#nativeplants

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replied to knizer's status

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Sun Black Swallow Wort (invasive plant) removal meetup in https://www.greenopensomerville.org/ “10am-noon on Spring Hill. We will meet at 54 Belmont St. There should be plenty there to keep many people occupied.

Afterwards, anyone who wants to, please join us just down the street at the Morse Kelley playground for refreshments - watermelon and cool beverages - to celebrate our hard work. We can also take victory photos.

Please bring your own water, sunscreen, hat, etc. Bring gloves and weeding tools if you have them. If you do not, please let us know by replying to this email and we can try to track down a few extra. We will have garbage bags and refreshments.”

Why, you may ask, does Passionflower have those weird stamens nestled face-down around the center of the flower? Let this friendly Carpenter Bee show you. First photo shows how it has to crawl under those stamens to get to the nectar. Second photo shows the results: someone’s back is covered with dusty yellow pollen.

These bees and these flowers seem to have an understanding.

The Passionflower, which a large purple flower with a white center and the appearance of a long shaggy fringe of hair around the perimeter, is being visited by a big bee, which is partially obscured by one of the stigmas that radiate out of the center of the flower. Only the folded wings and black back legs of the bee are clearly visible, although there’s a hint of yellow. This scene is framed by the leaves of the Passionflower vine, which are large and have three lobes.
Same flower as first photo, but the bee has backed away from the center of the flower and is perched at its edge, about three o’clock position. It’s a large bee with a shiny back abdomen, a yellow thorax covered a deep layer of yellow power, and a little head with one black eye and one antenna visible and a forehead dusted in yellow pollen.

- are the next big thing in urban and suburban

Mandy Applegate Jul 24, 2025

" corridors are quickly becoming the next big focus in urban and suburban gardening, with more than 22% of native pollinators in North America facing serious threats to survival. As concerns grow, these pollinator corridors offer a practical solution by linking private gardens, parks and roadside green spaces into a continuous habitat. Without focused intervention, the steady decline of pollinators could fracture the ecological links that support food production, wildlife health and resilience.

"A network of

"Pollinator corridors are strips of pesticide-free native plants that give wildlife room to move and thrive in built environments. These stretches serve as travel routes where bees, butterflies and other pollinators can consistently access food, shelter and nesting areas. They also let residents reconnect with

Why are everywhere this summer

The bioluminescent bugs of summer still need our help to stave off

Laura Baisas
Jul 21, 2025

"Parts of , , and even primarily urban areas like and have experienced an uptick in this summertime natural wonder. Their yellow, green, or red glow when paired with chirping crickets or cicadas buzzing signals hot and hazy summer days. While there may be as many as 2,400 species of firefly on Earth, these insects have faced years of decline due to increased light pollution, , use, and .

"The insects are still in trouble, but this summer’s increased reports are a welcome sight to scientists and citizen scientists alike."

[...]

"Building a firefly habitat in your own backyard or asking community leaders to build some in public greenspace is …

Content warning Butterflies, Bees, Moths on Flowers