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.
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All Questions and Answers
Recently Answered Questions
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- Question
- I believe this to be straw foxglove! It is growing on the edge of a shaded, moist wooded area alongside the road in Dutchess County in NY. The map on this site doesn’t show it in NY yet, so I’m wondering if it is uncommon here? I’ve never seen this before!
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- Dear Marie, good afternoon. Thank you for your question. While the plant you have photographed may be Digitalis lutea (straw foxglove), there is another species in the region that can produce yellow flowers--Digitalis grandiflora (yellow foxglove). So, we need a measurement of how long the flower is to distinguish these two species. Digitalis grandiflora also has hairs on the stem that are mostly absent in Digitalis lutea. If you want to continue the conversation, feel free to email me at ahaines@nativeplnattrust.org. (Monday, 23 June 2025)
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- Hi Ace Botanists! Earlier this year you helped me identify that my Garden In the Woods-purchased Conoclinium coelestinum (Blue mistflower) was nowhere to be seen under a patch of invasive Campanula rapunculoides (Creeping bellflower). I pitchforked out the bellflower tubers and have been plucking single and alternate leaves as I see them. You have helped me save this patch! Are these little ones likely rhizomatous remnants from the same individual I planted last year, or did it self-seed?
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- Dear waggledance, good morning. It would be hard to answer your question without being there to observe what is occurring in the soil. Given the large number that have seeded, it certainly seems plausible that these self-seeded, especially because they occupy a patch (not just a few lines along a rhizome). I am glad to read the patch was saved! Best wishes. (Friday, 13 June 2025)
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- South Bend, Indiana. Off Ironwood Drive, just north of Douglas. How prolific is this plant in the area?
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- Dear Chris, good afternoon. I can't see the plant well in the image you sent. Do you have additional images? If so, please post or feel free to email them to me (ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org). Best wishes. (Monday, 9 June 2025)
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- Hello, Picture This repeatedly identified this plant as Silky Dogwood. Before I post it as a sighting, I wanted to check with an expert. It was in my yard in Woodbridge, CT, at the edge of our wooded lot. The soil is clay and in that area, varies between moist and wet.They are appearing in some spots where we have been euthanizing multiflora rose. Their companions: spice bush, sensitive fern, goldenrod, winterberry, jumpseed, & arrowwood viburnum. None were blooming. Thank you!
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- Dear LydiaFT, good morning. The confident answer is that we can't tell. This is certainly a dogwood (genus Swida), and we can rule out some species, but we can't tell with certainty which species this is from the images provided (Picture This isn't giving you a realistic answer). However, one way we can determine it is Cornus amomum (silky dogwood) is to cut one of the two-year-old branches and look for brown colored pith (the other dogwoods have white pitch in the center). Feel free to continue the conversation through email (ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org). Best wishes. (Monday, 9 June 2025)
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- Hello! I was gardening the other day when I saw this plant (VT Mettowee Valley). I had seen them the previous year as well, but everything grew up before I could see them flower. They were found in a wild upper floodplain meadow dominated by goldenrod, Carex sedge, Joe Pye weed, sensitive fern, hedge bindweed, angelica, and goutweed. My mind went to the guess that they are some kind of orchid. Or perhaps Lily of the Valley? Thank you!
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- Dear Ijaloś, there are no images associated with your question. Without them, I won't be able to assist. If you are having trouble uploading images, feel free to attach them to an email and send them to ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org and I will try to help you. (Monday, 9 June 2025)
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- I thought this was a Senna, but it's woody, and the flowers are not yellow. Something invasive?
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- Dear JuliaB, good morning. You have photographed Amorpha fruticosa (false indigo-bush), a non-native woody plant that is native to the United States (but has spread to the northeast and is introduced here). The dark purple flowers with only one petal developed (banner petal) is diagnostic for this member of the legume family. Best wishes. (Monday, 9 June 2025)
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- Pictured is a low-growing heath family plant (planted about 15 years ago, and not something I have seen in the wild around here). I *think* it is a Gaylussacia/huckleberry but doesn't seem to match any of the three listed in GoBotany. It has never bloomed.
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- Dear bkatzenberg, good morning. I consulted with a fellow botanist and we think this may be Gaultheria shallon. Perhaps you could examine descriptions of that plant and check to see if they fit for yours. Best wishes. (Monday, 9 June 2025)
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- Hello ! I have a question in general about plant's germination and energy source of plants. The question is that " is any energy source is required for plant germination in initial ? And why the seeds are germinating faster compare to normal still water ?"
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- Dear shadow.prince_x, good morning. Many (most) plants do require some type of energy to initiate germination. This is usually the endosperm, the triploid (3X) material in the seed. Many seeds and seed-like fruits go through a process of activating release of essential minerals that are held by a molecule called phytic acid, which holds on to minerals (like phosphorous) until germination when the plant will need these minerals for growth. Some plants contain very little endosperm (for example, the seeds of orchids) and need to rapidly establish mycorrhizal connections in order to receive nutrition from the fungal partner. If you research what endosperm is, you will learn more about this part of the seed and how plants utilize it. (Tuesday, 3 June 2025)
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- Hi. I am trying to identify a few native grasses at the Medfield Charles River State Reservation. Can you confirm the grass with purple seeds is Purple Top (Tridens Flavus)? I am also trying to identify the tan wheat-like grass growing with it. Are you able to identify what that grass is? Thank you!
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- Dear dteany, good morning. Identifying grasses from images is very difficult, and I need images of leaves, ligules, close up of flowers, etc. From what I can see, the plant with purple coloration may be Poa pratensis (blue grass). You can confirm it belongs to this genus by carefully teasing one of the spikelets apart and looking for cobwebby hairs attached to the base of the florets (these can be seen with 10x magnification.) The light brown grass I cannot see details well enough. If you get additional images (and closer images) I can likely get you the genus. Best wishes. (Tuesday, 3 June 2025)
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- May i ask what trees is this ? From Philippines
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- Dear fearlyta, good morning. I'm sorry I cannot help you. Go Botany is a website dedicated to wild plants of northeastern North America. My expertise does not extend to the Philippines. I hope you are able to find someone or an institution closer to you that can assist with your plant questions. Best wishes. (Tuesday, 3 June 2025)
