Hiking in the Albany Pine Bush has been fascinating! There are so many species of plants. Yes, some are invasives and they need to be cut and weeded out. This is a terrible job considering that things like Asian bittersweet are choking out native plants and smothering bushes and even trees! But the battle to stop the invasives so that native plants can thrive continues and it is well worth it! 

For example, we found Dotted Horsemint. Just a couple of plants by the side of the trial. I emailed the Albany Pine Bush Commission to find out what it was because I couldn't find it in my wildflower book. The woman who responded described it so well, she said, "I really do love the pale purple color of the modified leaves around the flower whorls." 

Yes, it was amazing! On another hike, we saw whole patches of the horsemint. The open fields were covered with so many varieties of plants and the horsemint stood out as it turned from purple to white in its "aging" process.

There are special places so close to us. In this Covid time when we are trying to stay close to home, check out the natural areas that are often overlooked. They contain fascinating treasures! What is your favorite local treasure?

Dotted Horsemint (photo courtesy of Tracy Watson)



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