#total bastards

[illinoensis]

Multiflora rose, Rosa multiflora (Rosaceae)

(My friend Rachel once referred to this as “Megatron rose” because she momentarily couldn’t remember the word multiflora, and then we just kept calling it that, so in my own head I tend to use this designation.)

Multiflora rose, or Megatron rose as it is known to exactly two women in Illinois, is a thorny, sprawling invasive. Blossoms are numerous and white, and the rosehips containing the seeds are a tasty treat for numerous critters, which is partly how it spreads so successfully. It blooms in late spring/early summer and is an attractive sight, but god help you if you think you’re gonna negotiate your way through a thicket of them.

[illinoensis]

Bittersweet Nightshade, Solanum dulcamara (Solanaceae)

Peoria IL, May 2015.

Spotted on a walk through a creek/drainage ditch, this is an attractive viney member of the nightshade family, from which we receive many delicious vegetables such as french fries, hash browns, and sour cream and onion chips. (Also tomatoes and peppers too, if you’re into that kind of thing.) 

It’s a non-native invasive weed, and both the foliage and berries contain toxic alkaloids, so... don’t try foraging this one for the deep-fryer, I guess.