Comments on: Readers’ wildlife photos

By: Dan Fromm

Dan Fromm — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:46:50 +0000

Oenothera speciosa has been planted along highways all over the state by the Texas Department of the Glorification of Texas, also known as the highway department. It is winter hardy — not clear whether plant or seed — at least as far north as southern New Jersey. So is Callirhoe involucrata. We have both in our garden.

By: Susan Harrison

Susan Harrison — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:12:14 +0000

In reply to Randall Schenck. There are also lots of native Cirsium species, including some endangered ones. Pitcher's Thistle (C. pitcheri) in the Upper Great Lakes is endangered by specialist beetles that were brought in to control the weedy Cirsiums. Crazy, huh?!

By: JezGrove

JezGrove — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 18:07:02 +0000

Wonderful photos, thanks Rik!

By: Randall Schenck

Randall Schenck — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:28:42 +0000

In reply to Robert Elessar. I guess they look lovely when you are not a farmer. The Texas thistle looks a lot like the Canada thistle cirsium arvense and this one is well know in many states. It is considered a weed, a noxious and invasive one at that. It is a great survivor that continues well even with state laws that will fine owners who do not get rid of them.

By: Susan Harrison

Susan Harrison — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:47:12 +0000

What lovely photos!
The PlantNet app identified your yellow composite as Desert-chicory, genus Pyrrhopappus, species either pauciflorus or carolinianus. PlantNet and iNaturalist are both better than Seek according to the NYT Wirecutter review (even though Seek is a ‘user friendly’ version of iNaturalist, it doesn’t seem to work as well).

By: Robert Elessar

Robert Elessar — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:29:56 +0000

Beautiful photos. Boy, thistles really do look lovely when they’re in bloom, don’t they?

By: Rik G

Rik G — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:31:46 +0000

In reply to Mark Sturtevant. I wonder if that's a fluke, or maybe some of the pollen gets attached to the spider's web and that draws a little extra traffic? Could a pollinated spider be a well fed spider?

By: Norman Gilinsky

Norman Gilinsky — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:06:27 +0000

Beautiful. There are interesting things to see and photograph right under our noses!

By: Mark Sturtevant

Mark Sturtevant — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:47:47 +0000

Interesting pictures! I suppose it is possible for spiders to be accidental pollinators. That was a crab spider, and perhaps it carries pollen by static cling (?).

By: Hempenstein

Hempenstein — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:25:53 +0000

Gaillardia is one tough plant. I first encountered it, growing out of the sand and in bloom many decades ago near Cape Hatteras. Then, a few yrs ago there was one growing from the joint between the curbstone and sidewalk, across from the local steel mill. It bloomed continuously from mid-May to mid-Nov.