seeds – a curious nature

Native American Day/National Indigenous Peoples’ Day

^{October 13, 2025}

^{Today is the second Monday in October ….. a day to pause and honor the deep roots, rich cultures, and enduring spirit of the first peoples of this land. Native American Day celebrates the history, contributions, and resilience of Native American tribes all across the nation.}

^Yesteryears

^{Native American Day honors all Native Americans. South Dakota led the way, officially changing Columbus Day to}^{Native American Day}^{in 1990 after a “Year of Reconciliation” was declared by Governor George S. Mickelson. California soon followed. In recent years, the movement has gained national momentum. Many states and cities have chosen to celebrate}^{Indigenous Peoples’ Day}^{on the same date. Then in 2021, President Joseph Biden issued the first-ever presidential proclamation for}^{National Indigenous Peoples’ Day}^{, marking a significant step in acknowledging and respecting the history and contributions of America’s first inhabitants.}

*^{Zentangle patterns: Pacpaw, Bilt, Keeko, Mogo, Amath, Tribal, Moonlite, Rain}*

^Present-day

^{Celebrating the second Monday in October is more than acknowledging the past ….. it’s a day to recognize the living cultures that continue to enrich our country’s tapestry. It’s an opportunity to move beyond stereotypes and learn about the diverse traditions, languages, and stories that have shaped this continent for millennia. Native American Day also highlights the efforts to revitalize and preserve hundreds of indigenous languages, each one a unique expression of culture and knowledge. When we celebrate Native American Day, we celebrate the incredible diversity of traditions. Instead of a single culture, there are hundreds of distinct nations, each with its own unique customs.}

^{Storytelling and Art Making}

^{Native Americans have a powerful storytelling tradition of oral history, where foundational stories, lessons, and legacies were and still are passed down through generations. Many of these stories of life and culture are told through artwork, from ancient pictographs (rock paintings) and petroglyphs (images cut into rocks by pecking, incising or abrading) created by the indigenous peoples that lived throughout America, the intricate beadwork of the Plains tribes, the iconic pottery of the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest, to contemporary painting and sculpture. Native art is a cornerstone of American culture.}

^{New Mexico Rock Art}

^{Images painted on and carved into rock that were used in ancient storytelling can be found throughout my home state of New Mexico. Many of these sites are protected and preserved by federal designation as National historic landmarks, National Parks, and by the Bureau of Land Management as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, and as a significant part of our Archaeological heritage.}

^{Traditional cultures and customs continue to fascinate me, and in “drawing” attention to the important contribution rock art has and continues to play, I wished to shared some of the designs (symbols) created by Native American tribes indigenous to the 4-corners region of the Southwest, with focus on those found in New Mexico. The Kokopelli symbol, the dancing flute player, is a familiar and favorite character throughout the area and has many meanings tied to fertility and harvest. The symbol depicted shows Kokopelli with a hump in his back where he carries seeds ready for planting, while he plays his flute, a symbol of warmth. He also carries a sunflower disk flower (the ‘complete’ inflorescence) to display fertility, the Sun symbol for happiness, and several crop symbols designed by the Acoma, Hopi, and Navajo.}

A Kokopelli created in 2017 … on toned grey paper and colored with Prismacolors

^{The very first known Kokopelli images appeared on ancient Hohokam pottery, dating from between 850 and 750 C.E. The drawing of the Kokopelli petroglyph, in the bottom left of my panel, is inspired by one of these first images that was discovered near Embudo, NM.}

^{Ideas to Celebrate Native American Day …..}^{Learn, listen and engage by}^…..

^{.…. reading a book by a Native American author, such as Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie or Tommy Orange,}

^{….. exploring a museum or a state historic site to learn firsthand about the lives and history of the region’s tribes,}

^{….. purchasing authentic arts, crafts, and goods from Native artists, which directly supports and helps preserve their cultural practices,}

^{….. attending one of many community- or university-hosted talks, film screenings, or celebrations such as a powwow}

^{Thank you very much for stopping by!}

Switched the Midge!

A Fourwing Saltbush Gall Mystery Solved

September 30, 2025

If you’re a fan of weird twists in nature (like me), and enjoyed my November 25, 2024 post, “A Quirk of Nature: Fourwing Saltbush,” you may have lost many hours of sleep wondering how I could’ve missed such an obvious mistake! You know the one. The labeling error made when naming those cottonball-like insect galls hugging the Fourwing stems.

In my confusion (or wishing to cover all options?), I seemed to believe two different midge species were somehow responsible for the same gall.

Are they Rosette Bud Gall Midge galls or Fourwing Saltbush Wooly Gall Midge galls?

Decisions, decisions.

My Quandry quite clear, it was time to consult the experts.

A short 10 months later, confirmation arrived from the iNaturalist experts in all things “Fourwing.” All the puffy galls are none other than those made by Fourwing Saltbush Wooly Gall Midges!

And the answer to my question is well timed, as the stems of the female Fourwing shrubs are once again ‘heavy’ with Wooly Gall Midge galls. Now I know! Now you also know!

Enjoy this official correction, at long last, and wishing you sweet dreams.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

PS: My journal page was created by first sketching in graphite the two Fourwing stems, followed by outlining with loose ink lines from a Micron 005, adding a background of both soft and medium charcoal – blending with a stump, then using a Tombow Mono Zero eraser to clean up the ‘cottonballs,’ before adding watercolor pencil, color splatters, and eraser lines randomly placed through the charcoal background. A bit experimental, and lots of fun.

Floss is Flying 🪂 !

It Must be Fall …….

September 22, 2025

Like soft, fluffy snow! Glistening orbs of silky gossamer are floating about the neighborhood, drifting hither and yon in the gentle breeze. Suspended beneath each orb is a single reddish-brown winged seed that appears to coax its wind-propelled puff in a safe descent to the ground. But the white floss (the Coma) wants to fly, and it becomes a tug of war. As the weight of the seed overwhelms the ability (and the desire) of the floss to carry it, their brief relationship is severed. But both get their wish …. the floss flies free as the seed drops to the ground, hopefully landing in an ideal spot to overwinter and sprout next spring.

Welcome Fall!

When the air is full of Horsetail Milkweed parachutes and their ‘riders,’ I walk along the neighborhood roadways and collect a bounty of their new-crop seeds + floss to set free around our property. If they find the right soil, moisture, and light conditions for spring germination, the seeds will not only form the beginnings of a stand of these beautifully blooming, creamy-white milkweed flowers, but the plants might just play host to Monarch and Queen butterflies!

Now wouldn’t that be dandy!

(Of course, mature seeds from new plants will undoubtedly entice a hungry crop of well-dressed Milkweed Bugs next Fall. That’s OK! They have to eat too!)

My Journal Pages ……

For something different, instead of using ink and watercolor, all sketches on these pages were created in graphite. The pods, seeds and the milkweed bug were sketched from my collected samples using a mechanical pencil loaded with a fine point HB lead. The touches of color were added with water soluble graphite.

Thanks for stopping by ….. And Have a Fabulous Fall!

Shifts in Nature

August Littles ….. 2025

September 8, 2025

Ohhhhhh, what a sweet month …… August. It almost got away from me without sharing a small collection of Littles¹ that reflect the inevitable shifts in nature that occur during the month. It’s always hard to imagine summer winding down; where did the time go? But as surely as butter melts on freshly baked bread, undeniably, August forms a reliable bridge between summer and autumn. It’s a time of change and transition; abundance and harvest; transformation and a period of letting go.

So before I “let go” and before the snow flies (and it will), here’s a handful of little discoveries during the month of August:

-A female Wheel Bug gone slightly astray while searching for a protected place to overwinter the eggs she’s about to lay.

-A female Soldier Beetle doing her best to attract a mate by sending out pheromones while munching late season pollen from the disk flowers of a brilliant yellow Showy Goldeneye.

-An acorn that made it to maturity, ready to drop beneath a still green-leaved Gambel Oak soon to be decked out in radiant fall colors.

-Some hot red trumpet-shaped Scarlet Gilia flowers, still irresistible to hummingbirds until migration, will all be pollinated in time for seed set and mature.

-The snowy white fruit dangling from the draping branches of Roundleaf Snowberry shrubs are ripe and ready for plucking by hungry birds flying south for the winter.

-And plump purple-black Chokecherry berries that will become a juicy dietary supplement for black bears needing to bulk up for hibernation.

Enjoy!

And as always, thanks for dropping by!

¹“Littles” is part of a blog series I began posting several years ago, beginning in January 2023. The concept was inspired by Fay (thanks again Fay!) who came up with the idea for her blog madebyfay.wordpress.com

If you’d like to read more of an explanation, check out my January 2023 post, Winter Birding on Sedillo Hill

One of the Most Aloof Sunflowers Ever! The Cowpen Daisy

Part 3 ….. An Allelopath Declares Chemical Warfare

August 15, 2025

The more I learn about Cowpen Daisy (Verbesina encelioides), the more the words Intrepid (fearless and bold), Interloping (meddlesome and smothering), and Impertinent (pushy and rude) come to mind.

Cowpen Daisy is literally a plant at war …..

Its adversaries are neighboring plants …..

Its weapons of choice are chemicals ….. 15¹different Allelochemicals² to be exact.

Cowpen Daisy shows no mercy to its most susceptible victims, and given the right conditions in the right locations, Cowpen Daisy can cripple ecosystems, and unravel biodiversity.

Oh No! What Have I Done! Have I unleashed a formidable enemy to run amok, bullying its way through our mostly intact biodiverse high desert ecosystem?

Maybe not! (Spoiler alert…… Allelopathy³can be bad, but I still love this happy Daisy)

On August 6th, I received an excellent question from one of my blog followers, based on my first Cowpen Daisy post :

“Do you have any concerns about this becoming an invasive plant? Best wishes, Nancy”

In reply, I expressed my concern about the number of “seedlings coming up late spring,” and how “I was definitely alarmed and wondered about the need for early control.” Fortunately, “as the season advanced, it became clear the density of plants seemed self-controlling.” Based on my limited experience with Cowpen Daisy, I explained how during the summer of 2023 “the plant completely covered an extremely large field near our home,” causing me concern about its invasive tendencies. But upon “[R]eturning the following year (2024) and again this past spring (2025) to see if the same field was blanketed again in these plants, “I couldn’t find a single Cowpen Daisy anywhere! So no, this annual [doesn’t appear to be] “invasive, at least not in central New Mexico.”

But Nancy’s question prompted me to dig deeper into on-line research. I wondered: Is Cowpen Daisy invasive outside of its native range, particularly where conditions are ideal for its aggressive growth? Yes, it is! And its invasiveness is further enhanced where neighboring plants are susceptible to the impacts of the allelochemicals released by Cowpen Daisy’s leaves, roots and decaying leaf matter in the soil.

One example where Cowpen Daisy is an introduced species and has become invasive is in India. Fields of mung bean, corn, chickpeas, and sweet melon are being outcompeted by invasive stands of Cowpen Daisies. These food crops are severely impacted by two allelochemicals released by the both roots and leaves of the Daisy; steroids and phenols. Studies of these four crops demonstrated not only “the suppression of germination and growth in these plants” but “also revealed an antagonistic effect on [their] chlorophylls, carotenoids and protein levels.” In other words, Cowpen Daisy is winning the war against India’s mung bean, corn, chickpea and melon crops, and farmers are currently engaged in a battle to develop a strategy of control and run this biological enemy out of their country.

Cowpen Daisy is only considered a native species to the Southwest U.S. and Northern Mexico. However, it has been introduced (either intentionally or by accident) and is considered naturalized in parts of Eastern North America, the Middle East, Spain, Argentina, Australia and the Pacific islands. As such, Cowpen Daisy’s nature to drop allelochemicals everywhere it grows allows it to behave like an invasive plant in countries where it is naturalized. Without diligent management (via herbicide application or mechanical control), it can thrive to the detriment of their desirable plant species’ survival.

Have I defeated my goal of reestablishing a diverse native plant community in disturbed areas surrounding our new home? “Not likely,” says I, optimistically! In addition to Cowpen Daisy, the variety of native plant species I intentionally seeded last fall and early this past spring, have germinated, grown, flowered and seeded or are in the process of flowering and seeding, most of which are adjacent to a Daisy. Of course time will tell. Meanwhile, I’ve declared this to be a happy ending to this post and my stand of happy Cowpen Daisies! However ……. next spring, if germination rates from my reseeders are low or zero, but Cowpen Daisy returns with renewed vigor, then I have a control job waiting for me. And the best advice I’ve read is to “pull out old plants and roots and selectively remove new seedlings.” That’s acceptable! That I can do!

Until then!

Do you struggle with weedy, invasive plant species in your garden or yard? Have you seen fields of blooming weeds and wondered …… “what weed is that?” Do you know the names of those pesty plants and do they seem to keep your favorite variety of cucumbers from growing? It might be interesting to learn if your local invasives are one of the many Allelopaths happily growing in our world! Let me know!

As always, thanks for dropping by!

¹Cowpen Daisy is known to release up to 15 different allelochemicals² from its leaves and roots, such as guanidine, phytosterols, phenolic acids, tripertenes, flavonoids, dicarboxylic acids, phytophenols, steroids, phenols, and others. Fresh and decaying leaf litter leach 14 of those allelochemicals into the soil.

^2,3Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more biochemicals that influence the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and can have beneficial (positive allelopathy) or detrimental (negative allelopathy) effects on the target organisms and the community. Allelopathy is often used narrowly to describe chemically-mediated competition between plants. Allelopathic interactions are an important factor in determining species distribution and abundance within plant communities, and are also thought to be important in the success of many invasive plants. (source: Wikipedia)

The Cowpen Daisy ….. One of the Happiest Sunflowers Ever!

Part 1 ….. Can There Be Too Many Sunflowers?

August 5, 2025

It was the Fall of 2024. A small cluster of Cowpen Daisies (Verbesina encelioides) flourishing on the severely disturbed ground surrounding our new home was going to seed. Waiting several weeks until the migratory birds ate their fill, I spent an hour or so collecting as many remaining dried seeds (cypselas) as possible, stuffing full two quart-sized ziplock bags. About 1/3 of the seeds I scattered around the house where they would overwinter on the ground. The rest were poured into large pill vials that were labeled with species name, location, and date, then placed in the refrigerator to simulate cold storage until Spring.

Cowpen Daisy cypselas (seeds) 08/04/2025 at Punch

It was late April 2025. The chances of heavy frost seemed a distant memory. My fingers crossed, I chose a sunny 42 degree morning to liberate those refrigerated seeds from 6 months of cold storage, and scattered them in disturbed areas not seeded last Fall. Then I waited like an expectant parent, watching for signs of germination, worrying that runoff from late season snows might wash away my scattered seeds, expecting that flocks of migratory birds would gobble them all up, and hoping for gentle rain showers to swell those thousands of seed coats to aid those tiny embryos in growing their first roots (radicles) and first leaves (cotyledons).

Then early June 2025. Success! Cotyledons were literally popping up everywhere, which meant the radicles were already expanding into the soil. They were especially crowded where I’d scattered all the cold storage seeds, and germination was obvious where seeds had been scattered the Fall of 2024. By early July, those Cowpen daisies were crowding out many of the other native species I’d also seeded in the same areas.

Backyard and overflow Cowpen Daisies, robust growth after Fall 2024 seeding (08/03/2025)

And now it’s early August 2025, and what a dazzling show! Even though the sunflower yellow flowers of Cowpen Daisy are small (2” wide), there are up to 75 long-stemmed flowers on each plant that can grow from 4-5’ tall! They are so dense, the backyard fence is hardly visible, our walking paths are totally draped with 4” long leaves, and if there’s a rattlesnake lurking around under our massive Cowpen Daisy canopy, we’d probably (hopefully) hear him well before he slithered into view!

Goals and Lessons Learned

I’ve learned a lot by parenting these Daisies; from the best time to scatter seed (in the late Spring following cold storage) and where (not so close to other desirable natives or pathways), to managing the mass of growth (by organizing through selective removal). Our initial goal of seeding and growing native plant species was to attract and help feed wildlife (pollinators, reptiles, rodents, birds and mammals), and we are optimistic that achieving this goal long-term seems realistic with the success we’ve had to date. However, because so many of our native plants are losing the battle against habitat loss caused by invasive species encroachment and takeover, land development, and climate change, we will continue to explore ideas to expand our initial goal to address the habitat situation. As we gain insight about the best native plants to grow to help restore our disturbed soils, we will learn and share with our neighbors those species that: are drought tolerant; aid in building soils; are effective at invasive weed suppression; provide wildlife benefits; and increase plant diversity.

Cowpen Daisy and pollinator 08/01/2025 at Punch

Happy – Happy – Happy! Will I be collecting Cowpen Daisy seed again this Fall? You bet! Having all that sunshine yellow around our home is thrilling. Every morning all those thousands of sunflower faces looking East towards a new day are about the happiest sight ever! And having such wild, uninhibited growth of a native annual out our back door has been ideal for observing the pollinators that benefit from the abundant nectar and pollen, enjoying the aerial acrobatics of several phoebe families that have been feasting on those pollinators, and promises to be a perfect spot for bird watching this Fall when all those cypselas ripen into high protein food.

Can’t wait!

Do you ‘know’ a special native plant? How about a native butterfly garden? Are you a bird watcher? Maybe you enjoy the occasional deer, coyote, or bobcat wander through your yard? Please share your favorite wildlife encounter!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Bordered Patch (my photo/2023 – on butterfly bush)

Hooked on Trichomes … The Curious Nature of ‘Mentzelia’

July 29, 2025

You must awake when the first rooster crows to enjoy the floral beauty of a fully flaired Blazingstar blossom. Appropriately named, these gorgeous flowers display a radiant combination of spoon-shaped petals, petal-like stamens, and hundreds of thread-like stamens, all colored in bold sulfur yellows, distinctive pale orange-yellows, brilliant star whites, or fluorescent blues, based on species. These superbly showy flowers unfurl overnight atop tall white, branching stems that resemble candelabras with narrow lobed green leaves. These large, 2” diameter flowers belong to the Mentzelia genus, plants that are all native to the Americas, and represented by 60-80 species, most found in the desert southwest.

