It looks idyllic. But among the bulrushes, Purple Loosestrife is starting to spread. This is a non-native wetlands plant that can outgrow native aquatic plants on which wildlife depends. It chokes out the other vegetation and soon becomes the dominant species. This threatens the hundreds of species of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, fish and amphibians that rely on healthy wetland habitat for their survival.
And looking in the other direction.....
.... something to steer clear of, a huge wasps nest. This is in the tree next to the crabapple tree, so perhaps crabapple jelly isn't such a good idea after all.
Purple Loosestrife's nick name is "the beautiful killer." It really is a gorgeous plant... I've seen quite a bit of it down here, even along the highways.
ReplyDeleteNow, that wasp nest is huge! Is it included in the "conservation" deal? >8()
Great shots the wasp nest looks like a good place to stay clear of, I really like the shot of the water through the cattails.
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful killer, isn't it. I first became familiar with it when I lived in Wisconsin. It was all along the highways there.
ReplyDeleteFirst, everything looked so nice and perfect, then came some more negative descriptions. Good, we must be honest. (I followed the example on my blog today, showing something not so positive as I usually do.)
ReplyDeleteThree very good photographs, I love the top one and the tree relections, I have never seen or heard of the 'beautiful killer' but I guess the name suits it right down to its roots. We have simalar stuff here that invades then destroys habits.
ReplyDeleteThis wasp nest is a belter, no wonder the crab apples are so full of fruit, who want to risk that. But what a good spot the wasps picked in the first place... a bumper crop just for them.
Amazing that you got that close to that wasp nest, that thing is big.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen such a nest!!! Never seen that plant either, but it looks a bit like rose-bay-willow-herb.
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a plant! It is always a balancing act, isn't it? The good and the bad....Lord! But it is wonderful that thgis place has been deemed to be preserved..Now, do they take care of getting rid of this bad plant that is so threatening? I hope so.
ReplyDeleteThat's a monster nest!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen that inasive plant, but we have our own - Scotch Broom. I get so angry at it sometimes. But aren't we all invasive species..
Loosestrife was a big invasive in western Mass. when I lived there. Haven't seen it here, though.
ReplyDeleteHmmm! Crabtree jelly & honey would be mighty nice :-)
ReplyDeleteWait, wasp do not produce honey. Never mind.
Don't you just wonder about Nature and the survival of the fittest and all that! Talk about a "man eat man" world! And what would Mother Nature say about that?
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