Low Water

At Coot Slough, looking north from Lindberg Road. Usually this is standing water. But it has been dry lately.

Wabash River at Lafayette. This is low water too. Both pictures were taken October 24, 2010.

Link to Wabash River level:

New England aster and Switchgrass

This rain garden on the courthouse square is planted with native plants. The purple flowers on the left are New England asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). The grass on the right is switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). It's getting pretty common to be seeing switchgrass used as ornamental grass around here these days. You can find switchgrass in its original native habitat out at Black Rock. The low growing plant in the front is purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) although the flowers are long gone for the season. The narrow leaved plant in front of the asters is probably some kind of iris. Picture taken October 24, 2010.

Link to previous post on Symphyotrichum novae-angliae:

Link to Panicum virgatum:

Link to previous post on Echinacea purpurea:

Link to rain garden:

Link to Black Rock:

Wabash River in Wells County

The Wabash is a much smaller river in Wells County. Looking upstream in this view, at Acres Along the Wabash Nature Preserve in Wells County. October 8, 2010.

Link to Acres Along the Wabash Nature Preserve:

Link to Wabash River flow near Bluffton:

Solidago caesia

This is one of the common woodland goldenrods, Solidago caesia. This is in the ACRES nature preserve in Wells County, Acres Along the Wabash. Picture taken October 8, 2010.

Link to Acres Along the Wabash Nature Preserve:

Link to Solidago caesia:

Mullein

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), in front of a soybean field in Gibson County. Picture taken October 7, 2010.

Link to Verbascum thapsus:

Link to Verbascum thapsus:

Link to Verbascum thapsus:

Tumbleweed Amaranth and Fall Panicum

This tumbleweed amaranth (Amaranthus albus) has a striking red fall coloration. The straw-colored plant behind the tumbleweed is fall panicum (Panicum dichotomiflorum). In Allen County, east of Fort Wayne, along Doyle Road. This land is at the west end of what was once known as the Great Black Swamp, the bed of the ancient Lake Maumee. Picture taken October 8, 2010.

Link to tumbleweed:

Link to Amaranthus albus:

Link to Amaranthus albus:

Link to Panicum dichotomiflorum:

Link to Great Black Swamp:

Link to Glacial Lake Maumee:

Pokeweed in October

Pokeweed gets big and red and scary in the fall. Only plant I know of that looks scarier than the red stems of pokeweed is the vicious looking thorns of the honey locust. This pokeweed was growing on a roadside in Gibson County, October 7, 2010.

Link to previous post on pokeweed (Phytolacca americana):

Link to previous post on pokeweed (Phytolacca americana):

Link to previous post on pokeweed (Phytolacca americana):

Oriental bittersweet

The colorful fruits of oriental bittersweet vine (Celastrus orbiculatus). This vine is along the Monon Trail, near Greyhound Pass, in Westfield, Hamilton County.

Celastrus orbiculatus vines wrap around the trunk of a sycamore tree in typical fashion. At the Nature Park at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Marion County. Both pictures taken September 25, 2010.

Link to Celastrus orbiculatus:

Link to previous post on Celastrus orbiculatus:

Hydrophyllum

This Hydrophyllum has found it doesn't need dirt to grow in, a fallen log is suitable enough. Possibly it is Hydrophyllum macrophyllum. At the nature park at Indianapolis Museum of Art, Marion County. Picture taken September 25, 2010.

Link to early Hydrophyllum leaves:

Link to Hydrophyllum:

Link to Hydrophyllum macrophyllum:

Link to Hydrophyllum appendiculatum:

Link to IMA Nature Park: