watercolor – Page 3 – a curious nature

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.

Red Barberry – An Unforgettable Encounter

July 23, 2025

When you think of ‘Barberry,’ does a shrubby knee-high landscaping bush that transforms to flame red in the fall, come to mind? If so, you may have seen hedge rows of the plant known as Japanese barberry ……

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a non-native shrub that was introduced from Japan in 1875 as an ornamental that’s planted for erosion control and as a living fence. But this invasive shrub outcompetes and displaces native plants, alters ecosystems, and is a host species of black-legged ticks that carry Lyme disease.

When you think of ‘Holly,’ does a plant with boughs of prickly green leathery leaves naturally ‘decorated’ for the holidays with red berries, come to mind? If so, you’re likely familiar with the iconic American holly ……

American holly (Ilex opaca) is a native shrub of eastern and south-central U.S. that grows well in both dry and swampy soils. The plant, which is also cultivated as an ornamental, forms thick a canopy cover for birds and other wildlife, and the female plants produce an abundance of shocking red berries, loved by birds but poisonous to dogs, cats and humans. Regardless of the risk, bountiful quantities of leafy boughs and clusters of red berries are harvested each fall and brought indoors to create holiday wreaths and other seasonal decorations.

Now imagine you’re hiking in a pinyon-juniper forest of the American Southwest. You decide to bushwhack to a connecting trail and all of a sudden find yourself hopelessly stuck in a 10 foot high shrub covered in juicy red berries and very prickly holly-like leaves. This large (somewhat familiar) shrub is a surprisingly effective barricade; a formidable fence. You’ve become entangled in thousands of armed leaves preventing your forward or backwards movement without getting seriously poked and stabbed!

Is this the desert variety of American holly? Maybe it’s the giant living fence of a Japanese barberry gone rogue?

Nope! It’s neither. You’ve stumbled upon (into) a hardy specimen of the desert Southwest native Red Barberry (Berberis haematocarpa). But no wonder you were confused. This shrub, which can grow to 13 feet tall and nearly as wide, has an abundance of holly-shaped leaflets armed by a sharp spine on each lobe tip. And if birds haven’t devoured all of the red berries, you may find an ample supply of a refreshing (albeit tart) snack while you carefully and oh-so-slowly free yourself from the shrub’s embrace.

Red Barberry leaves – each lobe tip is armed with a needle-like spine

By now you’ve created lasting memories of Red Barberry, and have promised to always be alert for surprise encounters when visiting the desert island Southwest.

The hiking scenario above conjured up one of my hard-learned lessons from 8 years ago. Having just moved to New Mexico, Roy & I began avidly hiking local trails. Wishing to master the native flora as quickly as possible, one day I discovered clusters of red berries hanging inside the leafy canopy of a 5 foot shrub. What could they be?! Only having eyes for those juicy berries and an irresistible urge to gather a bunch for closer inspection, I plunged my open hand through several layers of small leaflets and successfully clutched a cluster. It was then I realized those spiny leaflets had poked, scratched and even penetrated my bare skin, as evidenced by tiny trickles of blood dripping from my hand and arm! Now that I had captured those pretty berries, it was obvious they had to be released to permit me the delicate maneuvers required to free my arm and minimize further injury. It was that day that I learned all about Red Barberry; lessons that will likely stick with me always!

Red Barberry berries amid armored leaves

Since that close encounter 8 years ago, it’s no surprise I’ve never been a big Red Barberry fan, until ……

…… this past May a 13 foot tall plant in front of our home burst out in the most spectacular display of sunshine yellow flowers, literally covering the entire shrub front to back; top to bottom! The fragrance was overwhelming for the entire 2+ weeks the flowers were in bloom. And not only our Barberry was in full bloom, but about a dozen more barberries in our neighborhood and surrounding area were also covered in vibrant yellow. It was an amazing sight, causing me to figuratively re-embrace the native Red Barberry!

