Browsing: Qu’est Que C’est

It is impossible to pass up a dandelion seed ball and not blow out all the seeds. I have no recollection of who showed me that it was a rule, but I did disperse quite a few seeds in my youth. First you closed your eyes, made a wish, and then blew as hard as you could with the goal of leaving only the stem behind.  Oh, and dandelions have pretty yellow flowers

The Northern Mockingbird is one of the best-known backyard birds across the U.S. It is not shy, easily recognizable, and…

Of the many species of carnivorous plants that inhabit our world, sundews are my favorites. They trap their insect diet with a carpet of short glands with sticky tips that grow from the surface of their leaves. The glue-like substance at the tips of these glands glisten in the sun, giving these plants their common name – sundews.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are one of the more interesting of our North American woodpeckers. As their name implies, they do have…

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds return to the northern Gulf Coast on or about the Ids of March. And the first clue to…

For me, Sweetbay Magnolia is the unsung hero among magnolias of the Gulf and Atlantic coastal regions. Smaller than its showier Southern Magnolia relative, the species is nonetheless a prominent feature of our landscape. It gives Bayhead Swamps their name and, along with Southern Magnolia, are the more common among all seven species of Magnolias.

Of the many species of plants that I encounter, the spikey ones are often the most interesting. It is true that I do visit some odd habitats and locations, but Southern Prickly Ash always gets my attention when I spot it in the places I frequent. But the thorns and spines are just some of the traits of this curious tree.

Have you seen cicadas in the news lately? There’s a lot of excitement about the periodic cicadas that only emerge every 13 or 17 years, depending on location.

As far as spiders that live in our homes go, the Southern House Spider is the largest and most imposing – certainly when you first spot one.

Seeing a Red Fox always seems to be a highlight of anyone’s day. They are not the most commonly observed of the larger furry creatures that live amongst us.

Tree roots fit the meaning of the phrase out of sight, out of mind. But they are far from being…

All household insect pests get bad raps for one reason or another. I get it. I grew up with a…

In the birding world, records of sightings are important. Professional ornithologists and amateur birders keep lists and logs of what,…

Recycling a good story is a good thing, right? Well, I think so, and this story from Christmas Past is…

We all grew up with certain plants making their appearance around Christmas or Hanukkah – the Christmas tree being the…

Plants with colorful or tasty fruit are valued by many of us for their beauty, as food, or both. I…