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.
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 is the species that is used as THE cultivated walnut tree. It has pinnately compound leaves with about 7 alternate leaflets, larger towards the tip or terminal end.
This species includes varieties called bok choy, napa cabbage, turnip, rapini, and totsoi
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 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.
Only found from Central Texas down into Mexico, this titmouse with a striking black crest acts quite a bit like its more familiar, look-alike cousin
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