Wabash River July 3, 2011

Strong storms and heavy rain Saturday night made the Wabash River rise to flood stage unusually quickly.  Here a silver maple tree broken by the storm floats past Lafayette, Sunday afternoon, July 3, 2011. 


Link to Wabash River levels:

Black-eyed Susan

Flowers that aren't planted are better than flowers that are.  This black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta) has escaped from a garden and has found its place in an alley near Wall St.  Picture taken May 25, 2011.

Link to previous post on Rudbeckia hirta:

Soldier beetles on Chestnut tree

These soldier beetles are swarming over the pistillate catkins of this chestnut tree (Castanea sp.)

 View of the catkins and bark of the chestnut tree.  Not an American chestnut tree, possibly a hybrid of European chestnut (Castanea sativa)

This chestnut tree is on the Purdue campus near Jischke Drive south of State St.  Pictures taken June 23, 2011.


Link to previous post on Cantharid beetles:

Link to Castanea:

Bouncing Bet

Bouncing Bet (Saponaria officinalis), on a sand island in Tapawingo Park, West Lafayette.  Wabash River and Lafayette in the background.  Picture taken June 26, 2011.

Link to Saponaria officinalis:

Link to Saponaria officinalis:

Link to Saponaria officinalis:

Polygonia butterfly

This butterfly rests on a leaf near the bank of the Wabash River.  View from the pedestrian bridge at Lafayette.  Possibly a Question Mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis).  Picture taken June 19, 2011.


Link to Polygonia interrogationis:

Link to Polygonia interrogationis:

Link to Polygonia interrogationis:

Soldier beetles on Conium maculatum

Soldier beetles swarm over a Conium maculatum plant.  In southern Tippecanoe County, June 18, 2011.  Conium maculatum, also called poison hemlock, is a very common plant in this area. 

Link to previous post on Conium maculatum:

Link to Soldier beetles:

Gray dogwood

 This gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) is at Weiler-Leopold Nature Reserve in Warren County.  The advantage of going here to see this is that there is a label that identifies it.  So if you want to know what a gray dogwood looks like, come here to see this example.  Gray dogwood is one of the most common dogwood shrubs around here but the different dogwood shrubs can be difficult to tell apart.

View showing the panicle of white flowers and the olive brown color of the new twigs and the gray color of the old bark. After the flowers fade the gray dogwood has white berries.

Pictures taken June 18, 2011.

Link to Cornus racemosa:

Link to Cornus racemosa:

Link to Cornus racemosa:

Link to Weiler-Leopold Reserve: