Brooklyn Bridge Park
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NYC Wildflower Week: Geranium
Geranium maculatum “Espresso” or Wild Geranium, cultivated for espresso-colored leaves. NYCWFW. All over Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 1 now.
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NYC Wildflower Week: Solomon’s Seal
Polygonatum biflorum, Smooth Solomon’s Seal, really demands an explanation of its common name. Two theories: the circular seal shapes on the rhizome, or the wound sealing properties of the plant. Either way, enjoy them in bloom now at Brooklyn Bridge Park, especially at the base of the bouncy bridge. Note the pollinators trying to crawl…
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Two-Spotted Sightings
My first ladybug of the year was spotted on the weekend. It was, no surprise, a Multicolored Asian, Harmonia axyridis, which you should expect to see just about everywhere. I also saw very small lady beetle I’m not yet sure of the identification of. But on Monday, I saw half a dozen Two-spotted, Adalia bipunctata,…
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NYC Wildflower Week: Phlox
Phlox stolinfera. Creeping Phlox, found now in the understory at Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park. NYCWFW.
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Blooms, Bugs, Walks
Ornamental quince with pollinator butt. Which reminds me: I will be doing a Blooms and Bugs walk in Brooklyn Bridge Park on May 11th for NYC Wildflower Week. I’ll also be doing a sunrise Listening Tour for them on May 9th. And while we’re on the topic of walks, it’s the Jane’s Walk weekend (NYC…
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Wild Ginger
Now blooming: the ground-hugging flowers of Asarum canadense.
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Mighty Acorns
Remarkable things, acorns. They’re packed with proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, as well as vital minerals: this is why they make such great animal food. There are not many mast-eaters in Brooklyn Bridge Park, though, where I found these red-to-mahagony colored nuts breaking through the shells recently. After wintering under the big freeze — hibernating, basically…
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Young Snap
Four, count ’em four, Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta) were basking in the tiny, northernmost pond on Pier One at Brooklyn Bridge Park the other day. Fools keep releasing these invasive, potentially disease-carrying pet-trade animals. Some do it for religious (!) reasons! The effects of all this can be seen in the water course in Prospect…
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Let ’em rip
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides). And these Aesculus buds.Like lipsticks against the sky. And down in the leaf litter: Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum). Amelanchier. Time for the shad to blow.
Backyard and Beyond 