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Questions and Answers

2024

  • Question
    I'm looking for help identifying these plants. They grow at the side edge of the cliff on Mt Kineo, Piscataquis County, ME. They're little rosettes sharing space with Cerastium strictum. The leaves are somewhat stiff. No flowers. The first photo was taken August 12, the second in late September.
    Answer
    Dear Kimberley, good morning. They look like the rosettes of species of Draba (whitelow-mustard). The only species of Draba that I have seen on Mount Kineo is Draba glabella (the only location in ME for this species). Best wishes.
  • Question
    I wanna know when I can harvest the leaves from a RamGoat dashalong plant??
    Answer
    Dear Panda_444, good afternoon. Turnera ulmifolia (ramgoat dahsalong) isn't a species that grows in New England, so I am unable to offer you advice from direct experience with this plant. The leaves are used for a variety of medicinal effects, and aerial portions of many medicinal plants would be gathered when the plants are in flower and the leaves are fully expanded but not yet beginning to degrade in the Fall season. But, again, I can't offer you direct experience with this plant, so I would encourage you to ask someone from your area to assist. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Hi there, The native status of plants on this site goes down to county-level. If I want to plant something that is listed as native in an adjacent county, but as not native (county is left blank) in my own, is that OK? I would think that, since both counties sit within the same eco-region (Northeastern Coastal), it would be OK to do this. I would greatly appreciate any insight! Thanks
    Answer
    Dear djapierre, good afternoon. When conducting plans for ecologically ethical plantings, we try to do our best to plant species that are native to our local landscape. The scale that we use depends on our goals. County-level information is available and very useful. Using species from adjacent counties for planting is, again, dependent on your goals. It is a finer scale than most use and would not be intentionally planting things that are new to region. As you noted, many ecoregions consist of multiple counties in a given state. Staying within an ecoregion is typically considered a loadable goal for planting. Let me know if you have other ideas you wish to discuss.
  • Question
    I'm having trouble identifying this low-growing plant / weed that I've recently found in my yard. Would love any assistance! I'm in central Connecticut.
    Answer
    Dear mdeuloco, good afternoon. You have photographed a species of Veronica (speedwell) in the Plantaginaceae. It looks most like Veronica serpyllifolia subsp. serpyllifolia, a common non-native species of lawns, clearings, fields, and similar habitats. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Plant in Singapore, any idea what this plant may be? The white flowers smell abit like jasmine.
    Answer
    Dear nlneoln, good morning. I'm sorry I can't assist you with your question. Singapore is a long way from my region of expertise. Sometimes I recognize some of the species posted from other continents, but this time I am unable to help. I'm sorry I can't be of assistance.
  • Question
    hello botanist have you have any idea what plant/tree this is, that is wild possibly by a bird dropping. In Singapore
    Answer
    Dear nlneoln, good mornign. There are no images associated with your question. Without images, I won't be able to assist you. If you are having trouble uploading images, please feel free to attach the images to an email message and send them to ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org and I will try to assist.
  • Question
    what is your opinion on the effect of cars exhaust on plants do car exhaust make plant healthy? or do they kill the plant
    Answer
    Dear joeboy, it is known that car exhaust does pollute the soil and plants that are near the roadways. For example, lead levels in plants are higher near the road edges (from the time when lead was present in gasoline). I have not read research on a large number of contaminants, but those I have searched for in the scientific literature show that plants take up these pollutants and could be harmed by them. Best wishes.
  • Question
    I'd like to know what this plant is that I found growing near my home in southern Vermont. The leaves on this 14" tall plant measure about 1" long. I'm thinking it might be some type of Hawthorn but haven't found one with leaves that are as rounded at the tips as this. Thank you.
    Answer
    Dear lmc825, good morning. I can't see the image well enough to help you. I need a close-up of the nodes (where the leaves arise from the stem). If you have such images, feel free to send them to ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org and I can examine them. Looking forward to helping solve this mystery. Best wishes.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Question
    Dear Botinist, This shrub is growing in a somewhat landscaped area in Reading MA. I spoke with the owner and it could have been planted there, or it could have been an opportunistic grower. Could you please identify? These photos were taken about two weeks ago.
    Answer
    Dear Stephan, good morning. You have photographed a species of Ligustrum, shrubs in the olive family. The species you have here is likely Ligustrum vulgare (European privet), but I would not be able to be certain without close-up images of the branchlets and (preferably) images of the flowers. Hopefully knowing the genus is useful to you.
  • Question
    Found in Hermon by pond in understory of woods. Is this lily of the valley?
    Answer
    Dear nevada13, good morning. Yes, you have discovered some plants of Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley). This species produces a red, spherical berry that hangs down on a slender stalk--just as you have pictured. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Good morning, I am so very hopeful that what I have in my 3 acre field here in Oxford, PA is purple milkweed. I don't have a flower nor a seed pod to help quite yet but hoping you can help me. Two reliable apps did confirm my milkweed to be purple but these were only leaf images. IF these are purple, I'd like to more carefully manage the field mowing and preservation. Additional information: these are September images, the field had been cut every year every 8 weeks for alfalfa. Gary
    Answer
    Dear liskagb, good morning. I'm sorry I cannot help you. I do not believe the identification app that you have used to be useful here--there is no manner of providing a confident identification without flowers or fruits. The vegetation of Asclepias purpurascens and Asclepias syriaca (the common species in the northeast) are so similar that reproductive material is needed. Please keep me posted if these plants flower/fruit. Best wishes.
  • Question
    This was spotted on a lakeshore somewhere in Maine. I'm working on getting the exact location.
    Answer
    Dear Kgarland, good morning. I've seen images of this plant (they were supplied to me by the discoverer). They were stated to be from a pond in northern Baxter State Park. I do not know who this plant is, and no one I have forwarded the images to knows the identity of this species. I'm sorry I can't help further.
  • Question
    Before I remove this, can you confirm that this is Asiatic bittersweet and not American bittersweet. Thank you.
    Answer
    Dear mdeluco, good morning. Yes, you have photographed Celastrus orbiculatus (Oriental bittersweet), a non-native liana that is quite invasive in most situations. Let me know if I can help further.
  • Question
    Can anyone tell me the name of these two plants?? The one with long leaves is n°1 and the other one with rounder leaves is n°2. I dont know much about plants but if it helps I'm in Morocco.
    Answer
    Dear marwa, good morning. I'm sorry that I cannot help you. Go Botany is a resource dedicated to wild plants living outside of cultivation in northeastern North America. My expertise does not extend to the African continent. I wish I could assist you, and I apologize that I cannot. Best wishes.
  • Question
    I photographed this plant on the edge of a cove on Lake Arrowhead, York county, Maine (Oct 1, 2024). It appears to be a hawthorn from what I can see, but I'd like to pin it down to species if possible - can you help me ID it from these photos? I wondered if it might be Crataegus macrosperma? Thanks so much, Debbie.
    Answer
    Dear Debbie, good morning. What I can say about the images is that they are consistent with Crataegus macrosperma. The leaf blade shape and the fruit shape support that identification, along with the sepal margins. It is difficult to identify some hawthorns from images (especially in fruit), but this one does look much like C. macrosperma. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Not sure how hard Crataegus identification is, but someone posted this on iNaturalist in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation (just outside Fairfield County) and I was wondering if there's any possibility to narrow it down to species.
    Answer
    Dear ryan, good morning. While there are many hawthorns I can identify from a series of images, it is more difficult when they are in fruit (there are fewer visible characters to base the identification upon). I also don't know the height of the plant (which can be very useful for some groups). If you would like to give me some information about the natural community it was found in and the height of the plant, I might be able to direct you a bit more. I can be reached at ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org, best wishes.
  • Question
    I live in Central Arkansas, Conway (30 miles north of Little Rock) specifically, and I remember a strange bumpy green fruit a little bigger than a softball on the side of the road as a child. I smashed it to find sort of silky pulp and several large seeds. My mother said it was an Osage orange & the seeds were buckeyes. I searched online & see the fruit looked identical to the Osage orange pics but the inside was different & the fruit containing buckeye looked nothing like my childhood find. ??
    Answer
    Dear smevil13, good morning. Regions of the United States have all sorts of local names for various plants. I don't know if the osage-orange that you knew as a child was at a different stage of maturation than the ones you have more recently seen or if something else is occurring. Yes, the buckeye (genus Aesculus) is a member of the soapberry family and has a very different fruit than osage-orange (a member of the mulberry family). Best wishes.
  • Question
    A tree sprouted in my yard in Sudbury, MA about 3 years ago. I've tried multiple sources but can't identify it. Can you help?
    Answer
    Dear Anne, good morning. You have photographed Populus grandidentata (big-tooth aspen or big-tooth poplar). This is a native member of the willow family that is relatively common in younger forests of New England. The flattened petioles and large teeth along the margin of the leaf blade are good identifying features. Best wishes.
  • Question
    I reside in Florida. How can I find or purchase euphorbia peplus or petty spurge?
    Answer
    Dear swfreply, good afternoon. This isn't something that Native Plant Trust offers. The plants that are offered through the NPT are species native to New England. I would try to find an online sales program or even join a seed swap group on social media to find such. Good luck.
  • Question
    This is growing against a cinderblock wall in an urban area in MA. I can't get an id on iNaturalist or google photos lookup. I'd like to know both what it is (if possible) and if there's a name for this phenomenon going on with the leaves: the more mature leaves at the base have one shape and are in a group of three, but the leaves up the wall seem to have grown individually and then some are evidently split or in the process of splitting. It is attached to the wall with purpleish pads.
    Answer
    Dear waggledance, these appear to be the juvenile leaves of Parthenocisus tricuspidata (Boston-ivy). There are several cultivars of this species, and some of those cultivars even produce simple leaves that are not divided into three leaflets as is normal for this species. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Additional photos that you requested of the garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) that has been growing in the area of our house in Falmouth, MA.
    Answer
    Dear cknox, thank you for posting these images. I'm appreciative of your efforts to document this. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Can someone help identify this plant? Last week we saw it by the shore of Lower South Branch Pond in Baxter State Park (ME). It's at the place where people beach their canoes by the mouth of Howe Brook. This was the only flower on the plant, and I didn't find any others like it in the area. The plant is not more than 12 inches high, and the flower was about 3/4 inch long.
    Answer
    Kimberly, good afternoon. I have studied these images and I have asked a large number of botanists. No one can identify this plant, and it has been suspected of being a fake or staged somehow. That is not an accusation I'm leveling toward you, but trying to help you understand how baffled we all are. Can you connect with me at ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org so I can get directions and try to find this plant the next time I'm in that part of the world. Thank you and best wishes.
  • Question
    I found this plant in a high meadow. Quabbin region. It looks a lot like an Echinacea or Rudbeckia to me but I am unsure. The hairs on the leaves are very soft. The leaves themselves are also quite soft and flexible. Leaves are similar in size to Echinacea purpurea leaves.
    Answer
    Wolf-face, good morning. I wish I could assist you, and probably could come to an initial hypothesis if I were present face to face with that plant. But, from the image, I am not able to offer any information. I will continue to ponder it, and if something comes, I will send you an email. Best wishes.
  • Question
    This question relates to hemlocks and hemlock wooly adelgid (HWA). On January 31 in 2022 we had a very short cold snap with temperature going down to -7F. My understanding is that HWA cannot survive temperatures <-4F. Since then I have not seen HWA in my many outings in Lexington conservation land. Is it possible this could give the existing hemlocks a chance to survive? I've heard that one side effect of climate change is more temporary cold snaps like this.
    Answer
    Dear bkatzenberg, good morning to you. It is true that the hemlock woolly adelgid has a limited cold tolerance and is "controlled", so to speak, by low temperatures. Study shows that very low temperatures later in the winter are more effective at producing mortality than earlier in the winter because the cold hardiness of this insect declines as the season progresses. But, it is more likely that climate change will allow this species to move further north because they do survive temperatures below -4 F (it depends on the duration of the cold, not just the actual temperature). Best wishes.
  • Question
    Any idea on what species of Bidens this is? iNaturalist recommends Bidens frondosa but I have never seen them with ligules (think that's the right word) like this. Location is Greenwich, CT. Other species at this site are Bidens cernua and Bidens connata.
    Answer
    Dear Ryan, good morning. Bidens frondosa can have very short rays (like those in your image). I too rarely see them with ray flowers, but it is within the variation shown by this species to have short ones. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Dear Mr. Botanist, I found this pretty little flower growing in a sunny wetland area in Breakheart Reservation, in Reading MA. These photos were taken a little over a week ago, and the plant itself is a little over a foot tall. Could you please identify?
