Keeping an eye on things

I noticed a patch of yellow flowers in the woods behind the house recently. Further investigation led me to identify them as greater celandine, an invasive from Europe. They’re in the poppy (opium) family, as evidenced by the orange latex oozing from the cut ends of the stems. Although they have medicinal value, I don’t need the forest floor carpeted in them, which is what’ll happen if I leave them alone.

 

Seems they've gotten a strong enough foothold in Connecticut that there's no use in reporting them anymore. I still have yet to see one firsthand, but the season's not over yet.
State experts say kill spotted lanternflies, but no need to report them – NBC Connecticut

 

We got em everywhere but I’m not seeing their negative affects yet. Think I saw more last year than this season. They really like my willow tree.

 

Good to hear. No sob stories coming from the apple orchards either? I read that cultivated fruit trees are supposedly vulnerable.

 

No idea but I messaged Ben to ask. He’s co-founder of Big Hill Ciderworks and the guy that hooked me up w/ that monster honey locust a while back.

About Big Hill — Big Hill Ciderworks

 

Good news on the fruit side:

 

Eric Wanderweg Is this flower goldenrod? We don't have it in our area but I found some in a truck stop when we stopped for lunch.

 

Looks like it to me. Ragweed has similar flowers but the leaves are different.

 

Thanks.

 

Awesome avatar pic Eric!

 

I’m wondering if they are more concerned about SLF damaging vineyards. I have been in a few meetings with the USDA because an SLF population was found nearby. I asked a rep if they thought they could control it and the answer was no, but they have to try. We are going to cut down TOH when time permits.
A friend knows a guy that burns as much TOH as he can get. I took some recently that had been on the ground for a while and I was surprised by how heavy it was. It was easy to split too.

 

Old wives tale I always keep track of up here in Dakotah Territory is that when you see the first goldenrod blooming it will be 8 weeks to the first frost. Surprisingly it has been one of the most accurate of the tales to forecast something.