This humble plant is easily overlooked, both in its quiet early blooming and later leaf unfurling. You can find it in wetlands and riverine forests in the NE quarter of the US, up into Canada.
The local Philippines call this woody vine “tayabak”. Related to the green beans we grow in our gardens, this species’ unique turquoise claw-shaped flowers are pollinated by bats.
This WHITE little plant completely lacks chlorophyll and is often mistaken for a fungus or mushroom. In truth, it is a parasite of fungi that feed on tree roots, and is often found in the shade beneath beech or maple trees.
This bright, tropical-looking black and yellow bird from Southeast Asia is related to chickadees and titmice
This is one of the few birds that many residents of the USA know by name… but it is THAT NAME that makes many people in the UK a bit confused. No matter where you live, each version has the classic “red breast”.
The brilliant blue, white, or pink of these flowers are actually 5 to 25 colored sepals rather than petals. They appear to float upon a mist of thread-like bracts above feathery, pinnately divided leaves.
This tree has large, opposite, palmately compound leaves and pyramids of flowers around May. It is often planted in parks and along city streets.
This large-leaved biennial wildflower has thistle-like flowers and an edible and medicinal taproot