- Curious about something you saw while walking in the woods? Spot the coolest bug ever? The prettiest flower and butterfly? Stumble on a rock and found a fossil? Or was it? This is the place to show your discoveries and share in the knowledge of the natural world right outside our doors. Join in the fun everyday at The Daily Bucket.
December 2014, Florida Panhandle
Been awhile, let's see if I remember how to do this. Theme for this bucket is Unseasonable Wildflowers. Here's a wildflower I've been letting go in my little grassy area at the top of the hill. Daisy Fleabane - it flowered a month ago and is now full of seeds that me and the wind will spread around. I think stands of these dead plants and seedheads are as pretty as the blooms.
But here is a Fleabane blooming now, right there among all the dead plants. It has multiple stems on one plant that has fallen over.
This aster flowers almost every month of the year. It helps that they last a few weeks too.
Then there is this perverted Fleabane from 2 weeks ago next to the front gate. I must have whacked the top off and it's blooming late because of that.
Last Friday was another workday on the Florida National Scenic Trail in the Apalachicola National Forest southwest of Tallahassee. Taking a break and wandering the forest roads I found this damn yellow composite (DYC) that I was seeing lots of a couple months ago. Looks like a form of dandelion.
No idea what is going on with this Club-moss that was growing in the trail near the wet areas.
Frost? Flowers? New Growth? Time for some research.
Below the fold today are more photos from the last couple weeks.
Beautyberry waiting for the birds - any day now...
Tallahassee snow - White Camelias from a tree next to Spring House; planted 60 years ago.
Grape ferns - my bit of woods has been blessed with dozens of them across the 4.5 acres. They are sporing now. If I tap it with my stick, a faint yellow cloud drifts away.
Downy Lobelia - these bloom down in the bottom where there is standing water at times. This is the last one, a month later than the others. Photo color is not true, it's really pale blue.
And of course, I can't do a bucket without mention of invasive plants. For a few years now I have been pulling up Japanese Honeysuckle in this spot up front. It was mixed in with lots of native Jessamine and when I pulled the occasional runners, I thought I was getting most of the honeysuckle. HAH! When clearing yesterday, cutting some oak saplings, I came across this.
The mother of all honeysuckle! 'twill be a war of many years
Another morning near freezing. Since I'm on a east-facing slope, as the temps fall right at sunrise, there may be enough early warmth to moderate the freezes. That and all the trees. As I write this, it's warmed to 40 and we may end up in the 50s.
Sunny and no complaints! See y'all in the comments!
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