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.
Always landing on the 2nd Saturday in June, the annual dragonfly celebration pays tribute to this fascinatingly unique and beautiful insect that’s been flying over our planet for nearly 300 million years. Wow!
There’s no mistaking the fossil record. Dragonflies have populated the airspace for nearly 300 million years, some with 3-foot wingspans. Paleontologists say they may have had 6-8 foot wingspans, making them the size of a bald eagle!
As scary as that may have looked to their prey, the 2-5 inch wingspans of modern dragonflies, combined with their body makeup, make these animals some of the most accurate and ravenous hunters known today.
It’s a warm summer day and the air above the wetlands is full of countless insects such as mosquitoes, true flies, mayflies, and midges. Perched motionless on a tall reed is a metallic colored dragonfly, and she’s hungry. To feed an insatiable appetite, she’s always on the hunt for her next meal. To satisfy her hunger, she has evolved into one of the most skilled predators in animal kingdom.
A Green Darner Dragonfly hangs onto a blade of marsh grass
But are dragonflies really that good? And if so, why?
Consider the proverbial ‘King of the Jungle;’ lions are frequent hunters, but might be successful only 20% of the time. Birds of prey, like owls, falcons and hawks, average a 25% success rate. But dragonflies catch their prey 95% of the time! Now I’d call that amazing. Dragonflies owe their survival to two key characteristics:
Eyes – in addition to three simple eyes, dragonflies (and bees) have two large compound eyes; the largest of any insect. With 30,000 facets per eye, both compound eyes together cover most of their head. This multifaceted eye makes a dragonfly acutely sensitive to movement. Because each of the 30,000 facets face a different direction, dragonflies have almost a 360 degree field of vision. This means they can see you from behind as they wing on by. ……. And speaking of wings! ………
Wings – When compared to all other insects, dragonflies are the most skilled, agile, and the fastest fliers of all insect species. With muscles attached directly to their wings, they not only can fly at speeds up to 35 mph, but are able to maneuver like a helicopter. They can fly straight up or down, forward or backward, side-to-side, upside down, and can even hover and pivot in place while keeping perfectly level. To understand how dragonflies achieve backward flight, high speed cameras revealed they angle their bodies vertically, at a 90-degree angle to the horizon. They’re also capable of independently moving and twisting each of their four wings to improve flight control.
Look! A Mosquito Hawk!
It’s been reported that one adult dragonfly can capture and eat from 30 to 100 mosquitos a day, earning them the name ‘’Mosquito Hawk.” Considered such prevalent mosquito predators when they are adults, a dragonfly nymph feasts on mosquito larvae too, devouring as many as 40 a day!
A variegated meadowhawk
And How About these Dragonfly Fun Facts!
A dragonfly is classified as an Odonata, which is the family of flying insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies. Odonata means “toothed one” in Greek. However, dragonflies don’t have teeth. The name refers to its serrated mandible, which comes in handy for holding and crushing prey.
There are around 5,000 species of dragonflies around the world.
Dragonflies can live for years underwater as predatory larvae (aka nymphs). At the end of its larval stage, the nymph crawls out of the water, its exoskeleton cracks open releasing its abdomen (which had been packed in like a telescope), then out come its four wings and its entire body dries and hardens over the next several hours.
Most adult dragonflies live for only a few weeks, but some do live up to a year.
Dragonflies can live in the winter but are normally small and stumpy in size.
Dragonflies use both their feet and mandibles to catch their food.
When dragonflies mate, the pair first forms a flying, loop-like structure known as a mating wheel or mating circle. Then the male grasps the female’s neck with claspers on his abdomen to transfer his sperm. Sometimes, he will continue to guard the female from other males until she lays eggs in the water. If a female doesn’t consent to mating, she might play dead. Or, she might wrestle away her suitor by twisting, shaking, flying backward or clinging to a reed to prevent takeoff. In some cases, the female might even take control of the flight, then dunk the male into a body of water, buying herself time to flee.
