Category: Sightings

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 6:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Carolina Allspice Scientific Name: Calycanthus floridus Comments: Also known as Carolina Sweetshrub, this plant deserves its name. The blossoms are fragrant and the leaves are aromatic when bruised. I wish I had encountered this plant a week earlier when the blossoms were at their prime. Maybe […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time:  5:20 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Joe Pye Weed Scientific Name: Eupatorium purpureum Comments: Joe Pye Weed is an herbaceous, late-blooming perennial native to much of the U.S. It is a wildflower and an herb that was used as an herbal remedy to lower fevers and other maladies. The plant is named after […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 5:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Common Mullein Scientific Name: Verbascum thapsus Comments: Verbascum thapsus has a wide native range including Europe, northern Africa and Asia, from the Azores and Canary Islands east to western China, north to the British Isles, Scandinavia and Siberia, and south to the Himalayas. In the United States […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 5:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Purple Foxglove Scientific Name: Digitalis purpurea Comments: Purple foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, is a biennial or short-lived herbaceous perennial from western Europe in the plantain family. It is sometimes called common foxglove, fairy gloves, fairy bells, or lady’s glove. Purple foxglove is naturally quite variable in size and […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 5:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Southern Arrowwood Scientific Name: Viburnum dentatum Comments: Native Americans reportedly used the straight stems of this species for arrow shafts, hence the common name. The scientific name “dentatum” refers to the toothed edges of its leaves. More Information: Missouri Botanical Garden

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 4:55 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Broad-leaved Dock Scientific Name: Rumex obtusifolius Comments: Rumex obtusifolius, commonly known as broad-leaved dock, bitter dock, bluntleaf dock, dock leaf or butter dock, is a perennial plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to Europe, but is found on all temperate continents. It is a highly invasive species […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/9/20 Observation Time: 4:30 p.m. Observation Location: shady woods near Gavins Pond Common Name: Maple-leaf Viburnum Scientific Name: Viburnum acerifolium Comments: Maple-leaf viburnum has long been cultivated for its attractive summer flowers and foliage; then the autumn leaves turn rose-purple and contrast with the mature dark fruits. The plants will thrive in moist soils and a range of light conditions but they are a […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/9/20 Observation Time: 4:05 p.m. Observation Location: trail near Brook Road Common Name: Three-leaved Rattlesnake Root Scientific Name: Nabalus trifoliolatus Comments: Three-leaved rattlesnake-root is found throughout New England. It has a trumpet-shaped white flower that blooms in late summer. More Information: GoBotany

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/9/20 Observation Time: 2:50 p.m. Observation Location: meadow near Gavins Pond dam Common Name: Blue Toadflax Scientific Name: Nuttallanthus canadensis Comments: These diminutive wildflowers bloom from April to September. More Information: Conn. Botanical Society