Native, but a long way from home, Mahonia aquifolium, Oregon-grape or Oregon grape

We found this plant on the west side of Rolandvue going up the hill from Towson Run. It is native to the Pacific northwest, but widely planted with many cultivars.  The middle of the photo shows one pinnate leaf with 13 spiny,shiny leaflets.  Latin names are not always included but here aquifolium means holly-like leaf which is pretty descriptive.

It is about one meter tall, a typical height.  There should be yellow flowers in the spring followed by clusters of blue fruit.  Mahonia is not related to true grapes but the fruits appear somewhat similar. The berries can be used for jelly or fermented into wine but are said to be tart, mixed with other berries or with sugar. CCF says a very good wine. Parts of the plant can be used as dyes, possibly as medicinals. The size 14 foot in the picture is for scale,"I meant to do that".
The hyphen in Oregon-grape is apparently illegal, as far as taxonomy, but helps to underline the not true grape aspect.

Box Elder Bug or Halloween Bug, end of Wagner, black and red bug

These little guys were following their script.  It was a south facing hillside along the far end of Wagner Rd.  They gather the end of fall for warmth, around the time of Halloween, this was exactly Halloween Day.  Typically near box elder but sometimes other maple species, check. There are a mixture of stages, adults more black, younger mixed red and black,check. They were not threatening or biting just a little yuck factor.  Do not know the timing, these were there during the sunny part of the day for at least a week.


Their next step it to find a warm spot for the winter, sometimes the nearest house. They can find a path through small cracks.  There is a pheromone associated with the gathering and a smell with crushing.  Elimination methods are a shop vac, soap spray , or insecticides.  For the long term you can get rid of the box elder but miss the shade. Sort of expected to find a praying mantis nearby.

Elm keys or samaras above the bend in Wagner

Still uncertain of the exact type of elm or whether the two trees are the same.  The seeds or keys are similar but  distributed differently. Sine they are maturing in the fall this would tend to eliminate Slippery elm and rock elm which mature in the spring.

One or both may be the chinese  elm introduced after the spread of Dutch elm disease fungus killed most American elms.

The Thayer reference is almost poetic about eating the samaras of the Siberian elm,maturing in the spring.  I will research any experience with these smaller seeds.  The outer coat can be rubbed off leaving a sunflower like seed.

The first photo shows the more westerly tree with a collection of samaras near the branch. The second is the tree to the east, more sparsely distributed seeds, but this may be random. The seeds themselves are similar. Add to your cereal or salad?

Glasswort aka Pickleweed(Salicornia) Gordon Pond loop

Looking across the marshes around Gordon Pond( Henlopen Park),there are broad patches of pink and red adding color to the fall grasses. At least some of the red is due to the Glasswort, changing from green to red during the fall season. This may correlate with an increase in the salt content of the plant.  References note glasswort as a succulent halophyte,growing in salt environments.

The ashes of the plant can be used to make one form of glass. Since the plant is high in salt content, it could be a source of sodium carbonate for soap as well as glass. Th shoots can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled. An oil can be extracted and the seeds ground for various uses.

The variety shown had a woody stem with the shoots compared to chicken legs.

Unknown (check photos first)

Not sure why this had not been seen earlier, may be seasonal.  From the brownish color,lack of chlorophyll, and the location over the beech roots, I am pretty sure this is Beech Drops or Epifagus americana.

It is related to indian pipe which has been seen. It is parasitic on the Beech roots, not sure if there are any advantages to the tree.  The root ball is small and superficial. Flowers are small and typically bloom August to October. No leaves. There are undocumented variety of herbal uses, cancer treatment and for skin ulcers. One source notes a bitter astringent taste.

The pictures are from RE LEE Park, but beech drops are growing just off the beginning of Rolandvue, between the road and the stream. Find the big beech tree then look on the side toward the stream.  Just before the first house.

Persimmons, Diospyros virginiana, Henlopen Park

This is a little different circle, not Rolandvue, not Bellona, but the bike trail circuit touching Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, and Gordon Pond.  The puzzle initially was the fruit from the trees at Silver Lake, bordering on spoiled, bright orange but still a little tart.

Inquiring locally and at Charm City Farm, the suggestion was to wait for the first frost, almost a dark appearance to the fruit when it would be sweeter.  Someone made the analogy to ice wine. Persimmons should be a winter harvest. All the fruit along that bike path will be dropped by the frost.  Some of the lower fruit will be browsed by deer.  Coincidentally persimmons were available commercially, larger and bright  orange to yellow, not dark.

The difference may be species specific.  Commercial fruit is usually asiatic varieties.  The native virginiana persimmons may be the ones best taken later. The actual identification of the persimmons along the bike route is unknown.  The Silver Lake probably were planted and likely were asian.  A wind storm with salt spray the week before might also have caused the fruit to drop early. The trees in Henlopen Park may be native, upper fruit sparse but intact.

By history persimmon was eaten in a steamed pudding, possibly balancing some fruit harvested early.

Rumor has it that there is a persimmon along Rolandvue but I have yet to find it.

The photos show the fruit and the leaves of the Silver Lake tree, deeply furrowed park and sparse leaves in early October.