Arbor vitae or Eastern White Cedar :Profusion of Cones

It seemed like a heavy crop of cones along the driveway of 1009 Cloverlea Rd this year.  NPS. Gov has a couple of explanations.  The older trees bear more heavily, these are over fifty years old.  The trees bear in cycles of approximately five years, more some years than others. There may be more cones in years after stress.  How stressful was 2014?

The flat leaves are seem in the picture.  There is a history of using the inner bark and the leaf tips for tea to prevent scurvy.  The tree is said aid to have saved the lives of French explorers in Canada,Cartier and his men.  On the other hand the oil extract is said to be toxic.  None of the three foraging references mention eating the nuts, best left for the birds and squirrels. The photos show the height of the tree, emphasizing the age.  Under certain,usually stressed conditions these trees can last over a thousand years.  Then a close up of the nuts or cones, numerous this year.  Finally a mid-angle view.  No indication they can be used as Pine Nuts.

Won't get into the "not a cedar" thing.

Mulberry Tree: Horizontal lines on the trunk. Wagner Road

We have both the more native red mulberry and the introduced white mulberry in the area(introduced for the silkworm).  Somewhere there was reference that the red might show horizontal lines on the trunk, cannot find it again in google.  From a distance this first photo from a tree at the end of Wagner, north side showed horizontal markings and a possible "a Hah" moment.

Closer view it looks more like a woodpecker such as the yellow-bellied sapsucker making a line of holes.  Possibly the red Mulberry might attract more woodpeckers than the white but that may be a stretch.  Will watch for other criteria.

Black Nightshade, another nearby Solanaceae: Solanum nigrum (Wagner Road)

Only twenty steps from the ground cherry is a scattering of a relative, Black Nightshade. Not much in volume but an interesting name.  At least this week the moth-eaten leaves were a clue, not unusual.  It resembles a tomato plant and has the small white flowers with green berries.

There is a long discussion in Thayer about its lack of toxicity, at least when the berries are ripe and black but quoting others saying the berries will bring torpor and death. Will go back to this a few times before trying when ripe and quote "the greatest garden fruit ever". These were on the north side under the yews.

Jewelweed or Touch-Me-Not

Jewelweed is all over the neighborhood with the orange flowers and ripening seeds. This photo is from the end of Wagner Road.  The dew is beading on the leaves, due to the oil on the surface of the leaves.  If no dew you can spray with a water bottle. The seeds are getting ripe enough to "pop" when touched.  A nature experience for kids of all ages.  The oils are said to be good for poison ivy, rub on after an exposure.

Pellitory of the Wall, Parietaria officinalis, sine Wall

This may be more tentative than usual, but at least in the differential diagnosis.   It is in the nettle family but without stinging cells. A tolerant plant sometimes found in walls, thus the name.  It looks similar to some Amaranth species.

 Some in the group of plants are very allergenic, "the asthma weed", and the allergy may extend to some of those who would consume the plant.  The whole plant has been used to clean glass and copper.

This photo was north side of Wagner Rd 50 yards from the dead end.  The overall shape of the plant is shown and then a close up of the stem with the unusual flowers arising from the leaf axils. There are various medicinal reports but here even the exact identification is somewhat in doubt. One possibility is Pennsylvania pellitory, seems to have the green stem.

There should be male and female plants, have to return and look for the male plant( this may very by species).

Webworm on Box Elder (Hyphantria cunea) Child Height

This is the north side of Wagner Rd near the dead end.  This is probably the fall webworm.  The tent caterpillars tend to be in the spring.  Here the web is on the end of a hardwood deciduous tree branch.  The caterpillars are marked with yellow not easily seen in the photo, will go back with magnification.  The webworm is supposed to be mainly a cosmetic problem,not a threat to a healthy tree.

This is a native to North America which has spread to Asia and Europe, reversing the usual trend. The winter cocoon will produce a white moth in the spring.  Bagworms form a more solid woody case made of silk and local materials.

This stage is said to last about six weeks, and is low enough to the ground to easily see the movement of the caterpillars.  The photos show the end of the branch location at a distance and then a view of the caterpillars magnified, you have to be there for the motion.

