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.
A familiar weed of lawns, fields, roadsides, and gardens, this plant and its close relatives are the only species eaten by beautiful monarch butterflies.
This black-white-and-grey bird points its slender bill downwards – or tilts it comically upwards – as it spirals face-first down tree trunks and round and round branches, searching for insects to devour
These plants CAN be a nuisance, with some species having stinging hairs… BUT they are edible and highly nutritious, with various other uses as well!
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.
This tree has large, opposite, palmately compound leaves and pyramids of flowers around May. It is often planted in parks and along city streets.
These nearly ubiquitous, often evergreen vines are almost entirely edible outside of their berries. Try their tender tendrils. 😉
One of the few species to walk face-first down tree trunks, this little bird also has a distinct black stripe through its eye.