For more tidbits about Red Barberry, browse the text and illustrations displayed on my journal pages. Hope you enjoyed this post.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

P.S. In case you’d like to know about the etymology of the name Berberis haematocarpa…… ‘Berberis’ is a Latinized form of the Arabian name ‘barbaris, for barberry. “Haematocarpa” means ‘blood-red fruit’ referring to the bright red berries produced by this shrub. The word is derived from the Greek words “haima” (blood) and “karpos” (fruit).

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!

Sketchbook Revival 2025 ….. Binge Fest Extravaganza!

June 16, 2025

What a whirlwind celebration! Sketchbook Revival (SR) 2025 Binge Fest was so much fun. And Wow! Two jam packed weeks of creativity was over in the blink of an eye!

Karen Abend, SR creator, host extraordinaire, and wonderful artist, came up with a brilliant idea for the SR 2025 session. I would swear the creative gears inside her head were spinning with delight as she declared, “Yureka! I’ve got it!”

Beginning on May 27th thru June 9th, Karen generously opened up the SR historic vault and set free all of the workshops conducted the first 5 years of SR (2018-2022)! That unbelievable offering came to more than 130 one-hour-long workshops of inspiring, hands-on, and creative play time all instructed by well-known experts in artistic fields associated with Sketchbook Journaling.

Challenge presented ……. Challenge accepted.

Since I’ve been participating in SR each year since 2018, and attended most of these workshops in the past, my goals and strategies to tackle the challenge were these:

Complete a minimum of 4 workshops daily;
Two workshops should involve a project outside of my comfort zone, such as portrait drawing, fantasy, word play, collage, and properly stitching my own SR sketchbook so it wouldn’t fall apart during the 2-week challenge, etc.;
Two workshops should involve projects within my comfort zone, such nature subjects, urban sketching, whimsey, and lettering, and those using watercolor pencils, graphite, and ink;
Develop fresh, interesting, and imaginative sketches during the workshops;
Allow Flambé to play along;
Slow down, breathe, and enjoy the 2-week marathon without becoming overwhelmed;
Recognize and gather take-away tips and techniques to bring into my Nature Journaling practice and Zentangle storytelling.
Keep sketching and sharing.

After two weeks of play, I was able to fill up my handmade and successfully stitched SR 2025 sketchbook! With a total of 46 pages completed (doubling up workshop projects on a handful of pages), including several pockets with inserts, I was pretty happy (and a bit exhausted).

If you’ve participated in SR in the past, or maybe took on the 2025 challenge as your first time, you know how intense (in an exhilarating way) it can become. If not, and would like to learn more, check out this link

This link will take you to Karen Abend’s website where you can ask for more information about Sketchbook Revival. https://karenabend.com

Hope my collection made you smile and laugh! I certainly got a kick out of the experience.

Well, until Sketchbook Revival next year, thanks for coming along!

Front and back of the concertina book that tucks into the pocket above.

My hand sewn, one signature SR 2025 Sketchbook.

High on the Views: Camping Above the Rio Grande

June 6, 2025

Such an awesome-inspiring place to spend a Spring week in New Mexico!

Three of the five big boys! Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep.

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument …..

comprises a breathtaking 245,000 acre area of the northern Rio Grande rift valley in north central New Mexico. Established as a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) national monument in 2013, the rugged wide-open plains average 7,000 feet in elevation before dropping into steep narrow canyons carved into the landscape by rivers that have been flowing for millennia.

The confluence of two of these rivers, the Rio Grande and the Red River, occurs in the northern Wild Rivers area of the Monument. It’s at this confluence where the gorge is its deepest at 800 feet, and its widest from rim to rim measuring 3/4 mile. It’s an impressive view from the la Junta (“the Meeting”) Overlook. All of the views from anywhere along the rim are impressive.

