Above: Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) under a Christmas snow. Below: English ivy (Hedera helix).
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White Christmas
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More Snow
It was the largest amount of snow on one day in December since 76 years ago in 1944: 9.3 inches according to National Weather Service observations, but closer to a foot in some neighborhoods (the NWS says that one forecaster measured 11 inches in Lower Lawrenceville).
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Snow on Aster Seedheads
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Snowstorm on a Small Scale
Snow accumulates on vegetation during the snowstorm of December 16, 2020. Go to the Wikimedia hosting page for a high-resolution version.
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Old Tree, South Side Cemetery
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Blooming in December
Indian Strawberry (Potentilla indica) and Common Mallow (Malva neglecta) both have long blooming periods, and neither one is willing to give up just because of a few freezes. Here we find both blooming during a warm spell in the middle of December.
Above we see not only the mallow flower, but below and behind it one of the flattened round seedpods that give the plant another one of its common names, “cheeses.”
Meanwhile, the Indian Strawberries are not only blooming, but also fruiting. The fruits look delicious, but they’re flavorless.
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Autumn Clematis Seeds
The seeds of Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora) look like little comets close up, or perhaps like tropical fish in a feeding frenzy.
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Snow Is Falling
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Snow on Ivy
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Japanese Barberry in Fall Color
Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) may be a noxious invasive, but it came here because it was beautiful, and no one can take that away from it.
