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.

Sundew Triptych

Day 267: Between weather and schedule, it had been a while since I got out and about in a boat (kayak), so my choice of destination was a given: visit the Sundews on Lake St. Clair. I thought I might have missed their blooming period, and when I arrived at Jack's dock at 10 AM, it seemed my suspicions had been correct. But wait...those look like buds, not pods. Could it be that I just need to wait until later in the day for them to open up? I took photos of the foliage and then paddled off to pull Jewelweed from one of the few pieces of shoreline I can access from the 'yak. Jewelweed is a nasty invasive. I'm winning the war on a 2000' stretch, but the lake is heavily infested, and I'm essentially trying to dip the ocean dry with a teaspoon.

So, bow full of jewelweed, I returned to Jack's dock about an hour and a half later. Sure enough, some of the Sundews' cute little shepherd's-crook stems had open flowers. Now that I understand the daily phenology a little better, I can plan subsequent trips accordingly. Currently, Jack's dock represents the only population of Sundews on the lake, but they are amazingly healthy. In fact, when I spoke with Jack and said I was checking on "my kids," he replied, "I babysit them every day!" Despite the fact that he calls them "those Venus fly-trap things," he realizes he has something special.

It was a rather social outing for me. My other lakeshore friend Jim invited me up for lemonade. We sat for half an hour, looking out over the lake from his porch, skirting any mention of the woes of the world the better to enjoy the peace of the moment.