Blooming now in damp, shady gardens around the Catskills is a plant whose most common name is the undeservedly unattractive epithet Ragwort. This is not ragweed, the bane of those suffering from hay fevers. Other less common common names are Leopard Plant and Golden Groundsel. This plant is known botanically…
For the last couple of weeks, Rosa multiflora has been in full bloom here in the Catskills. It has powerfully scented flowers arranged in clusters, with a single row of five white petals, notched at the tip. It is very common, most often seen growing as large clumps in full…
All irises have a particular flower shape. While a daisy has all the petals the same shape radiating from the center like a pinwheel, an iris flower has a distinct top and bottom. The flower petals that stand up like flags are called the standards (an old word for flag,…
Blooming now in the Catskills is the Wild Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis. It is a denizen of the forest edge, of the woodland clearing. It is not the commonest wildflower but it is striking and conspicuous with its scarlet and yellow flowers, pictured here planted in a garden. This is the…
