Berries of Solomon's seal

Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum).  A typical plant of Indiana woodlands, by late summer it produces these dark purple berries.  Photo taken August 6, 2015 at Clegg Garden.

Link to previous post on Polygonatum biflorum:

Link to post on Polygonatum biflorum berries:

River birch

A couple river birch trees (Betula nigra) can be found at Peter's Mill Landing.  The river birch is native to Indiana and can be seen growing naturally on the roadsides when you travel through the Kankakee River area.  The river birch is not found naturally in Tippecanoe County and these two trees were planted here years ago.  River birch is commonly used in landscaping everywhere around here but this location on creek bottomland is its normal kind of habitat.  This is near the boat landing spot on the creek.

Photo taken August 6, 2015.

Link to Betula nigra:

Link to Betula nigra:

Link to Betula nigra:

Link to previous post on Betula nigra planted on Purdue campus:

Lizard's tail

Here's some of the unique plant, lizard's tail (Saururus cernuus), in the small pond installed near the Clegg Garden entrance.  Lizard's tail is a native Indiana plant that is sometimes seen wild along streams but it has been planted in this location.

The spike that gives lizard's tail its name is past flowering and is covered with tiny green fruits.  Photo taken August 6, 2015.

Lizard's tail is the only native Indiana member of the plant family Saururaceae.

Link to Saururus cernuus:

Link to Saururus cernuus:

Link to video of lizard's tail:

Boneset

Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum).   This is in the part of Clegg Garden near the entrance that is planted and is due to be replanted with other species.

Photo taken August 5, 2015.

Link to previous post on Eupatorium perfoliatum:

Link to previous post on Eupatorium perfoliatum:

False foxglove

There is a fair amount of false foxglove (Aureolaria sp.) under the oak trees on the east edge of Clegg Garden, near the entrance.

Photos taken August 5, 2015.

Link to previous post on false foxglove:

Indian tobacco

Indian tobacco, Lobelia inflata, is the herbaceous plant shown in the middle of the photo.  The flowers are small and so are hard to see.  The blue flower to the right of the Indian tobacco plants is tall bellflower (Campanula americana) which is a much more common plant here.  Campanula and Lobelia are both in the same plant family, the Campanulaceae.

On the low trail along Wildcat Creek at Clegg Garden.

Photo taken August 6, 2015.

Link to Lobelia inflata:

Link to Lobelia inflata:

Wildcat Creek

A view of Wildcat Creek at Clegg Garden.  Looking downstream.  Photo taken July 27, 2015.  Water has been high throughout the month of July.

The same view of Wildcat Creek a few days later, August 6, 2015.  The creek has been receding and is good for canoeing/kayaking.

Link to Wildcat Creek levels:

Melanthium woodii -- with flowering stalk

This Melanthium woodii is along the south trail that leads to Wildcat Creek.  It has small brown flowers on a stalk that is about 3 or 4 feet high.

Photos taken July 22, 2015.

Previous post on Melanthium woodii in May:

Giant ragweed

A nice specimen of a single stalk of giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida), over 10 feet tall, standing next to an oak tree at Clegg Garden.  Giant ragweed is a common weed in cornfields but this one found its way into Clegg Garden.

Photos taken July 27, 2015.

Link to Ambrosia trifida:

Giant swallowtail butterfly

This giant swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) stopped to spread her wings long enough for me to get some photos.  W.S. Blatchley called this species  "our largest and rarest Papilio". The above photo shows the butterfly resting on the sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) that is near the front of the Clegg Garden grounds.  Onoclea is not a host plant for Papilio, but we do have the host plant prickly ash on the high trail that overlooks Wildcat Creek.  Look there for the distinctive single orange egg and the caterpillars that look like bird poop.
 
Link to previous post on prickly ash at Clegg Garden:

Link to Onoclea sensibilis:

A male giant swallowtail arrived and the two butterflies began mating.  This is in the crabapple tree close to the park entrance.

Photos taken July 27, 2015.

Link to Papilio cresphontes:

Link to Papilio cresphontes: