Ripe milkweed pods are beginning to split open. The floss attached to each seed allow them to travel by wind away from the parent plant.
There are many species of small, white asters blooming across The Arboretum. Each plant is covered in blooms and there’s a ton of pollinator activity.
As you pass the Swartz Prairie while driving down the Auto Tour you will notice a field of yellow. Scattered around the prairie is the very tall and late-blooming maximillian sunflower.
We often enjoy the company of frogs that make themselves at home in the Bird Watching Garden. This little bullfrog sat for a while entertaining guests along with his buddy in the top left corner of the photo.
Even before I see any evidence of activity, stumbling upon a hornet’s nest always makes me jump. Although bald-faced hornets definitely have a bad reputation, the nest they build is an impressive feat of animal engineering.
When looking at tiny mushrooms underneath a tree, I was shocked to find this giant in the leaf litter. This is a 5th instar (final stage) imperial moth caterpillar, likely getting ready to burrow into the ground and pupate over the winter. In spring, it will emerge as one of our giant silkworm moths with a wingspan of up to 5 inches!
On the Appalachian Hollow Trail I noticed these puffballs growing from the base of a dead tree. There are several different species of puffball but considering these are growing from wood we can narrow it down to pear-shaped puffball.
While we are still waiting on the bulk of our fall color, the freeman maples in the main parking lot always start changing color towards the tops of the trees early on. Freeman maples are a naturally occurring hybrid between red and silver maples.
-Hannah Dillemuth, Learning & Engagement Educator