We backed our RV (‘Felix’) into what must’ve been the best designated camping site ever ….. #9 on the southern loop in Big Arsenic Springs Campground. After setting up, we discovered that Felix rested only a few steps west was the rim and the long plunge down to the Rio Grande! But immediately south of us, the rim formed a small peninsula where nearly every afternoon I could be found sketching the plants growing from the basalt cliffs, or the swifts and turkey vultures soaring along the cliffs and over the river aided by the canyon’s updrafts. This skinny little peninsula quickly became my favorite sit spot; then late one morning it became priceless …….

Can you spot our RV? We were precariously perched above the Rio Grande, right on the rim of the gorge!

I could hear them approaching, like a swarm of bees. In a matter of seconds I was witnessing a cacophonous chorus of 100’s of pinyon jays. These noisy birds quickly moved in and onward while descending, like they were famished, on this year’s piñon pine cone-laden trees in large erratic groups, all the while screaming, “Hurry, Hurry, Hurry, Hurry!” Where exactly they came from or where they went remains a mystery. All I know was the spectacle must’ve lasted a good 10 minutes or more, as I watched wave after wave of these birds pass by. I still get goosebumps (jaybumps?) recalling those exciting moments.

We had planned to spend only one day camping in the Monument, but every morning we decided to stay at least another and then another day. We hiked every rim and interior trail (sometimes more than once), spent hours at all of the Overlooks getting ‘High on the Views,” were thrilled with our chance encounters of five (5) Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep rams (twice in one day), and marveled at how the forces of nature* collaborated to carve the narrow and steep 800 foot deep gorge within the Monument.

But alas, it became time to pack up our home away from home. Even tho a string of completely clear days allowed sun to shine on our solar panels from sunup to sundown, keeping Felix’s battery purring happily our entire stay, it did nothing to recharge our potable water tank. So the morning we found the water indicator light teetering on ‘Empty,’ was the day we headed for home (after enjoying a farewell hike, of course) with my nature journal full of sketches and memories for a lifetime!

Do you have an especially special place where you can spend time in nature? Please share your discovery and what makes it so awesome!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

*Geology 101

From the overlooks throughout the Monument, we could see stacks and stacks of basalt and ash lining the narrow canyon walls of the Rio Grande Gorge. It’s hard to imagine the volume of material deposited during two very active periods of volcanic activity that occurred 5 and 3 million years ago. Soon after these events, water moving through the major drainage in the area (today’s Red River) began eroding pathways into these deposits as it flowed downstream into the 10-16 million year old rift valley. Geologists refer to the ancient Red River drainage as the ‘original Rio Grande’ because the still-closed San Luis Basin to the north (in south central Colorado) would not overflow for a few million years. Then 400,000 years ago, coinciding with a change in climate resulting in an overabundance of snow and rain, the San Luis Basin filled and spilled. As water does so well, this new and powerful river, today’s Rio Grande, moved ‘downhill’ towards the ‘original Rio Grande’, cutting through everything in its path (including the ancient volcanic deposits). When it converged with the ‘original Rio Grande,’ the erosive force of both rivers became enough to eventually carve out an 800-foot deep gorge in the Rift.

Confluence of the Rio Grande and Red River

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!

Winter Botany: Horsetail Milkweed

February 1, 2025

Wandering about the neighborhood one warm summer morning in 2018, I noticed a dense stand of plants lining a 20 foot section of road. What caught my eye were the umbrella-like clusters of pearly white flowers topping each slender stem. From a distance these plants resembled our native white-flowering yarrow. But I soon realized the narrow dark green leaves were not fuzzy; the tiny exotic-looking flowers were not daisy shaped. Unmistakably, this plant was a species of milkweed! And the flowers of more than 50 individual plants in this population were a-flutter and a-buzz and a-crawling with hungry insects!

What was this milkweed species?

