WiseAcre Gardens

One is a true native and the other a naturalized alien.

Dwarf Cinquefoil – Potentilla canadensis

This native wildflower is a small plant that can easily be mistaken for a strawberry on a quick glance when not in bloom. You have to look a bit closer to see that the leaves are 5 parted instead of 3. The flowers are typically yellow but there is a cream colored form. They bloom in May – June – this one was photographed on June 5. In the next photo you can see how small the plant is. Note the Bluet to the left

The leaflets are more rounded than other types but the real difference is the ‘teeth’ on the leaflets only go about half way. The bottom part has a ‘clean’ edge.

The 5 (sometimes 7) deeply parted leaves lend these plants their common name. Their flowers are typically yellow with a couple of exceptions. Marsh Cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris) has deep purple-red flowers and Tall Cinquefoil (P. arguta) has cream-white blooms.

Rough Fruited Cinquefoil – Potentilla recta

This naturalized alien is probably seen more often than the natives. It has pale yellow flowers that are fairly large compared to other cinquefoils. The flower petals also have a deeper notch.

Leaves are deeply parted into 5 or 7 narrow leaflets. Rough Fruited Cinquefoil blooms in June – August. These photos were taken on July 1st.

Yesterday’s – YOU TELL ME went very well.
I got straightened out quickly and learned that I really did see a Ladybug. Thanks to all those who steered me away from that Dead End.

So today I’ll throw another bug at ya and see if someone can identify this one. I took the pic back on June 5 and the bug was perched on some Meadow Rue flower buds.

The image is linked to a larger size (1024 x 768) for a closer look or even to use as desktop wallpaper if you want to make your computer buggy.

Black Winged Damselfly - Calopteryx maculata Well this should be a no-brainer to identify because the Black Winged Damselfly is supposed to be the only species that has solid black wings. Watching one fly might give you the impression that they are a cross between a butterfly and a dragonfly. Their flight is more like a butterfly’s flutter than the hovering and zoom zoom of a dragonfly. At rest damselflies hold their wings together over their body – again more like a moth or butterfly than a dragonfly. But now that it’s holding still you can see the typical head and body of a dragonfly. Black winged damselflies are found nearby streams where they lay eggs and the young mature. The naiads or aquatic nymphs are also predatory and will over winter in the water and emerge as adults in the spring. This is a male. Females have a white mark at the tip of their wings. Both have hairy legs that they use to catch their prey in flight. You can get a look at the hairs by opening the larger image below.

When it comes to identifing the next bug I hit this:

I don’t know where to start with this thing. When I took the photo I thought I was looking at a ladybug. (my eyes aren’t what they used to be) and I would have taken more photos if I saw better.

So you tell me – What in the world is it?

Gone to flower the end is near. Blooming is the last hurrah for these Sempervivums. It’s a time of joy and sorrow when they reach upwards with a spike of beauty. Appreciate them while you can, soon the old hens will shrivel and dry because flowering is the final stage of their life.

There was no marker in life and there will be none after after they’ve passed away either. Their true identity was never known and were only called Hens and Chicks by those who seen them.

I was surprised to see this turn into a death bed two years in a row. Seeing Hens and Chicks flowering is not a common sight for me. In all the years I’ve gardened I believe I can count the times I’ve seen Sempervivums bloom on one hand. Why this group has flowered 2 years in a row is a mystery to me. Perhaps it’s the variety, maybe the location or even something in the air. Who knows. But the one thing I am certain of is I want to see this every year.