In 1753, Carl Linneaus gave this plant its genus name, Mentzelia, after German botanist and sinologist Christian Mentzel. (Did you know a Sinologist is a specialist in the study of Chinese language, literature, and civilization? Huh!) But perhaps more fascinating and what’s always ‘captured’ my complete attention (and blue jeans) is that the Mentzelia genus fits perfectly in the Loasaceae family ….. commonly referred to as the Stickleafs.

About those leaves ……

Being primarily a day-time hiker, my first encounter with a Blazingstar occurred simultaneously with a misstep into the plant. Noticing some resistance in making my escape, I looked down at the ground and discovered my jeans had a collection of stuck leaves from my boots on up. And the leaves were really stuck tight along their entire length! Removing those leaves was like peeling a banana, only tougher. Wait! Forget the banana peel. Removing those sticky leaves sounded like and felt like tugging on and separating Velcro! I was reminded of the familiar ‘ripping’ noise made when Velcro hooks are forcibly released from their loops!

Eureka!!

Nature is full of surprises. Were the Stickleafs the source of accidental inspiration for today’s handy hook-n-loop fastener, called Velcro? Almost, but not quite! As it turns out, the tiny hooks on Cocklebur seedpods inspired a Swiss engineer to develop Velcro in 1941. But not to change subjects too much …….The reasons Stickleafs could’ve been the inspiration for Velcro, is similar to the Cocklebur story, but, I think, even better. Here’s why ……

The seedpods of both plants have tiny hooks that readily adhere to clothing and fur. And it was the hooks’ tenacity for stick-to-it-tiv-ness that grew the original Velcro idea. But Stickleafs go even further in ‘reinforcing’ the fastener concept. Not only does the seed pod (capsule) of Stickleafs have a covering of tiny hooks, but both leaf surfaces and even the stems of plants in this family can have multiple types of minuscule grappling-hooks and barbed needles, called Trichomes, visible only with an electron microscope. I summarize that if the Swiss engineer was visiting America in 1941, and had the good fortune to walk into a Mentzelia plant, he undoubtedly would’ve been super inspired to develop Velcro. After all, it’s the leaves that stick fast to clothing, resemble a strip of Velcro, and hold tight, mimicking an ideal hook-n-loop fastener.

Hooked on Trichomes

And now for the curious nature of the Mentzelia genus. When coming across the Adonis Blazingstar (Mentzelia multiflora) over the past 8 years, it’s been fun to inspect the leaves, remove one and intentionally stick it to Roy’s jeans or mine. I’ve then wondered how this plant ‘sticks’ so well, and why. The time for answers arrived this month, and what I learned was fascinating. It’s all about Trichomes.

Trichome is a botanical term used to describe the small hair-like structures that occur somewhere on a plant; typically on plant leaves. Trichomes can be found throughout the plant kingdom (like on Cannabis sativa); they aren’t unique to the Stickleaf family, and are found on all species of the the Mentzelia genus. Some Mentzelia species have one type or shape of trichome; some have several types. Adonis Blazingstar has two types of trichomes – one is shaped like a grappling hook; one is shaped like a barbed needle. It’s the trichomes that grab on and hold tight. But what possible function do they serve the plant? Surely a leaf sticking to the fur of a passing animal or a person’s pant leg, while decorative, is otherwise pointless?

What Good are Mentzelia Trichomes?

Like plant hairs, trichomes aid a plant in water conservation in times of drought by reducing transpiration, and in situations of other environmental stressors, such as excessive UV light and extreme temperatures. The trichomes serve as a protective barrier between the leaf, stem, or other part of the plant, and the environment.

Trichomes can function as water collection, retention and funneling structures during a rainstorm.

The grab-and-hold nature of trichomes when they attach to fur or clothing can cause enough vibration of mature seed capsules to shake loose seeds ready for dispersal.

Trichomes are the plant’s primary defense against herbivory; not from livestock or rodents intent on munching leaves, but from insects that attempt crawling amongst the grappling hooks and barbed needles intent on causing damage. As can be seen in electron microscope images, insects have been photographed speared and hooked and killed because they were unable to escape their entrapment by trichomes.

But not all insects succumb to the fate of trichomes. Aphids are able to navigate the dense forest of hooks and needles without capture, allowing them to wreak havoc on vulnerable and tasty leaves, stems and seed capsules.

