Weeds of Wednesday: Where Have All the Bidens Gone?

Usually, common beggarticks (Bidens alba) is abundant -- along roadsides, mosquito control dikes, and in other disturbed places. Not so much this year, though. Perhaps, the lack of rainfall this year explains its relative absence. Common beggarticks are an annual…

Weeds of Wednesday: Cupid’s Shaving Brush

When we visited the Coastal Oaks Preserve on 2/26/22, we saw lots of tasselflower (Emilia fosbergii). Also called Cupid's shaving brush, tasselflower has tiny bell-shaped reddish or pinkish flowers that are visited by bees and butterflies. Wind is thought to…

Pretty Pepperweed

Virginia pepperweed (Lepidium virginicum) was lush and lovely at the Coastal Oaks Preserve when we visited on 2/26/2022. Native from southern Canada through most of the U.S. to central America, this wildflower can be weedy elsewhere and in its native…