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.

Mother Nature and Lady Luck conspired to lead me to an Adirondack surprise.
I was just over an hour into my trip to Long Island when I heard the Call of Nature so loud I could almost taste it. Making an emergency stop just south of Tupper Lake I located the men’s bush and relieved the pressure. Walking back to the truck I spotted a pink haze on a roadside rock cut and investigated.

Drosera rotundifolia

I won’t say this was a unique discovery but I didn’t expect to find a plant that prefers to live in a bog on a roadside rock cut.

Sundews prefer wet acidic conditions so these Sundews must have found the growing conditions they were looking for. They were thriving and growing densely on the rock where water was seeping out. Now all they have to do is wait for their main meal to arrive.

I love how Sundews turn the tables on bugs and make a meal of them. Too bad there aren’t any large enough to take care of my deer problem. I know, I know, they would be dangerous at that size but I’d be willing to pull the cats and kids off them if I had to.

I think Devil’s Paintbrush is a great name for this wildflower.
I have no clue how it got such a cool name but you either have to agree with me or leave now.

Orange Hawkweed – Hieracium aurantiacum

This is a naturalized alien that belongs to the same genus as native hawkweeds. Like other non native hawkweeds the leaves grow in a basal rosette whereas the natives have leaves that grow up the stems. What makes this hawkweed really stand out from all the others is the orange flowers. As far as I know this is the only hawkweed in the area that doesn’t have yellow flowers.

I was pretty excited when I saw this bug.
I thought I discovered the elusive shrimp headed hopper that’s found nowhere on Earth.

Looked at from another angle it only turned out to have a grasshopper’s head.

Hawkweeds like waste places such as my lawn and roadsides. They grow throughout the area and can easily be spotted while driving around St. Lawrence County, NY.

Note:
Click images to open a larger (1024 x 768) one for a closer look or to use as desktop wallpaper. The link will open a new window – so don’t forget to close it once your done with it.