On the Path September 18th, 2016

With fall officially on the doorstep, the tree tunnels should start showing some color soon.

Walnut trees are the most common species on the path, so yellows & golds will dominate.

Dog-strangling seed pods will open soon.

It's an invasive that's gaining ground. It can choke other growth.

What Poison Ivy is looking like now.

"Leaves of 3, let it be" as the rhyme goes.

It's kind of pretty though, with the colored leaf edges.

Clumps of small, whitish berries will appear in the fall.

Black Locust pods hang on through the winter, and it would appear, through the summer as well, since these are from last year.

Soft back-light on some Ash leaves... one of the earliest plants to change color. Thanks John.

... and on some Norway Maple leaves. If you break a leaf off, you'll find that the stems contain a white, milky sap... unlike any of our native Maples.

Milkweed... where Monarch Butterflies begin their life. I've only seen a few Monarchs this year in our yard. Saw half a dozen in Second Marsh yesterday, but they're few and far between this year. Sad.

I really should get out on the path more often than I am these days.

- fini -