Get Your Botany On!

Starting about mid-May, every time I visit a prairie remnant I think, " This is the most beautiful time of the year on the prairie!...

I was walking our trails last evening when I saw a beautiful Cirsium discolor (Field Thistle) in flower with the moon in the background. I...

Just in case you need another five minute distraction, here is an interesting article on fall leaf color, sent to me by Marianne... http://n...

These beauties were blooming at McCormick's Creek State Park, near Spencer, Indiana. This was the first time I had seen these orchids. ...

This strange and interesting little saprophytic orchid is occasional on trail edges in the Indiana Dunes region. Especially at home in oak ...

These pretty flowers are not too far above the ground and they face down. I do not get to see them much, even though it is a common weed/fl...

Congratulations to Keith, who correctly named the quiz plant from a few days ago as Abutilon theophrasti , and to Justin, who hinted at one ...

Good call, Justin and Tom. It is Gymnocladus dioica, and almost certainly a cultivar (cultivated variety). The leaflets are smaller than the...

While driving in Chicago recently I was surprised to see this type of tree used in street planting. Can you identify it from the bark alone?

Some believe this is a hybrid of Prairie Dock ( Silphium terebinthinaceum ) and Compass Plant ( Silphium laciniatum ). Others feel it is a ...

Dark green and super shiny all year, this plant is one of many that are easier to find in winter. Unlike other club mosses in Indiana, it do...

Certain to be an easy one, but here's another plant quiz...

Dana recently sent me this most interesting article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/science/11naming.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 It is wel...

Since we've recently been on the topic of geraniums with white flowers, I thought I would post a couple of photos of Geranium richardson...

This plant quiz is unrelated to the previous quizzes. In fact, it would be more accurate to call it an unknown. I plan to spend more time ...

At Merry Lea Environmetal Center last weekend, I saw one of the largest individuals of Arisaema triphyllum that I've ever seen. Here...

One of the plants that I wanted to see while in Colorado was Asclepias speciosa . While this native species is nothing more than a roadside...

Nice work, Keith! This crazy little blue Q-tip of a plant is one of the wackiest things I've ever seen. I mean, it blows me away that ...

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sp.) Heavy rains in summer, especially after mid-July, often trigger a variety of fungi in natural areas. T...

It has been a while, but how about a plant quiz? Photo taken in southeast Missouri.