Star-shaped snowflakes

This morning I read an article on the weather channel about star-shaped snowflakes that had fallen during a snow storm in New York State:

http://www.weather.com/travel/commuter-conditions/news/snow-stars-winter-storm-juno

I had never heard of such kind of snowflakes.

I took a short hike into the woods at Celery Bog Park later in the morning and noticed that some of the new snow flakes that had fallen overnight also had a star-shaped character to them.  Here are some photos, all taken January 27, 2015.  There are only a couple small star-shaped flakes in each photo, you have to look close. 

More links to star-shaped snowflakes:

http://io9.com/with-the-blizzard-comes-these-star-shaped-snowflakes-1681967156

http://gothamist.com/2015/01/26/its_snowing_stars_u_guys.php

Watercress

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) at Prophetstown State Park.  Watercress stays green throughout the winter.  Here at a creek just past the outflow of the fishing pond.  The watercress is in clear spring water flowing into the creek.  All photos taken Dec. 26, 2014.

A view of the spring, coming out of the base of a big sugar maple tree to the right side of the picture.

 

A closer view of the watercress growing in the spring water.

A view of the watercress pulled out of the water.

Link to previous post on watercress:

Link to Wikipedia page on watercress:

Another link to Nasturtium officinale:

Link to watercress as an edible plant:

Beaver activity at Celery Bog Park

 

Evidence of recent beaver activity at the edge of the wetland at Celery Bog Park. This is a hackberry tree that blew over in a windstorm a few years ago, exposing the roots. The beaver have been chewing on the roots here.

A tree chewed on and felled by beaver. This is near the site of the hackberry tree in the first picture.

This is the first beaver activity in Celery Bog Park that I've noticed in several years.

Both pictures taken Dec. 16, 2014.

Link to previous post on beaver activity:

Ash trees cut down in West Lafayette

The ash trees in the parking lot of the West Lafayette Payless Grocery store took a big hit last week.  They were all cut down!  This was not necessary.  These trees were not dead.  The emerald ash borers had been eating on them but only some of the branches had been killed.  The roots were still healthy and the trees had been sending out alternate shoots to survive the insect attack.  But they couldn’t survive the bad advice given by supposed tree experts who are out to make a fast buck chainsawing trees down.  To be extra sneaky about it they waited until winter when the leaves had fallen and the trees look completely dead. 

This ash tree in the parking lot near Payless was cut down Dec. 3, 2014 (photo above).  Photo taken Dec. 5, 2014.

This ash tree is growing along the public hiking/bicycle trail just west of the West Lafayette Payless.  It also has been affected by the emerald ash borer.  A lot of the branches have died back due to the insect feeding on the inner bark of the trunk.  It is still alive and should not be cut down.  But that could very well be in the plans.

The photo on the bottom is a closer view of the same tree along side the trail.  The green spot of paint may be a mark dooming the tree for removal.  The small branches sprouting out of the tree trunk near the ground is a survival response of the tree to the damage from the insect attack.  Photos taken Dec. 5, 2014.

Beech drops

Beech drops (Epifagus virginiana), a parasitic plant on the roots of beech trees.  Common here at Morgan-Monroe State Forest, near a mature grove of Eastern White Pine (Pinus serotina) planted near the entrance to the State Forest, Morgan County.  Photo taken November 19, 2014.

Link to Epifagus virginiana:

Link to Epifagus virginiana:

Fruits on a hackberry tree

This hackberry tree (Celtis occidentalis) is full of fruit. Hackberry is a very common tree but I have found that trees that produce this much fruit are uncommon. The fruit has only a thin layer of pulp that tastes remarkably like a date. I found this and several other fruited hackberry trees along North Tibbs Ave. just north of Washington St. in Indianapolis. Photo taken November 16, 2014.

Link to Celtis occidentalis:

Link to YouTube video on edible hackberry fruits:

Link to article on edible hackberry fruit:

Verbesina encelioides

Verbesina encelioides.  This was found growing wild under a railroad trestle at 4th St. just north of Gratiot St. in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.  This is the first time I've ever seen this species, it looks much different than our native Verbesina that is common in Indiana, Verbesina alterniflora, also called wingstem.

Photo taken Oct. 26, 2014.  Location 38.6191 deg. N, 90.1917 deg. W.

Link to Verbesina encelioides:

Link to a collection of Verbesina encelioides in St. Louis:

Link to Verbesina encelioides:

Link to Verbesina encelioides: