Category Archives: Dogs

Fuyu persimmons 2025-09-28

Update 2025-10-05: Persimmons to eat and to dehydrate 2025-10-05.

A very flavorful fruit, and sweet but not too sweet. Perfect to go with breakfast oatmeal.

[Persimmons on the tree, 2025-09-28 --jsq for OPF]
Persimmons on the tree, 2025-09-28 –jsq for OPF

These are Fuyu persimmons, a variety of the Japanese persimmon, Diospyros kaki.

Many moons that tree has been there since Gretchen planted it. This year it’s really bearing fruit. Continue reading →

Beautyberry 2025-06-15

Beautyberry fruits are setting: the flower petals are falling off and revealing the berries.

Not only are the flowers and berries pleasing violet colors, the leaves repel insects and ticks, and you can make jelly and wine from beautyberries.

[Beautyberry fruit setting, 2025:06:15 10:36:03]
Beautyberry fruit setting, 2025:06:15 10:36:03

Once the berries get some color, you’ll see why it’s called beautyberry. They’re a pleasing violet color. The flowers are an even lighter violet. Also, the whole plant smells good. Continue reading →

Seepage slope and bog plants 2025-06-15

Twenty one species in a thousand feet down the Not-a-Driveway from piney woods through seepage slope to beaver pond.

Plus Canis familiaris and garden variety human. While we did not see any beaver, Castor canadensis, there was quite a bit of evidence of them.

Species identifications are by Seek by iNaturalist, which is usually pretty reliable. I do doubt a few of them.

For example, what seek identifies as Pineland hibiscus, Hibiscus aculeatus, sure looks to me like halberd-leaf rosemallow, Hibiscus laevis.

Far more species than these live in our subtropical paradise. These are just the plants (and fungi) I happened to focus on today.

BB

[Ten-angled pipewort or bog button, Eriocaulon decangulare, 2025:06:15 09:52:26]
Ten-angled pipewort or bog button, Eriocaulon decangulare, 2025:06:15 09:52:26

Continue reading →