PlantShare
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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
- Dear Botanist, I found this plant growing in a patch of wrinkle-leaf goldenrod that I recently transplanted. It appears to be a perennial, and produces a burr. I believe I've seen the same plant growing in Mattera Cabin in Reading, MA. The attached pictures are from different times throughout the growing season. Could you please identify?
- Answer
- Dear Stephen, good morning. The plant you have photographed is a species of Geum (avens), which belong to the rose family. Based on the leaves, petal color, and clusters of achenes, you likely have captured Geum laciniatum (floodplain avens), a native species that frequently (but not exclusively) occurs in floodplain forests. (Friday, 25 October 2024)
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- Question
- Dear Mr. Botanist, I found this low growing plant under a high-voltage right-of-way in Reading, MA. The area is very sunny and rocky, and it appears to be regularly cleared of vegetation. Could you identify?
- Answer
- Dear Stephan, the small ground cover with evergreen leaves and red fruits (berry-like capsules) is Gaultheria procumbens (eastern spicy-wintergreen). It is a fairly common subshrub (in the right habitats) and a native member of the heath family. Best wishes. (Wednesday, 23 October 2024)
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- Question
- Please help identify this aquatic plant found in East Lyme, CT on August 28, 2024. It was observed in a shallow cove of a lake thanks
- Answer
- Dear James, good morning. You have identified a species of Myriophyllum (water-milfoil). I can't tell you which species with confidence because I would need to see details of fruits and leaf arrangement. The morphology looks like emersed forms of Myriophyllum humile, but again I can't be certain. Best wishes. (Monday, 21 October 2024)
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