This is the Winter Botany portion of this post. All that remains of last summer’s Horsetail Milkweed are stems and mostly empty seed pods clinging to short branches. But some of the seed pods still hold silky tailed seeds clinging to their open pods. Hundreds of seed pods line the roadways in our neighborhood.

It didn’t take long to confirm this plant as Horsetail Milkweed (Asclepias subverticillata), a species commonly found along roadsides in pinyon-juniper woodlands. Knowing what to look for on future walks, over the next several years I was excited to find 30+ more populations of various sizes along neighborhood roadways! From 2018 until early summer 2024, I continued to monitor these seemingly abundant populations. The small numbers of seeds I collected in the Fall were planted in our yard, and every year I checked for the presence, variety and numbers of insects busy feeding on nectar as they pollinated the flowers.

During June 2024, when we moved only a few miles to the northeast, I was happy to see Horsetail Milkweed grew abundantly in our new subdivision. This prompted me to dig deeper into researching this species. Its been exciting to discover how important this milkweed is to native insects, including monarch and queen butterflies.

Photo (mine) taken in July 2022 of a blooming Horsetail Milkweed being enjoyed by a feeding wasp.

According to pollination ecologists, Horsetail Milkweed is especially valuable to large numbers of native bees. This plant species also supports conservation biological control by attracting predatory or parasitoid insects that prey upon pest insects.

And Horsetail Milkweed is one of the favorite host plants for monarch and queen butterflies, all because it’s toxic! Producing an especially nasty tasting and potent neurotoxin strong enough to kill livestock, the caterpillars of these two butterflies have evolved to benefit from such a poisonous substance. Voraciously ingesting a diet of only milkweed leaves, obviously tasty to the larvae, makes them unpalatable to would-be predators, such as birds. The toxin from milkweed leaves has become their primary means of defense; definitely a benefit for such chubby, slow little caterpillars.

Monarch caterpillar (source: open commons)

Although central New Mexico isn’t in any of the major migratory routes of these butterflies, I have observed both species in our previous neighborhood. Since learning more about Horsetail Milkweed and it’s favored roadside habitat close to home, my hope is to provide actively growing plants throughout the summer (a safe distance away from roadside easements) for both the monarch and queen adult butterflies and their caterpillars ……. especially important when governing covenants of our previous and new subdivisions require the roadways be groomed (mowed down like a butch haircut!) on a monthly basis by subdivision landscape crews.

Because milkweeds are among my favorite of all plant species, mainly due to their complex flowers and the clever trickery they’ve developed to ensure pollination, I wrote about and illustrated two in-depth blog posts on this subject. Believe me when I say, “It’s overboard fascinating!”

Check out the following posts …..

Surprise! A vine-y, twine-y desert milkweed discovery from July 2024, where I revisit milkweed flower structure and pollination and learn about a new-to-me genus, Funastrum.

Summer Botany: Meet the Milkweeds from July 2022. This is my first comprehensive look at milkweed flower structure, how pollination takes place, and the genus Asclepias.

Read on to learn more botanical information about Horsetail Milkweed AND how to find out if you live in Spring and/or the Fall Migration routes of the monarch butterfly AND where queen butterflies migrate to and from.

Characteristics and habitat requirements of Horsetail Milkweed

Horsetail Milkweed is a perennial species with a stout, woody rootstock. Plants readily spread by rhizomes (underground stems) producing dense communities. Cold-hardy to at least 0℉, this milkweed bounces right back in the Spring. Plants are also drought-tolerant once established, thriving in well-drained, sandy soil under full to partial sun.

Able to thrive in a variety of habitats and plant communities from 2500 – 8000 feet in elevation, Horsetail Milkweed grows among grasses, on sandy or rocky flats, on slopes, roadsides, and along trails in Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands, Montane Conifer Forests, and in disturbed areas.

All of these characteristics and its adaptability to a wide range of habitats make Horsetail Milkweed one of the easiest milkweed species to grow.

Monarch Butterfly

To learn if you live within the path of or close to spring and/or fall monarch butterfly migration routes, you can view a map or these route here:

https://www.monarchwatch.org/

Queen Butterfly

The queen is chiefly a tropical species. In the US, it is usually confined to the southern portion of the country. It can be found regularly in peninsular Florida and southern Georgia, as well as in the southern portions of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Occasionally, the subspecies of the queen can be found somewhat north, in Kansas, Colorado and Utah.

Queen butterflies do not migrate as dramatically as monarch butterflies, but they do move short distances in tropical regions with dry seasons to higher elevations.

Queen caterpillar (source: open commons)

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Pick Me! Pick Me!

January 20, 2025

Winter can be challenging for nature journalers. Getting outside when it’s cold and windy, cloudy and dreary, snowy, icy or wet, are not ideal weather under any circumstances. And when everything looks brown and crispy and pretty much the same, the challenge to nature journal in the great outdoors grows exponentially. While these conditions make it difficult for spontaneous observing, I try to remember there’s always something remarkable to be discovered in nature, even in winter.

Who knew a little whack on the head would be just the thing to reawaken my curiosity?

Bundled in layers, leash in hand, Luna led me on her early morning walk around suburban Albuquerque. Having been along this route before, we’ve both made some interesting discoveries in the past. And as usual, this time was no exception for Luna. For me though, everything appeared brown, crispy and familiar. But I was inspired by and enjoying Luna’s sense of curiosity, and her encouraging tug on the leash.

Nearing the end of our 2-1/2 mile walk, and mightily concerned I’d go home empty handed, we turned our last corner. It wasn’t 100 feet down the cement block-lined sidewalk that I abruptly stopped in my tracks. Something had lightly whacked me in the head! While the sound of rhythmic clacking rang out, I looked up, and to my surprise spotted the accidental assailant. Draped over the 6 foot wall, suspended from a hearty Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) growing in the hidden yard beyond was a string of pods resembling brown green beans. Long and plump and full of seeds, one of these pods had reached down low enough to make contact with to my head. (I say “reached” because that’s what my imagination said had happened.) Quickly awaking my sleepwalking brain, the effort made by the seed pod to get my attention paid off too. Silently whispering, “Pick me! Pick me!” it was as if the seed pod and its adjacent buddies either wanted to be harvested, or wanted to be featured in my nature journal (or both).

So I did ………… both!

I loved learning about and sketching these fascinating Trumpet Vine seed pods, while my mind was filled with the muffled notes of a trumpet. Tooo-too-too-toooooom!

Hope you enjoyed reading this story and browsing around my journal pages.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

The Whimsy of Redefining Heartwood

January 10, 2025

After an unseasonably warm, almost spring-like December in the mountains of central New Mexico, January clearly has something else in mind. Winter! Windy days have resulted in bitter cold as they brought us cloud-cover and a few mini-snowstorms.

The change in weather and absence of wildlife, combined with an abundance of dried vegetation is making it challenging to find nature journaling subjects. So a few days ago, I followed Luna around to see what was capturing her attention. Turns out burrowing rodents expanding their underground tunnels are leaving behind fresh mounds of soil with fascinating odors (to Luna, at least; I couldn’t smell a thing).

When one of her explorations led me under a good sized pinyon tree, I noticed a very interesting piece of bark lying on the ground. Turning the piece over and over, examining all the beautiful patterns in the wood, the colors, old bug holes, and woodpecker drillings, I was surprised and delighted to see a good-sized hole in the shape of a perfect Heart! Eureka!

The 7” piece of pinyon bark …. Can you find the Heart?

Many things crossed my mind in that moment …… but the one word that stuck was “Heartwood!!” Could this small piece of bark redefine the meaning of heartwood? Could this tree have been wearing it’s true emotions on its bark in the form of a heart-shaped window?

After a refresher on basic tree anatomy, and reconfirming that heartwood surrounds the core of the trunk, my imagination went wild. Could that heart-shaped hole in the bark been the opening of a mysterious pathway through the inner workings of the tree?!!! If I could’ve returned the piece of bark to the exact place from where it fell, could the heartbeat of the tree be heard?

My finished pages mostly about Redefining Heartwood, but also featuring the view of South Mountain (to the NE) as seen from our new home (including my studio) and the trail where the “Heartwood” bark was found.

While sketching the piece of bark with its perfectly-shaped heart, I wondered if peering at the inner workings of a tree through this window would make a fun children’s picture book? ….. Where the layers of a trunk and how they work would be experienced first hand by a child walking down the pathway?

After you stop laughing from all this nonsense, let me know what you think?

As always, thanks for stopping by (on my magic carpet ride!)

A Quirk of Nature: Fourwing Saltbush

November 25, 2024

In November 2023, I created a journal page of seeds and seed pods, which posted on 12/14/2023, under the title November Littles: Seeds, Pods, Silk, and Wings. On that page was a small drawing of two Fourwing Saltbush seeds, absent any information about this plant species, Atriplex canescens. At that time I remember finding a wealth of articles and research documents about this widespread shrub, but what really stuck in my mind was a very unusual quirk exhibited by this plant. Finally, a year later and WOW! I discovered Fourwing Saltbush has a reproductive superpower …… this species has the ability to change sex!

An Unusual Quirk

My first dive into the literature revealed that within a 7-year period of time, 40% of a Fourwing population switches sexes with 20% of a population changing sex every year. Botanically, this is known as Trioecious, or the 3rd Sexual State.

But clearly a bit of back peddling is needed ……. if Trioecious is the 3rd Sexual State in plants, what about the 1st and 2nd sexual states, huh? Yes, they exist …….. but before explaining them, which requires comparison with the more common sexual state in plants, I must describe this sexual norm.

And now for a little Botany 101 ……..

The Sexual Norm …… Plants with Perfect or Complete Flowers

You are likely familiar with plants like roses, tulips, lilies, garden strawberries, beans, peas and cabbage. If you’ve closely examined their flowers while inhaling their fragrant aromas, you may have noticed their centers have both female and male parts. These are known as plants with Perfect or Complete flowers (aka hermaphroditic or bisexual) defined by each individual flower having a fully functional pistil (the female part) and stamens (the male parts). Worldwide, about 90% of flowering plants have Perfect or Complete flowers.

Monoecious ….. the 1st Sexual State

Here again you are likely familiar with many plant species described as Monoecious (moh-NEE-shuhs). These include corn, all of the plants in the gourd family (i.e. cucumber, squash, watermelon), oak, birch, pine, spruce and dogwood. Monoecious, which means “one house” in Greek, describes plants having separate female and male flowers in different places on the same plant, often blooming at different times. Visualize corn growing in a field; the tassels are the male (staminate) flowers, and the corn kernels you eat are the female (pistillate) flowers. Around 10% of all flowering plant species worldwide are Monoecious.

Not to confuse the matter, but sometimes botanical experts refer to Monoecious species as Perfect or Complete because they have both male and female flowers on the same plant, even though these flowers are separate and considered sexually Incomplete (aka unisexual) by themselves.

Dioecious ….. the 2nd Sexual State

A plant species with individual plants in a population having only female flowers, and individual plants of the same species in the same population with only male flowers is called Dioecious (dahy-EE-shuhs). This Greek word meaning “two houses,” describes plants such as spinach, asparagus, sumac, currant, box elder, willow, holly, ginkgo, juniper and aspen. Only 5% of all flowering plant species worldwide are Dioecious.

Another confusing matter once again. There are botanical experts that refer to plant species with Perfect or Complete flowers as Dioecious because they require cross-pollination to produce seeds (fruit). Tree fruit species such as apples, pears, cherries and plums are common examples.