Mysterious swarming behavior – sometimes 100’s of dragonflies of different species will gather in swarms, possibly to locate new and/or better habitat, for feeding, or migration. Not much is known about this short-lived behavior, but it is being studied by members of the Dragonfly Swarm Project. You can read more about the Swarm Project here: https://thedragonflywoman.com/dsp/ And you can report seeing a swarm through this website: https://thedragonflywoman.com/dsp/report/
The Scarlet Dwarf is the smallest known dragonfly. Less than two centimeters long, it’s only 0.59 inches long (15 millimeters), and has a wingspan of about 0.79 inches (20 millimeters). These dragonflies are native to Southeast Asia, as well as China and Japan.
Many species of dragonflies migrate annually. To track them, scientists attach tiny transmitters to their wings with a combination of eyelash adhesive and superglue. One of their findings revealed the two inch dragonfly called the globe skimmer has the longest migration of any insect — flying up to 11,000 miles across multiple generations between India and Africa. Aided by winds, the globe skimmers cross the Indian Ocean stopping at islands along the way. They have even been spotted at altitudes of around 20,000 feet in the Himalayas.
Of the 445 kinds of dragonflies in North America, only 9 of these species (or 2%) migrate regularly. One of these species is called the green darner which migrates in swarms. They complete a multi-generational migration from Canada and the northern U.S. to the Gulf Coast and Mexico in late summer and fall, and then return again in the spring. By tracking the migration, it was found their journey covered over 800 miles one way. To accomplish this feat, they travel only every third day, averaging 7.5 miles per day.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (2021) found that 16 percent of the 6,016 species of dragonflies and damselflies that were studied are at risk of extinction as they lose the freshwater breeding grounds needed to maintain their populations. Clearing of forests in South and Southeast Asia as well as in Central and South America has driven habitat loss for the insects, and in North America and Europe, dragonflies are most threatened by pesticides and climate change.
Mosaic darner
The Good Luck Insect
Not surprisingly, the dragonfly has symbolic meaning in almost every part of the world. Many cultures believe this insect symbolizes good luck. Because dragonflies have such short lifespans, they also represent new beginnings and change, especially for strength, growth, courage, and happiness. A few ancient cultures say dreaming about a dragonfly indicates you are in a powerful transition in your life.
Here’s a Few of those Symbolic Dragonfly Beliefs. Do you know of more?
Native Americans believe a dragonfly symbolizes life transformations.
South American cultures believe the dragonfly symbolizes good luck and prosperity, and many artists include the dragonfly in their work.
European cultures see the dragonfly as a symbol of change and adaptability, and are included in many of their folklore stories and beliefs.
Asian cultures believe the dragonfly represents good luck, prosperity and new beginnings.
South Africans believe dragonflies are a sign of spirits and bring good luck. Africans also hold dragonflies in high regard because they are water gods who bring rain.
A South Dakota dragonfly resting on a milkweed
How Will you Celebrate National Dragonfly Day? Here’s a few ideas:
Learn about the species of dragonflies near you.
Visit your local wetland habitats to observe dragonflies, as nymphs and as adults.
When you travel in the summer, search out new-to-you species of dragonflies and record your observations.
Learn about the symbolism of dragonflies in your own culture.
Sketch or paint a dragonfly in its habitat.
Photograph a dragonfly and share on social media using #NationalDragonflyDay.
It was great fun and so eye-opening to learn about this species. A few months ago I watched a nature program about dragonflies and how they fly like stunt pilots. It was fascinating, and gave me a whole new appreciation of these insects. Can you imagine living in the dragonfly’s world 300 million years ago? Wonder if they could also fly like a helicopter?
Please share your dragonfly stories. Have you ever tried to catch a dragonfly? Have you seen one flying upside down or hover? What colors of dragonflies have you seen? Let me know if you enjoyed this post about dragonflies, and give it a Like!
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 RiverSunset on basalt cliff
And many thanks to Lynn Mead for sharing her Tree of Life Labyrinth pattern. Super fun to give a whirl! The easy to follow directions can be found on tanglepatterns.com posted 08/14/2021
Today, May 16th, just so happens to be National Love a Tree Day! It’s the official day to celebrate all of life’s joys brought to us by the trees we share this planet with. Whether you love reading in the shade or taking a bite out of a fresh fruit pie, National Love a Tree Day encourages y’all to get outside and enjoy a tree.
A Changing Landscape
We all know many tree species live many many years; some live to be several thousand years old. According to the U.S. Forest Service, about 766 million acres of forest land exists in the United States today, a number that’s held steady since 2012. But the nature of our forests has changed over the last 400 years, due to changes in management practices and demand. Population growth, rural and urban development, along with a variety of land uses (like conversion of forests to agriculture use) resulted in a steady decline of forested acres between 1630 and 1910; a decline from 1,023 million acres to 753 million acres or 46% to 34% of the total land area in the U.S. Since that time until the present, where people choose to live and how the land is used has been constantly changing. While some urban forests increase, other areas see a decline. Tree planting programs improve landscapes but human activities and population growth continue to impact these ecosystems.
We All Benefit from Trees
Trees provide more than just beautiful landscapes and a shady canopy on a sunny day. They play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate as well as give us oxygen. Large quantities of carbon are stored in their tissues as trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They provide habitat and structure for strong ecosystems.
How to Observe National Love a Tree Day
This is a good day to plant a new tree native to your area, or spend some time enjoying the beauty of the trees, Take time to learn how to care for the trees you have, too, whether you live in the mountains or the desert. Write down all the reasons trees are important to you. If you have a favorite tree, or a tree you’re not familiar with, begin a little research project about that (or those) species, and journal about your findings.
Of all the hummingbirds migrating through central New Mexico, the male Rufous ‘hummer’ (Selasphorusrufous) is the most spectacular. Showing up when our hot Summer temps begin to soar, he has two things on his mind ……. #1. find the best patch of nectar-rich tubular flowers, and #2. keeping that patch all to himself to refuel before completing his 4,000 mile migration from southern Mexico to southern Alaska. Upon arriving from Mexico, the flashy 2-1/2” long Rufous, garbed in a feathery cloak of flame colored oranges and reds, quickly lays claim to an area of sweetly blooming flowers that may include penstemon, columbine, scarlet gilia, Indian paintbrush, mint, lily, fireweed, larkspur, currant, and heath. Determined to defend his patch against all invaders, he performs a quick flower flyover. If satisfied the coast is clear (for now), he takes up a strategic observational post by perching on a nearby tree branch to watch for rival hummers.
Ever alert and constantly in motion, his perch gives him a great vantage point to scan the area by looking right and left/up and down, all the while making quiet chittering and chipping noises. If another hummer, and especially a male Rufous dares to enter his territory and sip from his flowers, oh no! Becoming highly agitated, the perched bird spreads his tail while flashing his colorful gorget (throat feathers) seconds before dive bombing his competitor, loudly screaming his alert call while attempting scare off the thief. If this tactic doesn’t work, i.e. the rival is determined to hold his piece of air space, a duel is declared.
Rufous hummers are well known for their aerial acrobatics. Perhaps you’ve witnessed their display, which likely put you in awe of this little powerhouse. If not, what you’ve missed is their incredible speed of initial attack, their precision, the cacophony of noise coming from such a tiny blur of a bird, the maneuverability of numerous aerial loop-de-loops and J-pattern sky displays allowing them to dive repeatedly at their foe, and their tireless determination in defending their rights to their flowers. It’s a spectacle you have to see to believe!
The Rufous will attack not only males and females of their species, but hummingbirds of all species, and even large insects, all with the audacity to steal precious nectar from his prized flowers.
And never, ever sit near or below a hummingbird feeder when there’s a Rufous in the neighborhood. I learned the hard way after being attacked over and over again by a surprisingly intimidating Rufous hummer. Despite being thankful I chose to wear a hat that afternoon, a large dose of common sense had me backing away from his feeder for fear he might have a stroke before drawing blood. My heart still races when recalling this thrilling yet scary encounter.
While reading about the Rufous, I learned that all ages and both sexes of this species are aggressive, even during their brief 1-2 week migration stopovers. This is certainly very good information to know about, having only witnessed males launch themselves at intruders, myself included!
Can’t wait for Rufous migration season!
Have you learned something new about this wildly fascinating and fiery hot hummer of southern Mexico, the Western US, Canada and southern Alaska? If you have a Rufous or any hummingbird story to share, please do! Oh, I also hope you’ve enjoyed my colored pencil artwork of a male Rufous about to sip nectar from a freshly blooming penstemon.
Work in Progress …… showing an almost completed composition on smooth Bristol paper and a few of the Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils used in creating this Rufous hummer and penstemon.
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 bagwormmoth, 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.
A selection of basal rosettes that popped out of the ground this Spring.
Have you ever noticed a dandelion? Oh sure …… you’ve seen hundreds, probably thousands of those ubiquitous sunburst yellow flowers blanketing a lawn or brightening an abandoned field. But before all that brilliance magically appears, have you ever looked below all those flower stalks? Have you ever noticed a dandelion before it blooms?
It’s early Spring in the mountainous areas of central New Mexico, and it seems like the high desert is slow to bloom this year. Anxious to spot even a hint of green during this transition time is always challenging, but if you look closely …….. Tucked beneath dry grasses and piled-high tumbleweed skeletons wedged next to swelling cholla you’ll find the green. Clusters of new leaves hugging the ground no more than an inch high, are beautifully arranged in a circular pattern like the unfolding petals of a rose.
Rosettes!
Rosette arrangements are found throughout nature,1 but in the flowering plants they are particularly common in the following families: Asteraceae (like dandelions), Brassicaceae (like cabbage), and Bromeliaceae (like pineapple). Many other families display the rosette morphology too. The needle sharp leaves of yucca and the bayonet-shaped leaves of century plant (in the Agave family) form tall rosettes. The intricate leaves of wild spring parsley (a tiny member of the Parsley family) and the petite red-stemmed stork’s bill (Geranium family) both form ground-hugging rosettes.
A century plant displaying a beautiful basal rosette.
Where Rosettes Form
Basal Rosettes grow close to the soil at or near the plant’s crown (the thick part of the stem where the roots attach). Their structure is an example of a modified stem in which the internode gaps between the leaves do not expand, ensuring all the leaves stay tightly bunched together and at a similar height. A protective function of a basal rosette makes it hard to pull from the ground; the leaves come away easily while the taproot is left intact (have you ever tried to pull a dandelion without snapping off the root?). Generally speaking, basal rosettes improve a plant’s odds at survival. For example, overwintering rosettes, like the basal leafy growth produced in year #1 of the 2-year life span of giant mullein, protect the plant and its roots from extreme cold temperatures. Emerging Spring rosettes, like those found in long-stemmed poppy, also protect the plant from late winter frosts. Basal rosettes are also more protected from changes in microclimate, gravity, wind, browsing, and mechanical damage if they are closer to the ground than tall leafy stems would be. help in water balance and conservation, especially important during periods of drought.
Lichen that has form small rosettes on rock.
But don’t only look down. Another form of rosette occurs when the internodes (those areas between leaves) along a stem are shortened, bringing leaves closer together as in lettuce and some succulents.2. And although not as common as basal rosettes, some plants form rosettes at the terminal or top end of their often naked stems, branches, or even trunks. One plant that does this is the native sedum called wild stonecrop. The top of the plant stems usually terminate in whorls or three fleshy leaves. Another example is the Hawaiian screwpine, which has a terminal rosette of sword-shaped leaves which sits atop an erect trunk, often supported by prop roots.
Know Your Local Rosettes
A number of desirable and undesirable (weedy) plant species produce rosettes, particularly basal rosettes. Being able to identify a species that pops up in the Spring by its rosette is so helpful in preventing a removal mistake by inadvertently digging them up. Many weedy, non-native plants gaze first at their world through rosette “eyes.” But not all plants with rosettes are undesirable. Do you know your local rosettes by their other names?
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1Rosettes are found throughout nature, not just in the flowering plants. Here’s some examples you may have seen or heard of:
In bryophytes and algae, a rosette results from the repeated branching of the thallusas grown by plant, resulting in a circular outline. Lichens also grow rosettes.
Tiny wasps and midges can induce the development of galls that become leafy rosettes.
Jaguars, leopards and other feline species display rose-like markings on their fur, referred to as rosettes.
Malaria parasites are known to form spontaneous rosettes in uninfected red blood cells.
Neural rosettes in the human brain are being studied to learn how new cells are born.
It is unknown why the Rosette-Nosed Pygmy chameleon, at home in the mountains of Tanzania, has evolved a distinctive, rosette-shaped, fleshy protrusion on the end of its nose.
The Rosette nebula, named for its rosette-like appearance, is a beautiful collection of gas and dust 5,200 light-years from Earth in the constellation Monoceros the Unicorn, and stretches about 130 light-years across.
A gorgeous lichen decorated rock from Colorado. Note the rosette patterns of growth (the thallus)
2 The horticultural definition of a succulent describes a drought-resistant plant where the leaves, stems, or roots have become fleshy and their tissues are able to store water. Succulents include aloe, euphorbia, sedum, the garden favorite hen-and-chicks, and bromeliads. But horticulturalists do not include cacti in the succulent group. huh? Even though cacti are frequently found in books describing succulents based the definition of a succulent, succulents are not cacti. In agreement with that last statement are many botanical and other scientific experts. (Can this get any more confusing?). So basically some experts are lumpers, while other are splitters. Which are you?
Basal rosette of a yucca in the NM foothills.
P.S. Cacti have stems that are thickened fleshy water-storing structures, and are considered to be a stem-succulent group of plants. Are there any cacti species that develop leafy rosettes? Because the spines are the leaves, greatly modified, in all my rabbit-trailing thru the internet and perusal of my collection of botanical references I’ve yet to see any spines forming whorled/rosette-like patterns. If you have, please contact me immediately!
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Are you ready to explore the wide diversity of rosette forming plants in your neighborhood? Get on out there before those circularly-arranged leaves become disguised by an overabundance of gorgeous wildflowers!
As always, thanks for stopping by! And Happy Earth Day (week)!
When the urge to nature journal is too hard to resist, but everything around you is still brown, crispy and covered in dust, I begin looking for any curious phenomena suitable for rabbit trailing (even rabbit tracks work!). The other day while hiking a steep hill, I was looking for sign the oaks were close to breaking bud. Spotting a string of little dark red beady objects lining many of the mostly leafless stems of am oak was certainly encouraging. From a distance they appeared to be swelling leaf buds; at least their color seemed right. But an up-close inspection revealed my hopeful find as last December’s vacated “homes” occupied by oak gall wasp larvae. Having never seen this species of stem gall before, naturally this would be a perfect most curious phenomenon to tackle. And that’s just what I did!
The Honeydew Gall-Wasp Gall
Arriving back home with a small collection of oak stems crowded with tightly packed galls (resembling miniature bread loaves), my work began. Assuming the host oak was a Gambel’s (Quercus gambelii), I began my search of stems galls on that species. Carefully scouring the literature the genus appeared to be Disholcaspis, but none of the species seemed a good match. So after many days in quandary, I consulted my favorite oak gall ID specialist, firing off a lot of questions, written descriptions and photos. Patiently awaiting his reply, I continued to find more resources to review. Gall wasps have a complex life cycle, and their galls are a challenge to identify.
After 2 weeks a welcome reply arrived from the specialist. Boy did I feel silly, knowing I should’ve known better! The oak host was not a Gambel’s but a cross between Gambel’s and Shrub Live Oak (Q. turbinella) which produces a hybrid called Wavyleaf oak (Quercus x undulata). Correcting my mistake was key to identifying the stem gall! Picky little wasps, huh? Happy the specialist agreed the genus is Disholcaspis, the obvious species responsible for the gall was turned out to be D. spissa; the Honeydew Gall-Wasp ….. making my discovery the Honeydew Gall-Wasp Gall!
Lesson Relearned
When nature journaling, despite how excited you may be to find answers, it’s always, always best to slow down, breathe, carefully observe, ponder, question, make connections, and enjoy the journey ahead of the destination!
Some Gall Descriptions and A Prize!
Outside appearance: Young galls of this wasp are yellowish and hairy. Mature galls have beige-brown to weathered grey sides, are black on top, and have a dull matte surface. They can have a round to ovoid to a rectangular ‘bread-loaf’ like shape. Texture appears mealy-granular. Galls sit snugly directly on the stems (sessile), and singly or in clusters of long compact chains that form all around the stems of host oak species.
Inside the gall and back outside again: Each gall has one thin walled cell or chamber (known as monothalamous) that sits above the bottom of the gall. This is the larval chamber and is imbedded in dense cellular tissue that becomes a pulpy flesh with age. While the larvae are actively feeding and growing, they produce a copious amount of sticky-sweet honeydew that accumulates on the top of the gall. All of this honeydew attracts hordes of hungry ants and yellowjackets. The ecological importance of these secretions is unmistakeable; it provides a high energy food source for the insects. And while the ants and yellowjackets feed, they inadvertently protect the gall, like little bodyguards, from parasites and predators intent on infecting or eating the growing larvae inside. And another interesting ecological thing ….. the reason the tops of the galls are black and not the same color as their sides, has to do with a fungus called black sooty mold. The sugary secretions produced by the larvae accumulate in quantities too irresistible to the sooty mold. Colonies of the fungus develop rapidly on the honeydew giving the gall tops a dusty or powdery black color. So honeydew is the perfect medium for black sooty mold to complete its life cycle.
What about that Prize? Read on to learn more! Close-up inspection of the galls I collected, and there were about 25, revealed all but one had a single exit hole in a side just below its crusty red-black top. I learned the adult wasps emerge from these stem galls by late December; sometimes waiting for warmish temps until mid January. What happened to the adult wasps in the one gall without an exit hole? Because the gall had a sooty top, implying the larvae had been eating, growing and secreting honeydew, maybe the larvae died at some point or failed to develop into an adult? Had to know! Cutting the gall to find out wasn’t easy. The outer crust fell away first, then using steady knife pressure on the punky innards, the gall popped open, like a box of ‘Cracker Jacks!’ And there, near the bottom of the package, was a single sealed chamber. Carefully I was able to tease out the contents with fine pointed tweezers until out blurped the Prize! An intact cream colored gooey looking larvae, followed by a small puddle of viscous liquid. Even though the larvae filled up most of the chamber, there wasn’t any sign it was alive. And after an hour, when there still wasn’t any movement …. well, darn, I felt he must’ve died sometime before morphing into adult form. But peeking inside the gall did answer the question about the absence of an exterior exit hole.
And now an interesting note about these types of cynipid oak gall wasps: On my diagram, I used the term ‘agamic’ which is a formal label included with the genus/species name (i.e. Disholcaspis spissa ‘agamic’). This means these wasps have an asexual all female population that emerges from galls in late fall/early winter to lay fertilized eggs without needing to mate with males. Then a bisexual generation follows where adults emerge from galls in late winter/spring/early summer. This is the typical 2 generation annual life cycle of cynipid gall wasps, where the galls developed from each generation usually look very different and even occur on different parts of the host plant (on stems vs leaves). It’s interesting that nothing is known about the bisexual generation of D. spissa, but the asexual generation is common, well documented and abundant.
Known host oak species for D. spissa: Look for these galls on Shrub live oak (Quercusturbinella), Wavyleaf oak (Quercus x undulata), Mexican blue oak (Q. oblongifolia), Arizona white oak (Q. arizonica), and Shinnery oak (Q. havardi).
Hope you found my post interesting. Have you ever been curious enough about plant galls to look inside? Recalling the first time I saw a gall, I had no clue what it was and why it was precariously clinging to a plant leaf. It was round and hard, and reminded me of a tiny rusty red ping-pong ball. Was there something inside? Would it be squishy, alive, have teeth and bite, or perhaps whatever it was was dead and oh so smelly? Maybe it was some weird kind of flower bud, or a fruit lost under the leaf? Despite being a bit nervous, I needed to know what, if anything was inside. So I cut it in half, and in the center of the ball, suspended on hundreds of delicate threads, was a tiny, wormy creature twisting and turning and wriggling to music only it could hear! That was over 45 years ago, and to this day I still find galls irresistible!
As always, thanks for stopping by!
A Few References
Russo, Ronald A.: (2021) Plant Galls of the Western United States, section on tree galls; oak galls of the SW, page 173.
The ‘Glorieta’ Southwestern Orangetip (Anthocharis thoosa ssp coriande), are only known to occur in the central and north central counties of New Mexico. This recently recognized form of A. thoosa was described by M. Fisher and Scott in 2008, from specimens collected near Glorieta Pass southeast of Santa Fe1 (which just northeast of our home).
The Orangetips are classified in the Family Pieridae/Subfamily Pierinae ….. commonly called the Whites. In NM there are 16 known species of Whites, including the non-native European Cabbage White. After a wet winter, plentiful males compete for hilltop display locations while females search surrounding areas for the choicest of native plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) on which to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae (caterpillars) voraciously devour the leaves of their host mustard plants, until they’ve grown to over 1,000 times in size! Because this family of butterflies is common in desert habitats, to withstand drought conditions some species have the ability to suspend development during their pupal stage (when they are in their chrysalis), a mechanism called pupal diapause. And if winter rains do not cause favorable conditions for their larval hosts (the mustard plants), they can remain in pupal diapause for several years.
The White’s preference for mustard plants may not be about taste. It’s thought that chemicals contained in these host plants make butterflies in this group unpalatable. Entomologist, “Mike Toliver has witnessed only one attack by a bird on members of this group in more than 60 years of observation.”1
Early one morning (a few days ago), Roy discovered a miniature butterfly afloat, upside down, in a water bucket left outside overnight. Looking very drowned, Roy scooped him up with the tip of his index finger and brought him inside the house for my inspection. Excited and sad all at once, I snapped a few photos, having never seen this species before. Because this little guy had such striking marks and color, finding him in the online New Mexico butterfly field guide was easy. This beauty was a ‘Glorieta’ Southwestern Orangetip (Anthocharis thoosa ssp coriande)!
Roy was about to turn him over to take a look at the flip side when one of the wings fluttered a bit. Not believing our eyes, I gently prodded him, and sure enough! He seemed alive! But just how much alive we didn’t know.
Rushing this tiny guy outside where his wings might dry, he slowly became more active. Unfortunately the tip of a still damp forewing folded over and stuck like glue making it impossible to synchronize those wings …. he didn’t seem remotely interested in taking flight. Not to be defeated, he then crawled up to the tip of my pinky finger, looked me in the eyes, raised one of his six legs politely asking for help. Gathering my courage and willing any clumsiness ‘be gone’ from my fingers, I held my breath while using the edge of my longest fingernail to slowly and carefully separate the fold. Taking my time to tease up the delicate tip millimeter by millimeter, this butterfly never moved a muscle (do butterflies have muscles?). After what seemed like hours the wing unfolded, popping back into alignment without any apparent damage!
“The Talk”
He didn’t fly tho, so I sat with him for about 20 minutes as he perched on my finger. During my ultra close inspection of his eyes (you know I love eyes, and his were sultry grey and gorgeous), punk-rock style hairdo, and brilliant orange tipped wings, he seemed content while I carried on a lengthy one-sided conversation warning him of the world’s dangers.
Somewhat convinced he believed and would abide by my every word, I walked him over to a large mullein stalk, where he walked off my finger to enjoy a sunbath (hopefully to prepare to take wing). He wasn’t in much of a hurry tho. About an hour later and checking to see if the coast was clear, off he flew. That beautiful Glorieta Southwestern Orangetip butterfly was free!
All-in-all, it was an exciting encounter!
What exciting encounters are you experiencing during this change of seasons?
Many Hearty Thanks, Sharing Creative Ideas, Answering the ‘Kat’ Kwestion
April 1, 2025
Completing my 15th sketchbook, and beginning the next one is always cause for celebration! To do so, Kat and I thought it would be especially fitting to shout-from-the-treetops enthusiastically, THANK YOU! Thank you all, my loyal subscribers, for coming along on my interesting, hopefully educational, sometimes crazy, always curious nature journaling adventure.
My recent webinar class, “Create a Colorful Reptile Eye1,” sponsored by Host Karen Abend (of Sketchbook Revival fame), generated many new subscribers to my web page and blog, “A Curious Nature.” Wow! And Thanks so much. A special thanks to those who attended the live and/or recorded class. I loved seeing so many colorful lizard eyes (a sampling below). They were incredible!
Sharing the Wonder of Nature
With all the past and current activity on my blog, I feel so fortunate and very encouraged to carry on. Even though new postings have been random lately, there’s lots of works-in-progress soon to be shared. Meanwhile, comments including what you like about my posts and what you’d like to see more of, are always appreciated. What inspired you to subscribe to this blog? If it’s just enjoy, that’s perfect! Or maybe you’d like tips to develop a regular or even a daily creative practice, how can I be more encouraging? I’d love to know if you are an active nature journaler or tangler, or express yourself by creating art in other ways, such as through music, poetry, or storytelling. Send me your ideas by commenting on this or any future posts. I’ve created my webpage and blog because of my insatiable curiosity about the natural world. It’s extraordinarily fun to go beyond learning what the names of flowers, animals, rocks, and clouds are. The excitement of wondering and discovering answers for all the why’s, who’s, when’s, and how’s is so rewarding. Sharing is my joy!
Explaining Kat
Thinking new subscribers may be puzzled by my constantly mentioning Flambé or Kat or both, now might be a good time for explanation and background (and perhaps provide a refresher for those who’ve been following along from day 1 of my blog):
In 2014, a young stray calico cat showed up one day on our doorstep when we (Roy and I) lived in Oriental, North Carolina (U.S.A.). This little wild miss seemed to magically appear from our backyard woods, perhaps in search of a meal or a friend. She sat and meowed for a few minutes, but when we opened the door, she ran away. Efforts to get close to her when she returned several times during the week were futile. Then one day she vanished and never returned. Not knowing what may have happened to this pretty kitty, Roy thought a nice remembrance of her visit would be to add a small cat sketch to my next drawing. A dandy idea!“But only one drawing,” I thought? It was at that moment that Flambé appeared on my creative doorstep, and has never left!
Flambé, aka Kat, is always smiling, popping in and out of all my art, regardless if the piece is imaginatively & whimsically tangled or a serious nature study. Along with forming the best part of my signature “chop,” she’s the heroine of some pretty wild and crazy tangled misadventures, sometimes pushing Kat’s 9-lives threshold to satisfy her insatiably curious nature (and appetite). Flambé adores being noticed, whether she hides inside the story, or shows up front and center. She makes everything creative more fun. Flambé may be just “Kat,” but she’s my inspiration for and reminder about the value of komic relief, and makes the perfect konstant kompanion!
Whew! That’s all for now. Hopefully your questions about this blog, inspiration and Kat have been answered. If you’re craving to learn answers to other related topics, let me know. Meanwhile, Flambé and I wish you an exciting and creative remainder of the year ….. have times full of happiness, creativity, and memorable adventures, but most of all laughter and fun!
Hope to hear from you soon, and as always, thanks for stopping by!
Meow!
1Unfortunately, the class or recording are no longer available for viewing. But I may have another live demo class some day in the future. If so, you can be sure the announcement will show up on my blog.
a curious nature 