    Answer
    Dear Stephan, the plant you have photographed is Rhexia virginica (Virginia meadow-beauty). This is a native member of the Melastoma Family. It is very frequent in the habitat you described (open wetlands and shorelines). Best wishes.
  • Question
    I found what I think is Geranium sibiricum about two weeks ago in anthropogenic low growing grass on campus of High Mowing School, Wilton, NH, 03086. Took a picture of it with PlantNet, but it's not showing up in my Google Phots, alas, and I don't seem to be able to send it to you from PlantNet. Sorry.
    Answer
    Dear penelope+, good morning. If you are having trouble uploading images here, feel free to attach them to an email and send them to ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org and I will try to assist.
  • Question
    Dear Mr. Botanist, I am clearing out a garden bed, and I found this sapling growing. I'd like to identify it, so I know whether it should stay or it should go. I think it might be a Linden tree, because there is a mature specimen nearby. However it also looks like a White Mulberry tree. Can you identify? Thank you.
    Answer
    Stephen, the winter buds look like those of Tilia (linden), which have a certain color and shape (often they have a red hue or a slight reddish infusion of a brown background and are asymmetrical, somewhat bulged on one side). I don't know which species of Tilia this is, but it looks like that genus to me. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Hi, I am a first time user. I just signed up and tried to post my first observation, which is Aureolaria pedicularia. I followed all the prompts, but it would not allow me to upload a photograph, and when I looked for a help page, all my input was erased. Very frustrating first experience.
    Answer
    Dear kuzupogo, good morning. We are sorry you didn't have a good experience. Keeping Go Botany functioning requires many different platforms to integrate seamlessly, and these platforms are constantly upgrading and ceasing to communicate with each other. It is a massive and constant undertaking to keep it functioning. I do hope you will continue to be a user and benefit from it. Best wishes.
  • Question
    found this growing in clumps along a back road in SW NH. I figured it’s some type of sedum/stonecrop, but the stalks are much “woodier” than my Autumn Joy Sedum. Can you identify, AND is it a native or a garden escapee (or something dumped)?
    Answer
    Dear Shelley, the species of this group with flattened leaf blades and toothed margins are typically placed in genera other than Sedum (e.g., Hylotelephium, Phedimus, Aizopsis). However, none of them are woody--they are all succulent herbaceous plants. Could you please look carefully and be certain that the woody stem is the same plant? If it is, I'm not certain with the images supplied who it would be. Additional images would be needed from different angles for me to assist you. Best wishes.
  • Question
    I/m not sure what this is but think it might be either sessile-fruited arrowhead or Grass-leaved Arrowhead. The purple flower makes me wonder.
    Answer
    Dear nhaperkins, good evening. I can't help you without knowing where this plant was photographed. Location is critical information for identification to help us understand what species are in contention for an identification. I have not seen species of Sagittaria with purple petals in our region before, was this photographed somewhere in New England? Thank you.
  • Question
    Hi Mr. botanist, I found this low-growing plant in the wetland edge of a woodlands in Reading, MA. Could you identify it for me? One of the photos I've attached is from much earlier in the growing season.
    Answer
    Dear Stephan, you have photographed Veratrum viride. This native wetland plant has the exquisite green flowers with a pair of nectaries at the base of each tepal. The prominently veined and pleated leaves are quite diagnostic. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Nabalus serpentarius? Crane Wildlife Management area, Falmouth, MA
    Answer
    Dear jbacobra, good day. Your plant could be Nabalus serpentarius, but I can't see the details I need to for confirmation. I need a close-up on the involucral bracts to identify hairs. Or, you could post a clear image of a single leaf (the leaf blade outline is sometimes diagnostic). With that information, I might be able to help further.
  • Question
    Dear botanist, I found this growth of vines on a thickly vegetated trail bordering the Ipswich River in Reading, MA. It appears ready to take over. Can you identify it for me? Pictures were taken earlier this month. Thanks. --Stephan
    Answer
    Dear Stephan, good morning. The images you have posted depict Mikania scandens (climbing hempvine), a native member of the composite family that is related to the genus Eupatorium (thoroughwort). Because they are vines, they will die back to ground level every year and so they tend not to grow in a manner that topples large trees (like Oriental bittersweet and other lianas can do). Best wishes.
  • Question
    Hi I have this plant growing next to my sidewalk. It is the second year in a row I've seen it growing. I've also seen the same plant growing in the neighborhood, in Reading MA. Can you identify it for me? I've yet to see any flowers, but it grows rather leggy, and the green begins to turn red as the plant is stressed (also toward the end of the growing season). These photos were taken on 8/18/2024.
    Answer
    Dear Stephan, you have photographed a species of Bidens (beggar-ticks). It is likely Bidens frondosa or Bidens vulgata, but we will need flowers to determine which species it is. I hope knowing the genus is helpful. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Growing under shrubs & in grass is I think(?) a Violet (Falmouth MA Cape Cod). Flower stalks arise from axils of the toothed leaves, which have an unusual spreading shape. There are spreading rhizomes(? see photo), but also upright stalks with flower buds growing from the axils. White flower (violet like) this spring, but from a small plant and didn't pay attention. Have a whitish flower bud growing on several plants now. Several photos uploaded. Lots of these plants in a small area.
    Answer
    Dear Carol, you have photographed Viola arcuata, which is the first record of this plant in New England. This is an Asian species that is becoming naturalized in North America. Thank you for submitting the images, I will get this added to the second edition of the Flora Novae Angliae manual. Best wishes.
  • Question
    I have what I believe is Allium tuberosum growing wild in cultivated areas of our patio garden. It's quite attractive with its showy white flower clusters, probably edible (onion/garlic scent to the leaves), and very attractive to butterflies, flies, etc. I did not plant it, it just started growing in various areas that were planted with Catmint and it has been spreading. I can provide photos of the long thin leaves (growing in a clump) if you want. It's not in the GoBotany Key.
    Answer
    Dear cknox, good morning. Thank you for supplying the beautiful image. This species has a unique underground organ compared with other species of this genus in New England (there isn't the usual bulb, but a more elongate rhizome). Is there anyway you could get an image of this? That would confirm the identification. I also need the location (town, county, and state) in order to add it to the flora of the region. Feel free to email me at ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org if it would be easier. Thank you and best wishes.
  • Question
    I found on my yard in several areas on 4.5 acres No Union Street. Having problems using the site to post sighting with photos. Not intentionally planted. See on map not seen in this Hillsborough county.
    Answer
    Dear lmcos121, 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 assist you. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Hi this is a follow up to a submission I sent on 7/25/2024 regarding the identification of a Goldenrod. You mentioned that you needed to see a photo of how the flower heads are arranged. I took some more recent pictures dated 8/8/2024. I would also add that the the stem appears to have a whitish hue that can be rubbed off quite easily. Could you confirm whether or not this plant is Solidago gigantea? Thankyou.
    Answer
    Dear Stephan, good morning. The plants do have the capitulescence architecture of Solidago gigantea. The stems would be glabrous and glaucous in this species (as you noted), except within the axis of the capitulescence, where it might be hairy. Best wishes.
  • Question
    Is this a new record for Franklin county?
    Answer
    billcopeland, you have photographed Hypopitys lanuginosa, which has been previously documented from Franklin County, MA (I assume you mean MA based on your last question posted here). I've updated the Go Botany map to reflect the current understanding of MA populations of this species.
  • Question
    Is this a native species ? Found in patches in moist areas of a forest preserve in Northfield MA
    Answer
    Dear billcopeland, you have photographed a species of Brachyelytrum (wood grass). I can't tell for certain which species you have, as it requires examination of micromorphological details. You may have Brachyelytrum erectum (southern long-awned wood grass) based on the length of hairs on the floral scales, but I would need a clear, up-close image to be certain. Best wishes.
  • Question
    I assume this the attached photos are of purple loosestrife, although the plant doesn't have the single upright stems I am used to seeing as I'm driving. I just want to be sure I have the ID correct. This is in the marshy area on the edge of an abandoned beaver pond.
    Answer
    Dear HuntRoadRaven, yes, you are correct. The plant you have photographed is Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife). This plant sometimes branches based on growing conditions or damage to the main stem. Best wishes.
  • Question
    I think I have selaginella growing please confirm I’d
    Answer
    Dear susangwil, good afternoon. There is no image associated with your question. Without one, I can't assist. If you are having trouble uploading images, feel free to email me at ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org and I will try to assist. Best wishes.