Bamboozled @a-nomadic-thought - Tumblr Blog

Wood anemones in May, 2026.

Milkweed season is in full swing as we approach the summer solstice - here are a few species that one might encounter in the Piedmont this time of year.

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a compact, attractive plant that thrives in dry, full sun environments.

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syrica), pictured left, is perhaps the most commonly encountered milkweed on the East Coast. It can be aggressive and will readily colonize recently disturbed areas, but appears to be one of the preferred host milkweeds for Monarch butterflies. This could be because of its tendency to grow in dense clusters which provides a reliable food source for caterpillars.

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata), pictured right, is a more conservation species that can indicate a high-quality ecosystem if found in the wild. It does not tolerate shade or consistently damp soil as it naturally tends towards rocky, barren-like habitats. It does not tolerate much disturbance but can be easily propagated by seed for at-home plantings.

Above are two of our less common, shade-tolerant species. Redring Milkweed, left (Asclepias variegata), and Four-leaved Milkweed, right (Asclepias quadrifolia). The former is relatively common in shaded, dry roadsides and woodlands across the Piedmont. The latter is slightly less common, tolerant of deep shade and tends to be restricted to base-rich soils.

Milkweeds best serve the ecosystem and faunal associations when co-planted with a diverse matrix of pollen and nectar sources. Species density + diversity, good cultural practices, and cultivating your space according to its preset conditions will yield better, life-producing results.

greater-than-the-sword

*PA voice crackles on* Attention Walmart shoppers! Weep! Weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches have rotted, and your garments are moth-eaten! Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will testify against you and will eat your flesh like fire! You have hoarded wealth in the last days! Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you withheld by fraud, cry out against you! The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts! You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence! You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter!

misadventured-piteous-overthrows

All the shades of Digitalis.

greycatbird

Went looking for Morels and didn't find any but I DID find some Mycena mushrooms, Eastern Newts, Foamflower, Painted Trillium, a big ol patch of Jack-in-the-pulpit (15 flowers!!), Threeleaf Goldthread, Dwarf Ginseng, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler💖

the-hippie-home

ex0skeletal-undead

Odin by Grobi-Grafik

philosophybits

“People who know no self-restraint lead stormy and disordered lives, passing their time in a state of fear commensurate with the injuries they do to others, never able to relax.”

— Seneca, Moral Letters to Lucilius