The town, named after the PawPaw River, which in turn was named by the indigenous people after the pawpaw trees that grew along it, has a population of about 3500. Though the downtown preserves some historic feel, the town has not exactly embraced its namesake. Grapes ornament the town logo on the water tower and elsewhere, not pawpaws.
Upon arrival, I asked my phone where I might find a pawpaw in Paw Paw, and was directed to the post office, where I navigated past redbuds and callery pears before finding this pawpaw tucked around the side.News from the preserves, parks and backyards of Princeton, NJ. The website aims to acquaint Princetonians with our shared natural heritage and the benefits of restoring native diversity and beauty to the many preserved lands in and around Princeton.
Monday, August 12, 2024
Finding Pawpaws in Paw Paw, Michigan
Friday, May 17, 2024
Campus Grounds Sprout Local Flora
Saturday, November 11, 2023
The Pleasure and Aesthetics of Native Seed Collection
Harvest of wild senna, seen in the first photo at a lovely stage when the leaves contrast with the dark seed pods, can be postponed considerably, as the pods hold onto the seeds for months.
The bright, fluffy clusters of ironweed seeds are easy to identify on stems that can reach 8 feet.Thursday, September 07, 2023
Pilewort--A Native Weed With Hidden Flowers and Showy Seeds
Some plants have it all backward. Flowers are supposed to provide the show; the seeds, not so much.
But with pilewort, its the seeds that catch the eye, clustered in raggedy bunches that look like cotton.Tuesday, September 05, 2023
Obedient Plant: Big Pink in a Season of Yellows
Among sun-loving native flowers of summer, the so-called obedient plant shows up all fresh and fulgent just as the party is starting to wind down. Each year it catches me by surprise with its pink when so many other flowers--sunflowers, cutleaf coneflowers, Silphiums, Heleniums--go with yellow.
Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) is also off my radar because it is risky to plant. Its tubular flowers may obediently remain sideways if you push them, but the plant itself spreads aggressively underground. Not surprisingly, it's in the mint family, known for roots that spread hither and yon.That's why this gardener on Grover Ave was so smart to plant it between a sidewalk and the road, where its capacity to spread is limited.
A similar strategy to curb its spread was used in front of Jay's Bike Shop.Thursday, August 03, 2023
The Pleasures of American and European Elderberries
One of my favorite shrubs, the elderberry, took on new facets and dimensions this year.
When I was a kid, we'd drive out to the countryside and harvest its berries, clustered on broad disks. What they lacked in size they made up for in numbers. Brought home in big brown paper grocery bags, they were soon on their way to becoming delicious jelly and pies. We made jelly out of wild grapes, too, but elderberries had a flavor all their own. It took a little time to strip all those small berries off the stalks, but the reward lasted all year.Our friend Joanna served as mentor and activator, directing us to pick the clusters when all the flowers were open but still fresh. For best flavor, one website suggests picking the flowers in mid to late morning.
Some Caution
Some recipes are less concerned than others about including any fragments of the green stems, which are toxic. Only the flowers and the cooked ripe berries are edible. We stripped the petals off the stems by hand, which is time consuming but delivers good results.
Making the SyrupOne bit of news from the turbulent, restless world of scientific nomenclature: the elderberry has been uprooted from its long-running membership in the Caprifoliaceae family and now rubs phylogenetic branches with Viburnums and a couple other genera in the Moschatel family, also known as the Adoxaceae.
A Curious Variety of European ElderberryTuesday, July 11, 2023
Harrison Street Park: Contrasting Tales of Trees and Wildflowers
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Sedges Have Edges, and the Blessing of Wet Ground
This one has elongated seedheads in clusters. I'll call it sallow sedge (Carex lurida).
Another sedge I've been dividing and moving to new locations--in my front yard and at the Barden in Herrontown Woods--has distinctive seedheads that look like stars. Having enjoyed calling this morning star sedge, I was surprised to find Seek calling it Gray's sedge, but these are just two common names for the same plant, Carex grayi.
Friday, May 19, 2023
Some Flowering Trees and Shrubs in Mid-May
and pagoda dogwood
pawpaw hanging promisingly