Thursday, August 9, 2012

Cup Plants Burst into Wildwood!

Cup Plants are now in full flower along the creek in the center of Wildwood Park.
They are huge  - some are eight feet high! 
It looks as if the sky has turned upside down and the sun is shining up from the earth.


 
Remember that these plants get their name from the "cup" that their leaves form as the stem pushes through or "perfoliates" their center.


Many insects have found them and are fluttering and buzzing around them. 
Honey bees fill their pollen buckets. I think those buckets look more like orange boots.



A tiny Scudder's Bush Katydid nymph must be a bit overwhelmed when he finds himself at the center of a bloom.



A Thick-headed Fly stops by for a sip of nectar.



An Ailanthus Webworm Moth finds a place to rest for a while. Those moths fly during the day and are colorful enough to be beetles or butterflies - don't you think?



Our Virginia state insect, the Eastern Tiger Butterfly, loves Cup Plants





Here's the underside of a female black form Eastern Tiger.




I've tried to capture some of the beauty that has currently burst into Wildwood, but you really need to follow the main bike path through the center of the Park and see it first-hand!



Be sure to also visit the Wildwood Park website to get a look at the wide diversity of plants and critters that make Radford their home. Just click on the link below: