365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
The Jewelweed From Hell
Day 268: Honestly, this is not a huge jewelweed stem as adult plants go, but what makes it exceptional is the fact that it was growing in my lakeside friend Jim's well-kept yard, and fairly near the water's edge. As many times as I've sat with him at the base of his rockery, I don't know how I could have missed it. In any event, he invited me up for lemonade (his house sits about 40' above his dock), and as he walked me back down to my kayak, I spotted the plant. The killing instinct is strong when it comes to a few species, and I stooped on it like a hawk on a mouse, screaming "Aaaaaaagggggh! Jewelweed!" as I did so. Poor Jim must not have known what to think as I took hold of its 1" stem and began pulling, hoping to get the roots from under an overturned boat. I wasn't entirely successful, but deprived of its leaves and its remaining roots under cover, it's possible the plant will die. Jim's puzzled, "What is it?" gave me the opportunity to educate, and with any luck at all, he'll make his neighbours aware of this rapidly spreading invasive. I'll need all the help I can get.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment