Rick Cech led the group. He is an expert lepidopterist. I use his book, Butterflies of the East Coast: An Observer’s Guide: Cech, Rick, Tudor, Guy: Amazon.com, to identify butterflies.
Pine Barrens Mix
Plant
Pine Barrens Plants
I enjoy learning about the butterflies host plants. Bearberry is the host plant for the Hoary Elfin. And blueberry is the host plant for Spring Azures. Some more information here: New Jersey Butterfly Families.
A lot of the plants that we saw are native to the area. Pyxidanthera barbulata grows in wet sands and peaty sands. It thrives in pine barrens, pine savannas, and pine flatwoods. It is also found on pocosin margins and at the edges of sandhill seepage bogs. Pyxidanthera barbulata occurs on the coast from Long Island to New Jersey and Virginia to South Carolina.
The Pine Barrens in New Jersey is home to several species of trees, including:
- Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), red (or swamp) maple (Acer rubella), sour gum (Nyasa sylvatica), and swamp magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) are also present in the Pine Barrens.
- Pitch pine (Pinus rigida) is the most abundant tree in the Pine Barrens.
- Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) is also present, but not as abundant.
- Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and pond pine (Pinus serotina) are present and fairly commonly encountered in the southern regions of the Pine Barrens.
- Virginia Pines are present in some areas.
New Jersey Pine Barrens history – Wikipedia
Central Park Maple
The delicate leaves and colors in Spring are a delight.
Green-wood Birds and Plants
A couple of then many birds to be found in Green-wood Cemetery. Plus a couple of plants.
Planting Fields Greenhouse
The last photograph is a statue in the gardens. Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park (a different link than the one in my previous post).
Planting Fields Ferns
A small sampling of the many ferns at the arboretum. In the first photograph I used AI to remove the white shelf.
NYBG Flora
On the same day we saw the orchids at the New York Botanical Garden, we saw many other plants. They are worth photographing.
Central Park Leaves
I would love to have a dress with a fabric pattern like these leaves on the surface of water in the first photograph. The last photograph is another gloomy one influenced by post-election news. Nature is a great healer and being in the park helped my mood a lot.
