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As a member of PlantShare, you will be able to:
- Upload photos of plants to share with others
- Create checklists of plants you want to keep track of
- Publish the location of the plants you have seen on your own map
- Ask one of our expert botanists questions Sign Up
Sightings Locator
Ask the Botanist

Our ace botanists are here to help you identify wild New England plants and to answer questions about their ecology and conservation. When posting a question, please provide the location, habitat (e.g. river, mountain, woodland), and photographs of the plant.
Everyone can read the answers, but only logged-in users can ask questions. Log in to ask a question.
Recently answered questions
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- Question
- I found a few of these unusually colored (and shaped) leaves growing on a bog rosemary shrub (Andromeda polifolia) along Big Brook on Big Lake, Washington county, ME on June 26, 2025. I thought it might be some kind of hemiparasite, but am coming up emptyhanded. Toadflax has come up, but the leaves on my sample are distinctly pink only. The flowers/fruits that I see appear to belong to the bog rosemary Any direction you can point me in would be greatly appreciated, Debbie.
- Answer
- Dear Debbie, good morning. I have seen such leaves before on members of the heath family, but I have not yet identified why they are this way. I have always assumed that there may be some type of infection (microorganism), but I am not certain of this. I will pass along to you what causes this if I encounter an answer. Best wishes. (Monday, 28 July 2025)
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- Question
- I just posted a series of pictures of my purple milkweed. I am fortunate to have at least 3 healthy, large seed pods in development. My questions for you are these: 1. When should I separate the seedpod from the host plant? 2. When should I remove the individual seeds from each seed pod? 3. Once removed, separated and dried, what is the best technique to overwinter the seeds limiting mold risk but not having them dry out completely. Appreciate any and all advice. Gary
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- Dear Gary, good morning. I need more background/context to answer your question. Perhaps you could contact me at ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org to initiate a conversation about the beautiful milkweed plants that you have posted images of. Looking forward to connecting more about the seed collection. Best wishes. (Monday, 28 July 2025)
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- Question
- I’m trying to id this orchid. I found it on our property in Cabot, Vermont. The area is moist and fairly well shaded. There are eleven plants in total. I have uploaded images of the base of the plant, as well as the flower stem. Quality may not be the best, as I used my phone camera. Many thanks for your help. Ruth Dirlam
- Answer
- Dear Ruth, good late afternoon. You have photographed Platanthera aquilonis (north wind bog-orchid), an uncommon but not rare species of orchid in New England. I hope this helps. Best wishes. (Tuesday, 15 July 2025)
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