Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: invasive

(+9 insets!) (please view large, it's worth the time! :D) Revisiting Bullard's Beach Last year, Steve and I got to visit this state park for only a single night. We'd seen rave reviews and hoped to spend time appreciating the park but our timing couldn't have been worse. It was the Fourth of July weekend--the busiest vacation weekend of the summer--so we got what we could, which turned out to be the Eve of Fourth of July. I still remember the festive mood that pervaded the whole campground. Once we arrived and set up, we popped onto our bikes and rode around the loops. People had put up flags and 4th of July decorations, and we loved seeing folks wearing red, white and blue clothing adorned with patriotic stars and stripes. So many smiles! What a great weekend to be camping at this pretty campsite. Even though Steve and I could only enjoy the park for a few hours, we had a great time! We rode our bikes down to the beach and I got pictures to share too (see insets, second row). Fast forward to this trip…how's SEVEN NIGHTS for a perfect number?! What a wonderful, relaxing stay we had this time around! We got the time to kick back, explore and do whatever we wanted. And of course that meant that I was able to go out with my macro lens and creep around to see what I could see! My macros are the feature of today's presentation! Today's Pictures Do you know what Scotchbroom is? This bush features very lovely yellow flowers that bloom in massive clusters and can really take your breath away. However, this invasive species comes from Europe and considered to be a noxious weed because it takes over and displaces native species. Needless to say, the flowers are gorgeous and so are the seed pods, which I'm sharing as my main image today! (I'm also including a flower in an inset which I took at William Tugman State Park.) Also, if you'd like to see another nice picture of Scotchbroom, Ron Hanko has a really pretty image as well! Insets include… …a wonderful Plantain or Fleawort in bloom …a pretty grouping of Cat's Ear flowers in a sea of ferns (non-macro) …the buds and floral close-up of the stunning Douglas Spirea ...fuzzy, beautiful wild grass that's either Bottle Brush or Rabbit's Foot (I think) …a group of colorful, dying Madrone leaves soon to fall ….the lovely blossoms from the invasive Scotchbroom (I've also included couple of pictures from our first trip to Bullard's Beach) I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful day and coming week ahead! :) Thanks so much for your visits, comments and stars. You guys make me so happy!!! *big virtual hugs all around* Explored on 8/9/20; highest placement #6.

When I first studied this flower on my computer, I thought at first that it was a tiny Sweet Pea because its blossom looks so similar. But...Sweet Peas don't have three-lobed leaves like this does....so, then I thought it was some kind of clover, because its leaves seem just like those we all know as the shamrock. But clover blossoms don't look anything like this! So confusing!! However, after a lot of looking in my books, I finally discovered its identity! It's a species of Trefoil, which means "three-leaved plant"! :D And in fact, it is related to clover, but in a different genus. The tiny Birdsfoot Trefoil is native to Eurasia and North Africa but can be found all over North America, where it has been cultivated as a nutritious food for livestock. It's also an important nectar source for insects and a food source for larval insects. This plant is considered to be an invasive species in both North America and Australia, and here's an interesting fact: this little beauty is tasty for livestock, but it contains cyanogenic glycosides and is poisonous to humans! Finally, this flower is a symbol for revenge or retribution. If you would like to know more about this flower, Wiki has a great source here: Wiki: Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)