A recent walk in the Sourland Mountains revealed Violet Wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea) with its clover-like leaves mingling with violets and Virginia Creeper, bright white Dewberry blossoms, large leaf blades of Wild Comfrey (Cynoglossum virginianum) topped with delicate sprays of pale blue flowers, and a last glimpse of Showy Orchids (Galearis spectabilis) before they fade for the season, hidden among ferns and fruiting Bellworts (Uvularia sp.) under arching branches of Spicebush.
Brightly colored snipe and robber flies dashed about to catch their meals, making their living by eating other insects. Meanwhile spiders waited quietly for a snack to come to them. In contrast to their name, Scorpianflies are so benign that they feed on insects that are already dead, including leftovers from spider webs.
Ferns spectacularly line the trails, many of them invisible a month ago.
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- Violet Wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea)
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- Violet Wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea)
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- Yellow Star-grass or Common goldstar (Hypoxis hirsuta)
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- Blackberry
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- Wild Comfrey (Cynoglossum virginianum)
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- Showy Orchid (Galearis spectabilis)
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- Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata)
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- Tuliptree Petal
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- Robber Fly
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- Golden-backed Snipe Fly
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- Snipe Fly (Chrysopilus ornatus)
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- Scorpianfly (Panorpa sp.)
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- Orchard Orbweaver (Leucauge venusta)
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- Christmas Fern
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- Rattlesnake Fern
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- Marginal Wood Fern
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- New York Fern
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- Maidenhair Fern
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- Evergreen Wood Fern
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- Spinulose Wood Fern
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- Lady Fern
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- Sensitive Fern
The Natural Web 
What beautiful photographs! I’m so glad I found your website.
Thank you!
The Sourland Mountains look like a beautiful place to enjoy the ntural world! I love the details of your descriptions & photos of the plants and insects.
Thank you! The Sourlands are a treasure.
Love tulip trees. We have a big one in the rear corner of our property. It’s been here longer than most of the people in this neighborhood. Many of the others were down because their “messy”.
Tuliptree’s flowers are beautiful! It makes sense when you realize this tree is a member of the Magnolia family. They’re also very nectar rich – bees love them. And Tuliptrees are food plants for the caterpillars of Tiger Swallowtail butterflies. So that’s why you see those striking yellow and black striped butterflies flying in the treetops!