Princess Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)

This is on the Bellona/Charles/Rolandvue circle, somewhat outside the usual range but an ID puzzle.  After a little research I think this is a young fast growing Princess tree, with the large opposite leaves typical of the early stage.  It will become a fast growing tree.  Each tree can shed millions of seeds making it a non-native invasive.

The tree was introduced and spread from asia by the East India Company.  It has attractive flowers in the spring, comparable to foxglove. Its fast growth is a plus but makes it susceptible to storm damage. The general advice seems to be to cut it down before producing seeds.

There may be a larger specimen off of Rolandvue to the north near the entrance to Cloverlea.  This is ID at a distance however.  It is a large "weed", will wait for fruiting to start.
There is another grove of the same large weed on the west wide of Mays Chapel near the golf course.  Is this a reason to call a nature 911?

Update.  Somebody did not like this plant, ? Princess Tree, both on Bellona have been cut down so no chance to observe the progression, flowers or fruit.  Will check the Mays Chapel group. The fruit/nut photo is from NPS.gov since no fruit seen here as yet.

September update.  One hundred feed further up Bellona is an older tree starting to bear seed capsules( 4th photo).  These are typical of the Princess tree, will flower in the spring.  The leaves will drop without changing color. The fine hairs that lead to the tomentosa name are visible on the capsules.  So aside from checking texture and smell, have to check the surroundings.  There can be older seed pods on the ground from previous seasons, not noted as yet. So this small tree was lost before any fruit, but pretty much identified by its neighbor. According to the notes, this tree will be back, re-grows from the cut stump.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) Beginning to ripen

We met the Spicebush frequently along the old railroad bed above Towson Run.  There appears to be a group closer in the V where Cloverlea Rd meets Rolandvue(100 yards up Cloverlea).  Today the berries are just turning from green to red.

The leaves are alternate, oval, pointed at the ends, entire, and bright green.  When crushed they do seem to have a citrus, spicy smell.  Did not try the twigs.  The overall shape, small understory bush with multiple trunks seems typical.  A couple of the red fruits seemed spicy.
In the spring there should be yellow flowers prior to leaf growth.  Leaves may turn yellow in the fall. It is a native perennial.

Since this is a solo ID without  the Guide I may go back a couple of times, check where the fruits grow off the stem, taste the twigs, before actually sampling the fruit.

The photos show the overall shape of the bush, the fruit and what appears to be typical leaves.  The internet has pictures of interesting caterpillars eating these leaves, not noted in this group.  Also missed were the male plants, only the females bear fruit, another item to check.

Update: Another picture two weeks later (9/8/15), ripening berries with one bluish black. Still pretty solid, not much interest in adding to steak as yet.

Clearweed (Pilea pumila) Uses: None

Clearweed was on our list, seems like a minor participant, but I thought the one judgement of    no uses seemed harsh.  The common remarks are: relative of the stinging nettle without the stinging hairs.  The name is from the translucent stem. It is often in colonies, sunny or shady location and forage for deer. There were,historically some "medical" applications.

Some references mention the depressed veins on the leaf top.  Another item to keep in mind along with shape, size and margin. Small flowers, stem may turn yellow in the fall. The two photos show an easily pulled specimen(characteristic), with the depressed veins, opposite leaves and small flowers. Trunk is only moderately clear. The longish stems or petioles are sometimes mentioned.

Devil's Walking Stick Near Towson Run, Aralia Spinosa

As you walk along the old Towson Run railroad bed from the north, there will be an opening to your right with a broad lawn.  Just to the north of this opening will be a grove of Devil's Walking Stick characterized by sharp spine on every part.  The grove configuration is typical since the plants can spread by root extensions,"clonal thickets".  The location on an edge habitat and near a stream is also typical.

Here in August they are flowering, particularly the taller trees. White flowers in Panicles. Even with caution this plant will draw blood.  Thinking that all this thorny protection must be guarding an interesting leaf, I tried crushing and smelling a leaflet, even the underside of the leaflet has thorns.   Could evolution work the other way, nature wanted to protect the leaflet with thorns and the plant incidentally grows thorns everywhere? A possible science project.

