Southern blackhaw: Viburnum rufidulum

The cranky old guy at the nursery off Taylor Rd insisted it was Viburnum prunifolium, but the label begged to differ. I believe the label. Native to more southern parts of the eastern U.S., V. rufidulum is an attractive plant and vigorous grower. It is closely-related and similar to V.p., but it flowers a bit later and is less 'stiffy' in habit -- assuming the ones in my garden are typical representatives.

By now I expect I've lost my readers. I'll try again. There is a species of viburnum called Viburnum prunifolium. The specific epithet suggests the leaves are 'cherry-like.' True! Its native range squeaks into the very southern part of Michigan. The flower clusters are white and lack fragrance. Its shiny clean leaves and ease of cultivation make it a good candidate for a screen. Also it sends up suckers, so from one plant you can make many. Fun! Common name: black-haw.

V. rufidulum flowers

A little south, but overlapping in range, is the southern black-haw, Viburnum rufidulum. I stumbled upon it at a nursery. It is a little different and it, too, is a worthy species for the landscape (though unfortunately lacking the wonderful fragrance of other viburnums).

The fruit of V. rufidulum you can eat. It tastes prune-y. In fact it tastes just like the fruit of yet another species of viburnum, the nannyberry (V. lentago). michiganflora.net says that these two species are closely related and sometimes hard to distinguish from each other. So now are you confused? I'm not because I've got all three growing within spitting distance. I love the viburnums.

Inglorious poppies

On North Ashley, photo taken yesterday

Localized freeze/frost damage on a big list of woody plants

Healthy vs damaged leaves on shingle oak

Apparently it happened on Mother's Day. I didn't notice freeze damage on anything at my house in Chelsea, but my partners and I have seen extensive damage to a wide host of plants, including a variety of oak species (a big surprise to me, since they are generally so late to produce leaves), japanese maple (for the second year in a row), mulberry, tulip-tree, mountain-ash (ugly, ugly), sycamores, honeylocust, and walnut. We're debating amongst ourselves why the maples came out relatively unscathed. If you drive down Miller Rd west of town, check out all the big oaks near where the road crosses Honey Creek.

Surprise pawpaw in Ypsilanti

It was right there on Collegewood, right on the side of the road, a lush forest of flower-laden pawpaw stems. I have little doubt that these stems share a common root system, and therefore the whole thing should be considered a single plant.

Often solitary pawpaws fail to produce fruit. But on this one there were lots of these tiny little 'banana; clusters hanging from the tree. I'm no expert but I imagine that most of the 'banana' units will abort, leaving the remaining ones to develop into plump pawpaw fruit. I'll be back in October. And kindly forget I told you about this treasure. Anyway, it's right in front of someone's house, and the homeowner likely will want first pick.

April 30 in my garden

There are two times of the year when I most appreciate mayapple: when they first emerge as ghostly shrouds in the spring, and again in June when the fruit ripens -- eat them when they are at the softest and about to drop from the stem.

Another common native that is great for the woodland garden: dog-tooth violet or trout lily (Erythronium americanum). There is a white-flowered species, but it closes up before I get home from work to photograph it.

The inexpensive Fritillaria uva-vulpis unfortunately is among the least worthy for the garden. Oh, but it is easy to grow -- some keep returning despite being buried under a yard of leaf-mulch and moved repeatedly. It is the second frit to flower in the spring in my garden.

Since I hardly have time to take photographs, I certainly don't have time to figure out which species of Epimedium this one is -- it's the first and only species in flower today, but others are close behind. I think this is one of the very common selections available at your corner grocery.

Close encounters

Welcome back, friends. Finally some spring has sprung. Chorus frog in full choral mode. Snowdrops have melted. So I took some pictures:

Hellebore and Corydalis solida up close;
Add some irises, cyclamen and rocks for
the long shot

February birdwatching: two new lifers!

Thanks to leads from other birders on the u-mich birders e-mail list, I have been inspired to make the best of this cold month by seeking out the unusual winged winter visitor.

I found this picture on the internet, unattributed

First the snow bunting: I had previously seen this species only once before, and that was in the famously frigid area near Eli, Minnesota. Turns out I didn't have to go that far. There are several spots in Washtenaw County where you can reliably find them. Just find out where the horned larks are congregating. And where might that be? How about the northeast corner of Willow Run Airport in the field behind the security fence. It's quite enjoyable to watch the large flocks of larks from within the comfort of your car. Look for a bird with white wingbars, and you've likely spotted the lovely snow bunting. I can give you more specific directions if you e-mail me. As I sit staring at the birds with my binoculars -- in the direction of the airport -- I wonder when someone from homeland security is going to pull me over to question my suspicious activities.

It look me three tries to Willow Run to find the second species that was on my list: the lapland longspur. This bird also hangs with the larks and buntings but it is in smaller numbers and is a little harder to pick out. It was a new one for me.

Most people who take an interest in those things that are 'out-of-doors' (what a quaint expression!) are familiar with the cedar waxwings -- they will strip the fruit from cherries and amelanchiers in no time, and they put on a great aerial display in summer as they dart from trees and catch insects over the Huron River. Uncommon in our area is the bohemian waxwing. Someone spotted a flock of them at Four Mile Lake near Chelsea (it was dead quiet when I visited). And several people reported seeing a large flock at Brighton Recreation Area. On my second try into that area, I found them: approximately 57 individuals, plumper and bigger than cedars waxwings and grey on the belly instead of yellowish.

Yes, they were at a bit of a distance and the skies were grey and the lighting was poor so they looked mostly like grey blobby molten Christmas ornaments. But they were making a waxwing sound, and their identity was certain. In fact here's a snapshot taken (not by me) with a cheap camera through a cheap spotting scope moments before the flock took off. FYI, the 'reddish' color of the undersides of the tail is diagnostic.

Some other species that have been spotted "locally" in recent days: short-eared owl, northern shrike, and townsend's solitaire.

Lindera, Allium and Chrysanthemum in an Ypsilanti garden

It's mid-October and I saw some very sweet things at a friend's garden on Crane Road in Ypsilanti yesterday. For me one of the most striking plants was this unusual brightly-colored shrub. It is Lindera angustifolia, an Asian counterpart to our native spicebush (L. benzoin).  The grower was very fond of this plant and said it typically turns vivid colors in the fall. I didn't test it firsthand, but I assume the leaves and twigs are aromatic, as is typical of the members of its family, the Lauraceae (cinnamon, sassafras, bay laurel, etc). Given that there are 80+ species in this genus (mostly from Asia), there's a decent chance that more are growable here in Michigan. I wouldn't be surprised if one or more of these are eventually introduced commercially.

A great late-flowering allium is the Japanese A. thunbergii.  Rose-purple flowers are the norm, but a white form is also available. I've been warned that other species are sold under this name, and you have to take care to find a reliable source.

'Ozawa' is the name of a selection that is supposed to have flowers which are larger than the straight species. To the right is the white ('alba') selection.

And then there is this superlative late-flowering and low-growing mum, Chrysanthemum weyrichii. This species hales from Japan, Kamtschatka and islands between there and Alaska. Flowering begins in August. What a fabulous ground-cover. Honk if you agree.

Tree frogs and migrating birds

We have a hot tub behind out house. We have mixed feelings about it because of its carbon footprint, and now use it only in spring and fall. But whatever . . it's a super habitat for tree frogs. There are invariably four or five of them keeping warm under the cover. The interesting thing for us it to see what color they will be -- sometimes grey, sometimes silver, sometimes mottled.

A different animal issue entirely: my 92-year-old father invited me to be his guest last week on a cruise along the St Lawrence Seaway. A good trip, great food, never even KNEW that such a place as the Madeleine Islands existed. The only disturbing bump during the week was when I decided to stay up late and I happened to visit the upper deck: some thousands of migrating birds had become confused by the lights of the ship and had landed on the deck, became trapped in netting set up for the golfers, or just didn't know WHAT to do. I gathered four specimens (one flycatcher and three sparrows, pictured here) and in the morning one worker told he had tossed an estimated 50 dead specimens overboard. I have absolutely no idea how many exhausted animals might have met their demise in the waters. The ship's engineer was dismissive and told me the bright lights were because of 'regulations'. Now here's a cause for someone to take up!