Nature

Waterways of North Evanston

Submitted by jeffpsmith on Sat, 08/23/2008 - 18:31
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Looking southwest down the canal from the bridge on Green Bay just south of McCormick Blvd., at sunset. Beauty is sometimes in unexpected places.

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After Midnight

Submitted by jeffpsmith on Thu, 08/07/2008 - 14:13
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I got off the Central Street "L" stop very late one evening recently and the only light around was the glow coming from the other exit to the station, on the north side of Central. A few bikes were parked there. I thought it made a nice abstract.

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Wild Mouse

Submitted by jeffpsmith on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 18:42
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Large mouse of unknown species, photographed in its native habitat in north Evanston.

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Doe eating crabapples

Submitted by Jim Hughes on Wed, 07/23/2008 - 00:08
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Where is the Pot of Gold?

Submitted by jeffpsmith on Sun, 06/15/2008 - 20:50
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Rainbow over Green Bay Road, looking south from about Foster Street. Suggests leprechauns might be found on Sherman south of Grove.

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Historic White Oak Felled

Submitted by jeffpsmith on Tue, 06/03/2008 - 11:55
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Cross-section of a massive, majestic white oak, 4 feet in diameter, that stood on what is now 2728 Harrison Street for 275 years or more before being cut down on June 2-3, 2008. Click here for story.

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May Apple

Submitted by jeffpsmith on Wed, 05/28/2008 - 23:57
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May apple (Podophyllum peltatum) is an exotic-looking member of the barberry family.

 

The plant consists of a long, thick stalk from which flares an umbrella of irregularly-lobed leaf, with anywhere from 5 to 9 lobes. I read that these get "up" to 1' across, but I routinly get some over 15". I planted a half dozen and the second year they formed a nice little canopy. Within a few years they had tripled.

 

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Midland Shooting Star

Submitted by jeffpsmith on Wed, 05/28/2008 - 23:47
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Midland Shootingstar (Dodecatheon meadia), one of about a dozen or two shootingstar varieties, a type of primrose, is a popular wildflower found throughout the eastern US, including most Illinois counties, and a really cool perennial.

For more about Midland Shootingstar and native plants for the Midwest, especially those that do well in shade/moist areas, see the "book" on this website, Gardening with Native Plants in Shady Evanston.

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Prairie Trillium

Submitted by jeffpsmith on Wed, 05/28/2008 - 12:38
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Prairie trillium (Trillium recurvatum), found in every county in Illinois, has become one of my favorites. A bulb-based lily family member that likes shade and humusy soil in hardwood woodlands, it has three mottled or speckled leaves and a small, delicate dark red flower that appears in mid spring and never fully opens. A shy plant that needs some help to keep the lilies of the valley, scilla, and other bulb-based competition away. Supposedly hard to get going, but reportedly will self-colonize and form large masses given the right conditions.

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Canadian Wild Ginger

Submitted by jeffpsmith on Wed, 05/28/2008 - 08:51
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Canadian Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense, as its name might imply, is most commonly found in Canada, where it may have originated. It has spread, and the USDA lists its distribution as throughout most of the eastern half of the US. A hardy shade perennial that needs moisture, it has violet-like leaves on slightly fuzzy stems, and grows about 4" above the ground, forming a nice cover. In masses, it's a good native alternative to pachysandra, and looks beautiful as a low border in front of ferns.

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