One reference mentions that the shoots in the spring are edible after boiling, the rest of the plant being poisonous.  There can be contact sensitivity. This one is near the bottom of my foraging list, but interesting.  It is part of the Gingko family but with little superficial resemblance. May have been used as a barrier like the Osage Orange,because of their thorns.
Photos show the overview of the thicket with flowers, a large leaf with multiple leaflets, the spiny trunk and a young leaf on a smaller plant.

Here is part of a branch 3 months later in the fall, end of October. I have stopped "feeling the spines" just too sharp.  The white flowers turned to a black fruit which has disappeared by now. nybg.org mentions that the Japanese angelica tree can be close in appearance,an invasive. The invasive fruit may be lower on the tree, a lighter color and the leaf vein pattern runs to the tip of the teeth.  The toothache tree is smaller and has paired thorns, these are single thorns.

Strange Fruit--Kousa Dogwood

The ripe bright orange-red fruit is featured today on the Charm City Farm notes.  The picture was taken on the north side of Wagner just east of the white shed among the Ginkoes.  You may have to take a few steps in at the red reflector, the fruit is on the house side and still green.

Charm City suggests waiting for red color, soft touch.  Consider just tasting the soft center and spitting out the skin.  This tree is not bearing nearly as heavy as is common, possibly due to the shade and the youth of the tree.  Will try it in a week or ten days.(Usual precautions/disclaimers)

Kousa(Cornus kousa) is native to Korea, Japan, and China.  This tree was cultivated but it is becoming naturalized.  It is resistant to anthracnose disease. Technically the more conspicuous white part of the flower are bracts not petals.  There are probably more accessible specimens around ready to sample.

Golden Rain Tree, Charles Street, Minor Mystery Plant

Jogging along Charles Street, one hundred yards north of Bellona(nearest Stevenson Lane), west side, I came across these trees that were unfamiliar.  Probably the  Golden rain-tree but there can be several plants with this bladder like nut.  It is said to be a large shrub or small tree to fifteen meters, approximately right, maybe a little too tall.  Could it be a cultured variation of the bladdernut tree and not the trifolia American variety?

 The black or dark blue seed inside the capsule is shown in the last photo.  Well,for any detectives out there I added a picture of the leaves.  The spicy smell pertains more to the flowers(if the bladdernut) but for fear of a bad mark from our teacher, I will go back and smell the leaves and the capsule. The Golden rain-tree is also in Naples Florida, a big hardiness zone leap, but internet allows it in zone 7a.

So the general category seems likely but the specifics are unknown.  Not mentioned as a foraging possibility in any of the handy references.

Nightshade: How deadly is it?

The plant in question is near the base of the Beech tree just east of the white shed near the end of Wagner Road. We did not get into details, it is a solanaceae, or nightshade family.  This one is the bladder cherry,ground cherry, or Chinese lantern group(genus Physalis).

The group as a whole is only mildly toxic if you tolerate potatoes,tomatoes,peppers and eggplant.  The controversy seems to focus on a European atropine containing relative not the North American solanine containing varieties.  The solanine can be avoided by proper ripeness and cooking.  Even potatoes can have toxins when green or improperly stored.

There are illustrations of the lantern turning orange, will be interesting to see if this plant becomes more colorful. Thayer has a long discussion of the benefits of harvesting black nightshade, only one line on ground cherry.  He is a strong advocate of the safety of the black variety.  I am still ambivalent having lived with the "deadly" adjective for so long.  But the last illustration from gardenweb is of a ground cherry pie.

Late October revisited this group, which were dying back. Never got the orange look.  I opened the lantern-like sac and ate 3-4 of the greenish fruits.  Not great, may have needed,like the persimmons, the first frost, but was dying quickly.  Equivocal GI effect.
This was the appearance at that point. No pie.

Solomon's Seal: Partner with a Gardner

Normally foraging in the garden would be more dangerous than the Deadly Nightshade.  Solomon's Seal keeps spreading, so your gardner may be happy with thinning the patch for either the young shoots in the spring or the rhizomes in the fall or spring. The name comes from the growth scar of previous years,on the root, said to give magical powers.

