“Ox Eye Sunflower” by Jessica Ausnehmer

Plant(s): Ox Eye Sunflower
Photo Story: Ox Eye Sunflower in the garden of my front yard next to the telephone pole.
Equipment: Phone – Samsung S22
Photo ID: 33686

“Bee Hyssop” by Daniel Higgins

Plant(s): Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Photo Story: This is the first year I’ve grown anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) in my backyard. It didn’t take long for this native plant to get the bumble bees buzzing.
Equipment: Canon Rebel EOS T3, EFS 18-55 mm (macro 0.25 m) lens
Photo ID: 33688

“Wallace Lake in January” by Jessica Ausnehmer

Plant(s): Black Cherry, Black Walnut, Red Maple, Hickory, and many other types of trees
Photo Story: This picture was taken from my back deck overlooking Wallace Lake in January.
Equipment: Phone Samsung S22
Photo ID: 33689

“Looking Up Winter Forest” by Jessica Ausnehmer

Plant(s): Black Cherry, Hickory, Red Maple, and many other trees.
Photo Story: Looking up at the native trees while walking in the Cleveland Metroparks near Wallace Lake.
Equipment: Phone Samsung S22
Photo ID: 33690

“GBL” by Daniel Higgins

Plant(s): Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
Photo Story: The closer you get, the more great blue lobelia impresses.
Equipment: Canon EOS Rebel T3, EFS 18-55 mm (0.25 m Macro) lens
Photo ID: 33691

“Coreopsis Drink” by Daniel Patterson

Plant(s): Tawny-edged skipper (Polites themistocles), Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
Photo Story: A Tawny-edge skipper nectaring on one of the Lanceleaf Coreopsis flowers in my yard; the Coreopsis was planted this year and was a surprise that it bloomed at all this summer.
Equipment: Nikon D7100, Nikkor 18-200mm lens
Photo ID: 33692

“Swamp Milkweed and Monarch Caterpillar” by Jessica Ausnehmer

Plant(s): Swamp Milkweed and Monarch Caterpillar
Photo Story: I was walking in my front garden one morning and saw this in the morning light.
Equipment: Phone Samsung S22
Photo ID: 33693

“Joe Pye Weed” by Mary Tworek-Tupper

Plant(s): Joe Pye Weed, Bur Oak Trees
Photo Story: Beautiful Walk on a Perfect Summer Day
Equipment: I phone 14 Pro Max
Photo ID: 33694

“Scarlet Beauty” by Daniel Patterson

Plant(s): Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth (Cosmosoma myrodora), Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum)
Photo Story: A female visits the flowers of Late Boneset in the Pokeberry Patch, a spot on our property that burned in the Spring of 2022 and filled up with all of the moth’s favorite plants (Late Boneset, Common Boneset, Dogfennel, Florida Key’s Hempvine)
Equipment: Nikon D7100, Nikkor 18-200mm
Photo ID: 33695

“Monarch on Butterfly Weed” by Mary Tworek-Tupper

Plant(s): Monarch Butterfly on Butterfly Weed
Photo Story: Working in my garden and was very happy to find a monarch!
Equipment: Iphone 14 Max
Photo ID: 33697

“Swallow Tail” by Daniel Higgins

Plant(s): Sweet Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)
Photo Story: Sweet Joe Pye Weed is one of the most visited plants by pollinators of all kinds including Swallowtails.
Equipment: Canon EOS Rebel T3, EFS 155 mm lens
Photo ID: 33698

“Cooter’s Bog” by Daniel Patterson

Plant(s): Pale pitcher plant (Sarracenia alata), Grassleaf Barbara’s-Buttons (Marshallia graminifolia)

(resubmitting as I did not receive a confirmation email from my first submission)
Photo Story: Taken during Louisiana Master Naturalist training visit to Cooter’s Bog with Dr. Charles Allen in August 2022
Equipment: Nikon D7100, Nikkor 18-200mm lens
Photo ID: 33699

“Whorled Milkweed with Monarch Caterpillar” by Jessica Ausnehmer

Plant(s): Whorled Milkweed with Monarch Caterpillar
Photo Story: Whorled Milkweed with Monarch Caterpillar in my front yard.
Equipment: Phone Samsung S22
Photo ID: 33700

“Monarch on Common Milkweed” by Mary Tworek-Tupper

Plant(s): Monarch on common milkweed
Photo Story: When I went to work in the Pollinator Garden planted by the Wheaton Garden Club, I was greeted by a monarch butterfly. .
Equipment: Iphone 14 Max
Photo ID: 33701

“Boneset Anole” by Daniel Patterson

Plant(s): Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis), Late Bonset (Eupatorium serotinum)
Photo Story: A lovely female Green Anole rests in the umbels of Late Boneset flowers in the Fall of 2022
Equipment: Nikon D7100, Nikkor 18-200mm lens
Photo ID: 33702

“Harebells” by Daniel Higgins

Plant(s): Harebells (Campanula rotundifolia)
Photo Story: Morning after rain is a perfect time to capture the delicate beauty of harebells.
Equipment: Canon EOS Rebel T3, EFS 55mm (0.25 macro) lens
Photo ID: 33703

“Home Garden” by Jessica Ausnehmer

Plant(s): Prairie Dropseed, Beebalm, Butterfly Weed, Yarrow, Blazing Star, Rattlesnake Master, Joe Pye Weed, Mountain Mint, and much more…
Photo Story: One of the views of my front garden.
Equipment: Phone Samsung S22
Photo ID: 33704

“Welcome to My Home” by Mary Tworek-Tupper

Plant(s): Purple Cone Flower, Common Milkweed, Wild Petunia
Photo Story: Front garden of my home welcoming visitors
Equipment: Iphone 14 Max
Photo ID: 33705

“Blazing Star” by Jessica Ausnehmer

Plant(s): Blazing Star
Photo Story: Blazing Star in my front garden.
Equipment: Phone Samsung S22
Photo ID: 33706

“Anise Hyssop” by Daniel Higgins

Plant(s): Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Photo Story: Anise hyssop provides beauty from a distance and closeup.
Equipment: Canon EOS Rebel T3, EFS 55mm (0.25 macro) lens
Photo ID: 33707

“Common Milkweed” by Jessica Ausnehmer

Plant(s): Common Milkweed
Photo Story: Common Milkweed in my front yard.
Equipment: Phone Samsung S22
Photo ID: 33709

“Spring Beauty” by Steve Berry

Plant(s): Spring Beauty/Claytonia virginica
Photo Story: We were in the area for a wedding and carved out some time to enjoy nature. We found this beauty in Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary. This is a 15 acre plot with over 500 plants and 130 bird species. Ms Butler was a botany teacher. She and 3 other botany teachers asked for a small portion of a park to set up a “wild garden.” It is a lovely place to relax near a big metropolis.
Equipment: Canon EOS R5, taken with an RF 100-500mm lens, at 500mm.
Photo ID: 33737

“Pleasant Surprise” by Cathleen Rendon

Plant(s): Drymocallis arguta
Photo Story: I have been establishing a new wildflower garden and this native appeared for the first time.
Equipment: Apple iPhone
Photo ID: 33765

“Pollen is ready” by Patty Berry

Plant(s): Yellow coneflower/Echinacea paradoxa, Purple poppy mallow/Callirhoe involucrata, Shrubby St John’s wort/Hypericum prolifcum (background)
Photo Story: In 2020, my husband and I won the first “Landscape Challenge” for the new St. Charles Wildones chapter. This is a project done with volunteers of our chapter, and supported by GrowNative.org thru The Missouri Prairie Foundation. Each year a lucky homeowner is awarded up to $500 in plants, including a design and labor to install, as well as support from the chapter. This garden was planted in September of that year. THe garden has filled in nicely, and this photo was taken May 30, 2023. I wanted to show what the sidewalk view is, as we get a lot of pedestrian traffic on our street which is why we won the garden. The house is in the background of this photo, but I really wanted to show the beauty of these yellow coneflowers.
Equipment: Apple IPhone 13Pro
Photo ID: 33766

“The Meadows Are Alive!” by Patty Berry

Plant(s): Prairie blazing star/Liatris pycnostachya
Photo Story: In July of 2022 my husband and I participated in the Grand Opening of the Sheldon L Cook Memorial Meadow, near Golden City, MO. This MPF property had an area just filled with blooming Prairie blazing stars. Steve struck this pose that reminded me of Julie Andrews in “The Sound Of Music”.
Equipment: Apple IPhone 13Pro
Photo ID: 33767

“Hungry, Hungry, Caterpillar” by Patty Berry

Plant(s): Spicebush/Lindera benzoin and Spicebush swallowtail caterpillar/Papilia trolius
Photo Story: We planted a couple Spicebush(es) a couple years ago, and since then I have searched for signs of caterpillars. My patience was rewarded this year! While these guys normally hide in a “leaf taco” during the day, I found this one munching away recently. After I got some video with my IPhone I ran and got my mirrorless camera and macro lens, and was able to capture the beauty of this (not yet a pollinator) eating machine. I hope I get to see it in it’s adult form sometime soon.
Equipment: Canon EOS R7 with EF 100mm Macro lens.
Photo ID: 33768

“Big Red” by Patty Berry

Plant(s): Red buckeye/Aesculus pavia
Photo Story: It was late April and the Red buckeyes were in full bloom. I was looking for hummingbirds. While I did not see any on this trip, I still liked the shape and colors in this native garden at the Weldon Spring Interpretive Site.
Equipment: Apple IPhone 13Pro
Photo ID: 33769

“Hunter Gatherer” by Patty Berry

Plant(s): Hoary vervain/Verbena stricta and Gray-head coneflower/Ratibida pinata, Common milkweed/Ascleias syriaca, among others.
Photo Story: My husband and I took a trip north to Wisconsin to escape the summer heat in Missouri. We love Horicon NWR so made sure to stop there. We stopped at the (closed) visitor center, but were not disappointed to find native plantings and these sculptures. I liked the composition.
Equipment: Apple IPhone 13Pro
Photo ID: 33770

“Pale purple coneflower seed head” by Patty Berry

Plant(s): Pale purple coneflower/Echinacea pallida
Photo Story: I was looking for some macro photo ops in our front yard native garden, loved the colors in this seed head.
Equipment: Canon EOS R& with EF 100mm Macro lens
Photo ID: 33771

“Three Amigos” by Patty Berry

Plant(s): Columbine/Aquilegia canadensis
Photo Story: I found these three blooms in my front native bed and liked the composition, and light
Equipment: Canon EOS R& with EF 100mm Macro lens
Photo ID: 33773