Trioecious ….. the 3rd Sexual State

An extremely rare reproductive strategy among flowering plants, Trioecious (aka trimonoecious or “three houses”), is characterized by a species that can have Incomplete (unisexual) male, Incomplete (unisexual) female, and Perfect or Complete (bisexual or hermaphroditic) male/female flowers on separate plants in a population or even all on the same plant! Just over 3% flowering plant species worldwide are Trioecious (trahy-EE-shuhs).

This is where Fourwing Saltbush (Atriplex canescens) enters the story

Primarily a Dioecious species, some Fourwing Saltbush populations have a Monoecious component ranging from entirely male (staminate) or female (pistillate) individuals to those that are Perfect or Complete (hermaphroditic or bisexual). And in this Dioecious–Monoecious–Hermaphroditic gender system, referred to as Trioecy, switching sexes occurs. To reiterate from an earlier paragraph, on average, in a 7-year period, about 40% of a Fourwing Saltbush population switches sexes with 20% changing from male to female or from female to male every year.

Reasons Behind and Benefits of Fourwing’s Sex Change Phenomenon

Fourwing Saltbush has evolved to be one of the most adaptable plant species found throughout central and the western US. It grows from sea level to 8500 feet elevation, and in a multitude habitats within a wide range of plant communities, no matter the successional stage. Fourwing can adapt to all soil textures, soil depths and all but the wettest of soil conditions. The species is able to tolerate hot (+100F) and dry (6” precipitation annually) summers, and bitter cold (-50F) and dry winters.

The ability of the species to adapt to such a wide range of physical and climatic conditions is, in part, due to this sex change phenomenon. Environmental stressors seem to be the major triggers resulting in Fourwing plants switching sexes. Female plants are more likely to change sex than male plants, especially following a drought, an extremely cold winter, or after a heavy fruiting season. Because fourwing is so tasty as range forage, overgrazing can also trigger a sex change, with male plants tending to dominate regularly grazed sites. Male plants that change to female typically flower earlier than plants that remain female season after season. And female plants dominate richer sites than do male plants, becoming larger and producing more seed.

Undoubtably there’s more environmental stressors, such as wildfire and other climate change-induced factors, that may result in Fourwing Saltbush to switch sex. I’ll be curious to learn what they are and how these triggers influence the adaptability and survivability of this robust species. And I’m excited get busy marking this season’s female and male plants that we see nearly every day, and will begin more closely observing these populations for gender changes and possible stressors that may have triggered these switches.

A Retrospective and Thoughts on Prospective Studies

There’s so much to learn about Fourwing Saltbush that it seemed logical to tackle one characteristic at a time. Originally I had planned to discuss both the plant’s reproductive quirk and several of its common galls, but found there would be too much information for one post. While deciphering the complexities of the Fourwing’s sex change abilities, I found it necessary to describe certain key botanical terms in my buildup to the crucial piece of the puzzle ….. the Trioecious reproductive strategy. So this post focused on the first of my two journal pages; my beginning exploration into this plant. The galls illustrated on my second journal page, that could not be easily chopped away from the first page, serve as a preview of a future post about the fascinating Fourwing Saltbush.

And Finally ……….

For a shrub I used to describe as a messy tangle of branches haphazardly cloaked with unremarkable features like dusty little grey-green leaves, nearly invisible flowers, shreddy dull grey trunks and a chaotic canopy, Fourwing Saltbush has captured my imagination, respect, and love as an almost invincible survivor of our changing world!

Hopefully you found this interesting and informative. Bet you never look at flowering plants in casual ways again. Let me know if you are familiar with Fourwing Saltbush. Where does it grow? Have you ever marveled at the thousands of winged seeds densely crowded at the tops of these shrubs? And then satisfied an irresistible urge to strip dozens of skinny branches of those ripe seeds, tossing them in the air like confetti? If so, please share.

As always, thanks for stopping by!