.com/2008/08/09/boneset-snakeroot-touch-me-not-and-blackberries/ Jimsonweed, Datura stramonium, and Pennsylvania Smartweed, Polygonum pensylvanicum, are keyed out along with about 20 other broadleaf weeds. Key for identifying common broadleaved weed seedlings in PA http://wildeherb.com/2008/08/03/identify-broadleaf-weed-seedlings-jimsonweed-and-smartweed/ In the interest of learning more about invasive weeds here's a key that you may find useful in identifying Johnsongrass and Shattercane, two of the noxious weeds on Pennsylvania's list. Key for identifying common grassy weed seedlings in Pennsylvania courtesy of Penn State Agronomy. Getting a few steps into the key, here's ... http://wildeherb.com/2008/08/02/key-to-knowing-grasses-johnsongrass-and-shattercane/ Want to know more about invasive plants and how you can help? Check out this free resource from the National Park Service and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It's called Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas. You can download the publication or read it online. Briefly, you'll get info on ... http://wildeherb.com/2008/08/01/native-plant-alternatives-for-invasive-plants-and-noxious-weeds/ The last couple of wildflowers that I identified popping up in our lawn were introduced species, which means they're not native to North America. You could call them aliens, or exotics. The main problem with introduced plants is that they often go wild, literally. Typically, no pests or predators consume enough ... http://wildeherb.com/2008/07/31/13-invasive-plants-and-noxious-weeds-in-pennsylvania/