And that’s why the Mentzelia genus of the Stickleaf family is one of the natural curiosities of the plant kingdom. Maybe now, you too, are Hooked on Trichomes?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, and do thank you for stopping by!

And if you’re curious about how Trichomes contribute to the enjoyment and/or medicinal benefits of marijuana (Cannabis sativa), here’s what I found:

Trichomes are the primary site for cannabinoid production (i.e. compounds like THC & CBD responsible for the plant’s psychoactive/therapeutic effects.

Trichomes are the site of terpene production which gives different Cannabis strains their unique aromas/flavors.

Trichomes are the site of flavonoids known for antioxidant and medicinal properties.

Mexican Hat

July 11, 2025

A few years ago I stumbled across this plant while walking around our neighborhood. Being immediately awed by its richly-colored petals skirting an upright cylinder or cone, I knew it would be a perfect addition to our high elevation (7,300 feet) landscape. My idea was to wait until the flowers on the cone faded and collect some seed to scatter in our yard. After repeated trips hoping to find evidence of seed, I was skunked. Either I missed the dispersal event, or this plant was 100% sterile. On the outside chance there were microscopic seeds embedded in the cone, I resorted to cone collection. Fast forward to the next spring …… every spot I’d planted those cones was barren; nothing had sprouted; zero; zip.

Fast forward again to early July 2025. This wildly blooming plant was growing vigorously in many of the dry disturbed openings and roadside areas throughout our new neighborhood! Time to learn more about such a charming member of the sunflower family called Mexican Hat.

Mexican Hat (Ratibida columnifera), also commonly known as rocketflower, and both upright and longhead prairie coneflower, is a native perennial found across the Lower “48” (U.S.), southern Canada and northern Mexico at elevations ranging from 5,000-7,500 feet. Its Ray flowers come in a dazzling sunshine yellow, along with a soft velvety royal purple-brown, an intensely deep rust-red brown, and rusty oranges – all with some measure of sunshine yellow marginal accents. Each Disc flower (those tiny spots that spiral, Fibonacci fashion, around the upright cone) has 5 fused pale-green petals (the Corolla). The Corolla surrounds 5 fused purple/red oxide-colored Anthers (the pollen structures of the Stamens). The Anthers are shoved up through the Corolla by the developing Style (the stalk of the Pistil) where they burst into 5 sunshine yellow pollen “strands” resembling a hairdo of long, twisted, windblown dreadlocks! The shockingly beautiful colors unfailingly lure many insects hungry for pollen and/or nectar.

The entire Capitulum (the densely packed flowerhead of a composite “flower”) continually waves in the slightest of breezes as it perches atop the long stiff and naked stem (the Peduncle) of the flowerhead. Below the Peduncle are the many branched feathery-like, deeply lobed leaves. These leaves seem to be the primary source of a curiously fascinating fragrance. After handling the plants for several days, I began thinking of the aroma as being cautiously sweet-scented with subtle hints of slow roasted tomato + red pepper-infused homemade shortbread cookies! I’m looking for a recipe!

All “said and done,” Mexican Hat can grow from 8 inches tall to over 3 feet!

Benefits of and Curiosities About Mexican Hat

Special Value to Native Bees – According to The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Mexican Hat is recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees.

Food Source for Wildlife Species – In addition to being an important source of pollen and nectar for native bees, Mexican Hat also attracts many other insects like butterflies and moths, and hummingbirds sip its sweet nectar. Wildlife that feast on its seeds include small song birds, wild turkey and rodents. Even white-tailed deer will eat the foliage, despite its reported deer-resistant qualities.

Supports Native Pollinators, Attracts Beneficial Insects, and Promotes Biological Diversity – Mexican Hat is a adaptable and resilient wildflower species, able to endure extended periods of drought, hot and cold temperatures, and diverse habitat and soil conditions. Because of these characteristics, and because the species is a self-seeder, Mexican Hat provides food and cover for wildlife, is a reliable source of pollen for at-risk native bees, and makes an excellent choice for sustainable gardening, habitat and soil restoration, and prairie conservation efforts. And not to be overlooked, Mexican Hat attracts beneficial insects like lady beetles and lacewings that help control garden pests like aphids and caterpillars, and makes a valuable contribution to natural pest management strategies.

Many Uses; the Ethnobotany of Mexican Hat – North American indigenous peoples prepared the leaves, stems, flowers and/or the cones in certain ways to treat specific ailments suffered by people and animals. By creating washes, by boiling, physically rubbing and crushing, decoctions, concoctions and infusions were used to treat chest pains, wounds, stomach aches, fevers, headaches, urinary problems, rattlesnake bites and to induce vomiting. Mothers wishing to wean their babies had crushed leaves rubbed on their breasts. Horses with urinary problems were hand fed the entire plant as a cure, and sheep that are “out of their minds” are given a cold infusion.

The cones were used as baby nipples. Leaves and flowerheads were boiled to make a pleasant tasting tea.

A Symbolic Meaning and Familiar Visual of Mexican Hat – In Mexican culture, this wildflower is often associated with traditional celebrations, ceremonies and festivals. Mexican Hat is a symbol of joy, abundance and cultural heritage. The common name “Mexican Hat” was given to this wildflower because it reminds many of the shape of a traditional Mexican sombrero.

Origin of the Scientific Name Ratibida columnifera – The Etymology of the genus name Ratibida was published in 1818 by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz (1783–1840). Even to this day, the meaning of Ratibida is a mystery. It’s well known that Rafinesque-Schmaltz often assigned unexplained names to plants. Oh, and be aware that around 60 sites online use the spelling “Ratidiba” rather than Ratibida. So if poking around the internet for more information about Mexican Hat or any of the other prairie coneflowers, don’t be fooled by the typo!

The species epithet columnifera is a Latin name meaning “bearing columns.” This refers the tall cylindrical or cone-shaped flowerhead (Capitulum) which is the support structure (the Receptacle) for the numerous Disc flowers, the 7 Ray flowers, and the 7 small leafy bracts (Phyllaries).

Loving My Mexican Hat!

Early this spring I purchased 2 Mexican Hat plants for our garden. I’m happy to report they are doing great and loaded with 10-20 yet-to-mature pale green cones. Wonder what color the Ray petals will be?

I’m also planning to collect seed again this year, after learning the best time is early Fall when the cones look like they’re withering. Wish me luck!

Hope you enjoyed my exploration of this marvelous native perennial member of the sunflower family. Even though in a previous post I made a thorough plunge into the sunflower family, I learned even more putting this post together.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Dance of the Bagworms

May 9, 2025

On a warm Spring morning, wandering around a grove of American Sycamore, I became curious about these magnificent trees: where in the US are they native; why are some leaves larger than the palm of my hand and some half the size; what about those odd pingpong sized seedballs lying on the ground everywhere you look ….. why don’t they roll away in search of an ideal spot to pop open so the seeds can germinate …… when the seedballs are kicked, stepped on or crushed beneath a car tire, do the 1,000’s of seeds inside blow away to sprout ….. are the seeds (all or some of them) even viable ….. do the seedballs make a good ink or dye or maybe they’re edible or even medicinal……. what, if any wildlife species eat the seedballs or seeds; and ooooohhhhhhh, sycamore bark! Why does this tree’s bark flaunt a pastel palette of greens, yellows and pinks. These and many more questions came to mind that it seemed about time the American Sycamore became a subject for my nature journal, until ……………..

There! In the tree above my head, I spotted a most curious thing. Parting a few of that sycamore’s beautiful Spring green palmate-shaped leaves was a bundle of dead brown and beige leafy bits and sticks all haphazardly glued together. Wishing to get a closer look at that elongated ornament shaped “thing,” I found it was securely suspended from a branch. Trying to puzzle out this fascinating mystery while searching for my pen knife, a stiff breeze blew through the tree. It was then a I noticed hundreds of those 2-3” long bundles all over the tree; from the base to its crown!

Curiosity is the Essence of Nature Journaling

What continues to draw me to nature and nature journaling after so many years are the surprises in the familiar and in the unknown. I know well enough that new encounters in nature are infinite; you just have to open your eyes and look. Having learned by carefully observing what appears to be familiar, often leads to new discoveries. That’s when my curiosity kicks into high gear ….. when it’s time to engage in some serious poking around to figure something out; to learn what the “thing” is.

Curiosity, for me, is the very heart and soul of nature journaling. The ‘art’ of curiosity even precedes skill in observation. It’s what drives me out the door in the morning and fuels my exploration. Curiosity fills the mind with countless questions if for no other reason but to develop a deeper understanding of the natural world.

But I “wax philosophical.” Needless to say, my curious discovery on that warm and breezy Spring morning prompted an abrupt change of mind for my next blog post (this post). Anxious to learn about the “thing” suspended from a tree branch, probably minding its own business, I proceeded to cut it down (along with two more) and popped them in a bag along with a few sycamore leaves and seedballs.

Later that same day …….

