A few photos above from an early morning hike at the Friendship Hill National Historic Site near Pt. Marion, Pennsylvania. If you want to learn more about the history of this sprawling estate, you can go to this link or search for prior posts from the main search page of my Tumblr blog. In addition to the historic homestead of Albert Gallatin, the park features ten miles of hiking trails through verdant oak-hickory and riparian forests. This time of year, the Central Appalachian forest is rich with fungi, legumes, berries, and the loveliest orb-weavers imaginable.

From top: wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia), also known as yellow ironweed, a late summer aster so named because the petioles of its leaves run down the plant's stem; northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin), a gorgeous native shrub whose bright red berries in late summer are followed by the most extraordinary gold foliage in the fall; orange mycena (Mycena leaiana), a lovely, gregarious fungi of deciduous logs whose pigment has shown antibacterial and anti-cancer properties; the ripened but dangerously toxic berries of pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), whose young leaves are used by mountain folk to make poke sallet (but only after repeated cleansings to remove the toxins); American hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata), a lovely twining vine whose roots and ground nut are edible; cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata), also known as green-headed coneflower and wild goldenglow, a close relative of black-eyed Susan with gorgeous, pinnately-dissected leaves (the leaf photo also shows the characteristic tri-foliate leaf pattern of hog-peanut); zig-zag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis), one of two adorable woodland goldenrods that grow in this area (the other being blue-stemmed goldenrod), both of which produce clusters of brilliant yellow flowers in both their leaf axils and at the ends of their stems; steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa), also known as hardhack, which produces delicate plumes of pink flowers in late summer; a spined micrathena (Micrathena gracilis), which has ensnared a fly in her web; and an arrowhead orb weaver (Verrucosa arenata), also known as a triangle orb-weaver, a sparkling gem of an arachnid that reels in its prey like a fisherman dragging in a net.

12/09/23-Lakeside and home

Pictures taken in this set are of: 1. A bold and beautiful Great Spotted Woodpecker that I was thrilled to see in the trees in the middle of Kornwestheim Lake at Lakeside, a bird I adore and always love seeing. It was a euphoric moment, my first at Lakeside since early in the year. 2. A beautiful spider in its web in the front garden. 3. Another nice one to see early on in my lunch break out the front, a crane fly. 4. Plantain with a hoverfly on at Lakeside. 5. Hawksbeard/ox tongue. 6 and 10. A beautiful Blue Tit which was within a sweet flock of Long-tailed Tits in trees over Concorde lake. 7. A beautiful Blue Tit in the garden this afternoon, great to get a photo in a strong run of seeing and hearing them at home they're regular lately. 8. View out the back with a bit of brightness as it became a sunshine and showers type evening. 9. Woodpigeon that was near the woodpecker at Lakeside.

I got smashing views of Long-tailed Tits on my brilliant far reaching Lakeside lunch time walk as a whole, with Speckled Wood taking over for butterflies with a fair few seen which was good and a great Migrant Hawker view again too. Close views of Moorhen and Grey Squirrel, Feral Pigeon dashing through the air over the northern fenced off area almost raptor like, two Mallards joining a Black-headed Gull on a stick that so often seems to be there on Kornwestheim Lake, Robin and Chiffchaff heard at Lakeside, Jackdaw and Magpie out the back today and picking at the mowed grass on the green out the front at the end of my lunch and Collared Doves from home were other highlights. Bee, pond skater, white deadnettle, water mint, creeping thistle, ragwort, dandelion with a fly on, bindweed, broad-leaved clover, marjoram and snails on the balcony, speeplebush at home with a spider's web between two of the tall flowers were also good to see today.

Briones Reservoir (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) by Brad Lanam

What do you guys think of Roses or Flowers in general?Have any favs?

we love flowers!! they bring so much color to places, and roses are very cute!

we had to get help from Sunshine about the names and pictures, but here are everyone's favorites, both wild and more known!

Donnie/Purple- Loosestrife (Lythrum Salicaria) and Gladiolus flowers

Leo/Blue- Slender Blue Flag (Iris Prismatica) and Blue Dendrobium Orchids

Raph/Red- Steeplebush Shrub (Spiraea Douglasii) and Red Hellebores

Mikey/Orange- Goldenrod and Alstroemeria flowers

A Look at (L-R) Sylvia, Margery Daw, and DottieWees through some Spiraea, often spelled spirea in common names, and also called Meadowsweets or Steeplebushes...

Oh, that I could scatter my heart as thinly as wild seeds upon the heath // Part 26

we were up in the north Maine woods again this week. on the first day we ended up spending a good amount of time gathering blueberries for the next morning’s breakfast. my hat is all we had handy to put them in while we picked. the horseflies were less enthralled with us this trip than in the past, so I could afford to be hatless.

I have had the pleasure of observing hundreds of beautiful wild plants in my life, but look at Steeplebush. I think it’s one of my favorites I’ve ever seen. look at all its tiny little flowers! I just know they want me to be glad.

Steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa) in Algonquin Provincial Park. Many Bees and Flower Flies visit the flowers of this beautiful plant which often grows in wet conditions such as this one photographed at the edge of Peck Lake. These flowers produce lots of pollen but little nectar which causes them to be less attractive to Butterflies, but more attractive to Beetles. . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #steeplebush #spiraea #spiraeatomentosa #wildflowers #wildflowersofontario #wildflowerphotography #canonphotography #flowersofontario #algonquin_pp #algonquinphotography #plantsofig #nativewildflowers #naturebeauty #algonquinprovincialpark #algonquinpark🇨🇦 #wetlandflowers (at Algonquin Park, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSUdFXhg1a9/?utm_medium=tumblr

Rose spirea flower spike (Spiraea douglasii), also known as hardhack and steeplebush

Image available at Picfair

Steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa Suk Cerney SNA, WI 30 July 2020

Blinded by the green (redux): Blackwater Canyon, Panel 1.

07/09/2022-Sunflower and flowers on the balcony and sky tonight and three phone photos of fallen leaves and flowers in Abbey Gardens where I ate lunch today. 

I enjoyed seeing pretty pink ivy-leaved toadflax shining in the moments sunlight of a changeable weather day especially in Winchester, as well as lavender and steeplebush in the front garden and firethorn at home and at my Dad’s tonight where I also enjoyed seeing daisies in the front garden I saw lightening and heard thunder whilst there. There were great scenes of lush green vegetation lit well in the sunlight from the train on the way home.

The ol’ #steeplebush (#Spirea tomentosa). . #nature #plants #Rosaceae #flowers https://www.instagram.com/p/B12BHXqHAN8/?igshid=z57f96xe18mr

#steeplebush #hardhack #longhornbeetle #flowerlonghornbeetle #nhwoods #wildflowers #insectsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CC6Ik5RAD4C/?igshid=1clxsi0o8hgo0

Spiraea douglasii (Steeple Bush/Rose Spirea) #oneadayplant . I’ve always liked this plant. When older it can be more leaf than flower value, but if pruned every so often and not in too dark a spot, it performs quite well and with little input. Essentially as shrubby Astilbe in look, but better suited to a drier soil and a sunnier spot than any Astilbe ever would be. . One of those shrubs like Kerria or Weigela that have lost a lot of popularity (perhaps from over exposure) in recent years after decades of garden planting. I think that they are all due a renaissance! . #shrub #spiraea #spiraeadouglasii #pink #flower #spikes #hardy #deciduous #plant #robust #astilbe #weigela #kerria #steeplebush #rosespirea #rose #pollinators #pollinatorgarden #pinky #iplantsman #gardening #garden #gardens #gardenguru #gardenista #planting #plantingdesign #gardeningadvice #gardeningtips (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBxS2sdgFwT/?igshid=p6fvt5wgz4hm

Hardhack Steeplebush -- FOTD Aug 25

Hardhack Steeplebush is my latest post for Cee's FOTD Aug 25 #photography #flowers

Hi all 😃 My latest post for Cee’s FOTD.

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