Who would expect Hepatica to be blooming in January? Today my wife and I wanted to enjoy a beautiful day with some time outside, so we decided to go down to The Pocket for a walk on the boardwalk. The earliest I’ve seen Harbinger of Spring blooming down there previously was Feb 9 (back in 2009), but as warm as it’s been I wasn’t going to be surprised if we found that early bloomer with flowers. But I wasn’t expecting this:
Monthly Archives: January 2016
Genus Penstemon Moved from Scrophulariaceae to Plantaginaceae
I may be a decade or two behind the times, but the Penstemon species found on USWildflowers.com have been moved from Scrophulariaceae – the Figwort family – to Plantaginaceae – the Plantain family. The change in classification was based on genetic research done in the 1990’s, and published around the turn of the century. Wide acceptance of this classification change occurred over the next decade, but many publications have continued to list the genus in Scrophulariaceae. That oversight has now been corrected on USWildflowers.com.
Witch Hobble – Viburnum lantanoides – Added to USWildflowers’ Database
Witch Hobble, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (01/19/2016.) Scientific name is Viburnum lantanoides. Photo below was taken in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Swain County, NC on May 5, 2015. Go to the Witch Hobble detail page for more information.
#NPOD: Catawba Rhododendron #Nativeplants
Catawba Rhododendron – Native Plant of the Day 01/12/2016
Photo from June 18, 2005. Location: GSMNP, TN. More photos / info at the
Rhododendron catawbiense detail page.
Bird’s Foot Trefoil – Lotus corniculatus – Added to USWildflowers’ Database
Bird’s Foot Trefoil, an introduced species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (01/01/2016.) Scientific name is Lotus corniculatus. Photo below was taken in Meldrum Bay, Manitoulin Island of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada on Aug 10, 2015. Go to the Bird’s Foot Trefoil detail page for more information.
Annual Report: 2015
Thanks for another good year at USWildflowers.com in 2015.