The leaves are alternate,entire, clasping the stem and have parallel veins. The stalks are smooth round and arching.  The photo is of a variegated variety. The spring flowers are bell-like single or clusters.  The dark berry is inedible. Consult your references for details on harvesting, preparation and precautions.  The root seems to get high marks for starch but not so great for taste.

This patch is just inside the white gate one hundred yards short of the end of Wagner, along the mulched driveway heading north.  Since this patch is so thick we plan to try harvesting 20% or so later in the year.

Addendum -We did find a compliant gardener and dug up a couple of rhizomes.  The seal pattern at the root scar is clear.  Since we are all likely related to Solomon there would be no harm in taking this design as your personal seal.  Now you need some hot wax and an actual letter.

Sensitive Fern or Bead Fern

This is another tentative identification.  There was a group or clump of ferns on the southwest corner of Cloverlea and Rolandvue(near the street sign).  This would be characteristic as the sensitive fern grows from a single creeping rhizome. More usual in swamp or shade will tolerate sun if moist soil.
It is a pioneer species which may be consistent with the occasional cutting of this area. Native to North America, the name derives from its sensitivity to the first frost.

While gardeners worry about 10 hardiness zones, this fern grows from Labrador to Florida. The fertile frond will have dark beads.  More decorative, not mentioned as either medicinal or edible in my three handiest guides.

Wiki mentions the finely interlacing veins,possibly illustrated below.  We were looking at the vein pattern of Fireweed and happened to have the Sensitive Fern leaf on the light box.

Larch or Tamarack, uncommon in the area

If I was starting a life book of conifers,this might be an early entry.  I think it is a larch cone,not common in this area.   The tree,maybe two trees are on the north side of Bellona just before the big hill going down to Lake Roland.  You can pull out on the extra shoulder for the side road going north near Bowen Mill Rd..  The trees are so tall it is hard to identify the bristly needle distribution.  If truly a tamarack or larch they should lose there needles in the winter.

Tamarack is not mentioned in the immediately accessible edible plant guides.  Peterson/Medicinal mentions a bark tea used as a laxative and the gum can be chewed for indigestion.  You first.

The needle picture is from 20/20 site, went back with binoculars to confirm this tufted appearance but too far away to photo.

Agnostic Sunflowers--It is Always More Complicated Than That

As seen by the shadows in the lower left frame, these sunflowers are turned directly away from the setting sun.  I was expecting the usual  attraction to the sun as seen in time lapse youtube videos.  The turning of either flowers, leaves or both toward the sun is a form of heliotropism, like beach-goers moving their chairs during the day.

But it obviously varies.  More mature plants and more mature flowers may move less.  Commercial varieties may turn less. The stems harden and become fixed with age. There may be a preference for facing the rising sun. Some plants will turn back from the west during the night to face the rising sun.  Leaves turn as well and at least some of these leaves are facing the sun, though that may be random. Some plants have a natural turning rhythm even in a dark space.  Although this could be a protest over an unknown affront. The flowers are worshiping  the distant power lines.

Prostrate Spurge and Purslane

One reference considers these two low-growing plants as similar.  Here,at the edge of the driveway they were growing together.

The purslane has the larger leave, larger succulent stem and when broken shows a watery sap.  It is considered a leaf vegetable and eaten in many areas of the world.  Purslane is said to be high in Omega 3s and vitamins.  There may be a more tangy taste in the morning due to malic acid accumulated during the night.  Purslane is relatively high in oxalate, a risk factor for kidney stones.  The oxalate can be reduced by cooking.

The spurge has the darker, smaller leaves and more woody stems.  When torn it produces a milky sap like the milk weed and dandelion.  The latex fluid may be an irritant, like many of the Euphorbias, also be sensitizing.   It is listed as a native species.

Praying Mantis with Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

The butterfly seemed to be posing, fluttering but not flying away from the camera. Then the predator became more obvious, lying in wait near the flower, well camouflaged.  We have the impression that there are more mantes this season.  One theory is the joyous reunion of two old friends, the oriental mantis and the oriental stinkbug.  More prey for for the praying mantis. The butterfly was an incidental victim of the possibly proliferating predator.