Two yellow daisies that need ID

These are by the Dover post office. Two different kinds of yellow daisies — similar flowers but very different leaves. I can NOT figure out what they are. Maybe they’re not wild. Ideas?

Common Blackberry


There are a lot of these blooming at Centennial. I was trying to identify them as roses, but actually– they’re blackberries. The canes arch and bend downward to send new roots into the ground. No fragrance. Fruits are seedy and sweet. The nectar, pollen and fruits attract many kinds of bees, flies, beetles, caterpillars, birds and mammals. Also the brambles form shelter for many ground-nesting birds and other small creatures… so the value of this plant to its local ecosystem is high.

Common Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle

When we were photographing the Bristly Locust, a couple of these showy iridescent beetles were zooming around and grabbing our attention. A.F. Irit felt they really should get their own post. Now that I know the name, I can see the six spots, three on each wing. Evidently they are super fast, often outrunning their prey by so much that they lose track and have to stop and re-orient themselves to their desired lunch.

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle (Cicindela sexguttata)

Blue Toadflax

You know, you just can’t walk outside without seeing a bunch of new wild things coming into blossom. Great name — why is it called Toadflax? Figwort Family. Native.

Blue Toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis)

Wood Hyacinth


These are lovely in the dappled shade. Not sure if this variety is strictly wild… Lily family. Native to Europe and Africa.

Wood Hyacinth (Hyacinthoides hispanica)

Bonus picture for A.F. Marilyn, who likes when I include other photos from the general environment. I saw this ripped missing leaflet as I walked from the arboretum back to the school, walking from Eden back to the city.

Yellow Flag

Taiji class was at Arnold Arboretum today, and afterwards I sleuthed for wildflowers. A stand of these irises were at the edge of the pond. It has the ability to absorb heavy metals through its roots, and because of this has been used for water treatment! Native to Europe, Asia, Africa.

Yellow Flag, Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus)

Common Vetch

Common vetch makes high quality hay! But “bloat is a risk.” I think there are about three kinds of vetch at Centennial. We’ll see. Common vetch has been part of the human diet — as evidenced by carbonized remains at early Neolithic sites in Syria, Turkey, and several other countries. Pea family.

Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)

Bristly Locust

Kudos to A.F. Donna for spotting this at Wilson Mountain. There is an area just full of these low shrubs all hung with pink blossoms. Pea family. Native to the southeastern U.S…. so these have somehow escaped and migrated northward.

Bristly Locust (Robinia hispida)