Category Archives: Mysteries

SITY: Sloooooooow-Blooming Mystery Plant

This is a picture of the newish plant that is growing along the edge of the driveway. I first noticed it during the winter, and I’ve since found it growing in two other places. It has buds on it now, … Continue reading

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Day 264: Springtails on Waterslides

On Thanksgiving we noticed that there were tiny bugs all over everything outside, including our trash and recycling bins, even our front door. It was an overcast day and none of the pictures I took turned out very good, but … Continue reading

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Day 159: Fifth Clover?

Earlier this year I spotted a new plant growing near the end of my driveway. Looking at both the flower heads and leaves, I thought this mystery flower was likely to be a clover. Going on that assumption, I searched … Continue reading

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Day 157: More Research Required

Given how many new plants I’ve found in my yard this year, I’m beginning to think that if I wait long enough, every native and naturalized plant will eventually show up here. Not that all of them are the kinds … Continue reading

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Day 155: New & Blue

Let me introduce you to a mystery flower I discovered in July. This plant goes by the name Venus’s looking glass. I bet you could never guess how this unprepossessing plant got such an evocative name. There’s nothing mirrorlike about … Continue reading

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Mission Accomplished

The black specks make me think that it’s mountain cranberry, but that’s a problematic identification. Mountain cranberry is rare in Massachusetts and its status is listed as “Endangered.” According to the state’s Fisheries & Wildlife page for mountain cranberry, “only … Continue reading

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Mystery Flower #15

I spotted this peculiar hairy plant while out walking last week. This was a tough plant to identify! I looked through my field guides multiple times. I ran numerous Internet image searches. Nothing looked exactly like this plant. I was … Continue reading

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Mystery Flower #14

I found this Mystery Flower growing in the woods behind a big tree. I had a hard time getting pictures, because it was off the path and I didn’t want to step on any other plants. Plus the insects were … Continue reading

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Mystery Flower #13

As I mentioned in last Friday’s post, there is an invasive plant that is trying to take over my violets’ turf. I have been unable to identify it, and I suppose that means it’s a good subject for a Mystery … Continue reading

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Mystery Thing #7

This is not a Mystery Thing in the usual sense, because I know what it is. It is ice. Specifically, it is ice bursting out of the ground. I see a lot of this kind of ice in the woods. … Continue reading

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