Upon completing my journal sketches of sycamore leaves and seedballs, and posting a few photos to iNaturalist for an initial ID, it was time to take a closer look at my discovery. Reaching into the bag for one of the “things” (wiping my hand free of spider webbing?), I placed it on my examination table surrounded by several hand lenses, a larger magnifying glass, a penknife, and 2 pairs of tweezers. Before beginning the dissection, I noticed about a dozen black pepper-sized bits moving about the “thing.” Thinking tiny spiders had come from the bag, I didn’t give them a second thought (should’ve been curious!).

This bagworm bag was the subject of my dissection. Notice the pepper-sized black dots next to the bag ….. those are wiggling 1st instar larva.

iNaturalist ID Pick :::::::::::::: BAGWORM MOTH ::::::::::::::: iNaturalist ID Pick

(awaiting genus/species ID)

A Bagworm Moth!

How cool is that!?!

The opened bag of a female Bagworm moth. She’s very dead, but her progeny are escaping as fast as they can.

Dissection resumes ……

After finding out the “thing” I’ve been pondering over is the Bag of a bagworm moth, I learned the Bag was built during last Spring, Summer and Fall by either a male or female bagworm moth. If a male, the Bag would be empty; if a female, the Bag would contain her remains …. she would’ve died last fall after a male fertilized 500-1,000+ eggs she overwintered inside her body until Spring when newly-hatched larvae would emerge from the bottom of the Bag and begin the species’ life cycle all over again.

The Bag, that took about 10 minutes and all my dissection tools to open, contained the black and mushy remains of a female and 100’s of wiggling/dancing larvae! They were on the move; escaping from the now wide open Bag, and quickly covering my examination table like a pepper grinder out of control.

And my effort to open the Bag? This made sense after reading about the high tensile strength of the silk they produce. These thin strands of silk, 10x stronger than that produced by silkworms, is used in abundance to construct their Bags.

The coolest thing ever! Notice the either late 2nd or early 3rd instar larva, no longer naked, but swaddled in very chewed up leafy bits glued together with strong silk. This dude was hiking up a sycamore branch, continually chewing, wiggling, and gluing.

After disposing of all the naked 1st instar larvae waggling and dancing across my examination table, I placed the dissected Bag, the two whole Bags, and collected leaf material into a clear plastic ziplock to observe what would happen. Over 10 days, the number of larvae multiplied and the naked 1st instar caterpillars grew in size (at least to 2nd instar) while building their individual Bags from tiny bits of leaf litter! Their wiggling dance seemed to be the way their silk strands wrapped and secured leafy bits around their bodies. It’s been fun to watch all the activity.

Have you ever encountered one or more of the 1,350+ species of bagworm moths? What materials were their Bags made from? Please share your experience with these fascinating members of the butterfly/moth family of insects.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

From Seed to Tree: The Irresistible Urge to Grow

A Pinyon Pine/Piñon Seed Update

February 7, 2025

Give a seed the right conditions ……. enough water, sunlight, the perfect temperature ….. and this small package cannot resist emerging from its protective coat to grow into a full grown plant.

Seeds are tiny marvels of nature.

Looking inside the seed reveals a miniature pine tree!

Think about it ……. a seed is really a living baby plant (the embryo) surrounded by a cozy blanket (the endosperm) that cradles and nourishes the embryo while tucked inside the seed coat. When the coat unzips, freeing the “baby” as it begins to grow, it continues to be nourished by the endosperm until the first true leaves appear. Witnessing the process is so cool!

After collecting piñon seeds from last November’s foraging expedition, (Piñon or Pinyon, Piñon Seed or Pine Nut), we decided to treat a dozen or so to conditions just right to stimulate germination. But first the seeds required a short period of stratification (moisture) to help soften and crack the seed coats. Introducing moisture was done by lining a clear glass jar with damp paper towels and placing the seeds between the towels and glass to watch the action.

Post from November 2024 Seed Foraging Expedition

Soon embryonic roots (the radicles) successfully cracked the seed coats of nine seeds and began growing downward, as roots tend to do. In a week or so, before the embryonic leaves (cotyledons) appeared, all of the germinating embryos were planted. Six of the nine then sprouted their whorled cotyledons, followed by a growth spurt of the first true leaves, initiating the process of food manufacturing (photosynthesis).

All of the germination and seedling development details of these piñon seeds, to date, can be found in my update illustrations.

Seed germination is a fascinating process, and like the seed itself, is also a marvel of nature. Have you ever tried to germinate a seed? If not, give it a go. It’s fun, educational, and imagination provoking ….. from such a small seed comes a full-grown flowering plant!

As always, thanks for stopping by!