“Bumble Bee & Sawtooth Sunflower” by Olivia Onago

Plant(s): Common Eastern Bumble Bee – Bombus impatiens, Sawtooth Sunflower – Helianthus grosseserratus
Photo Story: This was the first year that I grew a Sawtooth Sunflower after picking up a young plant at a recent Wild Ones sale, and the species is quickly becoming one of my favorites! During its magnificent bloom, the flowers were constantly covered in different pollinator species and was truly a sight to behold. The bumble bees specifically were so content and overjoyed with the blooms that I was able to walk right up and snap this close-up. I think this photo perfectly sums up the joy that I, and all other native growers, feel when our hard work pays off in the form of buzzing bees, soaring butterflies, and beautiful blooms.
Equipment: iPhone 14 Pro
Photo ID: 32539

“Rocky Mountain Alpine Fleabane” by Neal Bringe

Plant(s): Rocky Mountain Alpine Fleabane (Erigeron Grandiflorus)
Photo Story: I love to learn what plants grow above 12,000 feet elevation. On July twelfth there still was a good amount of snow to hike through to get to the Cottonwood Pass Peak. Once on top there were many wildflowers and butterflies that were in perfect condition. I was drawn to the plant featured because it showed the flowers in various stages of bloom. The earliest stages showed the hairy phyllaries that protect the flower bud. I thought the phyllaries were remarkable and add interest to the scene at about 12,530 feet elevation.
Equipment: Cannon PowerShot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32540

“Plant Sale” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): not applicable
Photo Story: This is a photo of our plant sale set-up crew – after set-up! This sale happens in the spring and is our big fundraiser for the year.
Equipment: Samsung phone
Photo ID: 32541

“Lady’s Slippery and White Admirals” by Vicki Alldritt

Plant(s): Cypripedium arietinum, Pink Lady’s Slippery
Limenitis arthemis , White Admiral
Photo Story: Found these Lady’s Slippery and butterflies on a Father’s Day hike at Long Lake.
Equipment: I phone 12
Photo ID: 32542

“Michigan Lily” by Leslie Alldritt

Plant(s): Lilium michiganense, Turk’s-Cap Lily
Photo Story: This lily is growing in the ditch along the Washburn High School pollinator garden.
Equipment: I-phone 12
Photo ID: 32543

“Aptgardens” by John Magee

Plant(s): There are probably too many species in the picture to name accurately, but some highlights would be Wild Quinine (Parthenum integrifolium), Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum), Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa), Green Headed Coneflower (Rudbekia laciniata), Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Photo Story: This is a pollinator garden created on some HOA common grounds in the Village of Ashburn Village in Northern Virginia. It was the first of it’s kind in the county and is home to many pollinators as they pass through the area.
Equipment: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Photo ID: 32544

“Evening View” by John Magee

Plant(s): Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum), Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) River Birch (Betula nigra), Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virgincus)
Photo Story: This is not a natural scene, but an installed landscape made to look wild using native plants and being limited by the owner as to wanting only white, blue and green flowers. The land was also contoured to accommodate storm water run-off from their roof and surrounding areas with two large rain gardens.
Equipment: Samsung SM-A505U1 1.42mm f 2.2
Photo ID: 32545

“Fawn” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): n/a
Photo Story: I was with a group on a botany walk at Shaw Nature Reserve when we spotted a deer. We stood and watched as first one, then two fawns appeared.
Equipment: Canon PowerShot SX70HS
Photo ID: 32547

“Serviceberry” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): Amelanchier arborea
Photo Story: Taken on a spring day at Little Lost Creek Conservation Area.
Equipment: Canon Power Shot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32548

“Bloodroot” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): Sanguinaria canadensis
Photo Story: Taken on a botany walk at St. Francois State Park.
Equipment: Canon Power Shot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32549

“Mailbox” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): Purple coneflower – Echinacea purpurea; rose verbena – Verbena canadensis; Liatris pycnostachya; butterfly weed – Asclepias tuberosa; royal catchfly – Silene regia
Photo Story: My two year old native planting at my mailbox.
Equipment: Canon Power Shot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32550

“Whitmire Wildflower Garden” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): Indian pink, purple coneflower, many others
Photo Story: Taken at Shaw Nature Reserve in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden – part of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Equipment: Canon Power Shot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32551

“Shaw Nature Reserve” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): Liatris, mountain mint, purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Photo Story: Visitor center at Shaw Nature Reserve – part of the Missouri Botanical Garden
Equipment: Canon Power Shot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32552

“It’s a Tough Life” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): Danaus plexippus (Monarch) on thistle
Photo Story: Not sure exactly where this was taken, but in Missouri
Equipment: Canon Power Shot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32553

“Fritillary” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): great spangled fritillary – Speyeria cybele on Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower)
Photo Story: Taken at Cuivre River State Park
Equipment: Canon Power Shot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32554

“Elephant Rocks” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): lots of oaks 😉
Photo Story: Taken on a hiking trip to Elephant Rocks State Park in late October.
Equipment: samsung phone
Photo ID: 32555

“Forest Park” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): multiple
Photo Story: Master naturalists had gathered in Forest Park to do a mini photography workshop.
Equipment: Canon Power Shot SX70HS
Photo ID: 32556

“Plant Sale Help” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): n/a
Photo Story: One of our Wild Ones members helping a shopper at our annual plant sale at Shaw Nature Reserve.
Equipment: samsung phone
Photo ID: 32557

“Mountain Goats Grazing” by Neal Bringe

Plant(s): Elephant Heads (Pedicularis groenlandica)
Photo Story: I was heading to a hiking trail on the Beartooth Highway. It was cold even at 10 AM in the morning. The morning sun was shinning on a steep mountainside, so I stopped to explore there first. I was delighted to see some of my favorite butterflies (Colorado Alpine) among the daisies and took many pictures. Then I was stunned to see a group of mountain goats heading up the mountainside grazing among the wildflowers. They were quite far off, but I to my delight I managed to capture this colorful photograph with a soft focus.
Equipment: Cannon PowerShot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32558

“Spotted Saxifrage” by Neal Bringe

Plant(s): Spotted Saxifrage (Saxifraga bronchialis)
Photo Story: The Devil’s Head Trail is one of my wife’s favorite for a day hike near our home. It goes up 865 feet through aspen and pine trees. The moist woods allowed mushrooms and this moss-like plant to grow around 9,000 feet elevation. The Spotted Saxifrage was on a slope, so I was able to zoom in close to show the incredible design of the tiny flowers. It was my best photograph of the flower of this species.
Equipment: Cannon PowerShot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32566

“Abundance” by Eileen Whelan

Plant(s): Purple Joe Pye Weed. Eutrochium purpureum
Photo Story: What caught my attention was the labored movement of this magnificent bee and upon closer inspection I saw it was covered in pollen and still enjoying the Joe Pye Weed. It was quite a sight to see in my backyard.
Equipment: Apple I Phone 13
Wide Camera 26mm f1.6
Photo ID: 32568

“Eggs Are For Laying” by Eileen Whelan

Plant(s): Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillata
Photo Story: On my daily search for caterpillars and eggs I spotted this gorgeous Monarch laying eggs on Whorled Milkweed. I am so amazed everyday by the insects that make their home or trust their future to my backyard.
Equipment: I Phone 13
Wide Camera 26mm f1.6
Photo ID: 32569

“Monarch” by Kali Longworth

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly on milkweed plant.
Photo Story: Photographer: Kali Longworth

We have planted several milkweed plants in our garden, and in mid June, I was lucky enough to watch monarch caterpillars munch on the milkweed and begin to grow. While I unfortunately didn’t get to watch them in the cocoon as I was out of town, I have been lucky enough to watch them fly around our garden since we got back. I’d been trying to capture a photo of one for about a week or so, and my chance finally came. I was photographing bees on a nearby plant when the monarch came. It was almost posing for me, and let me take several shots of its beautifully patterned wings before flying away. Out of the ones I got, this was my favorite shot.
Equipment: Nikon D7000 with 18-105 mm lens
Photo ID: 32571

“Michigan Backyard Summer Day” by Erich Jensen

Plant(s): Blazing Star Liatris and Purple Coneflower with Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Photo Story: Erich Jensen
Equipment: iPhone 13 Mini
Photo ID: 32574

“Eye of the woods” by Dan Holtmeyer

Plant(s): Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), stair-step moss (Hylocomium splendens) and various other epiphytic plants
Photo Story: The photographer’s husband takes a closer look at a bigleaf maple arching over the Hall of Mosses trail in Olympic National Park, creating the appearance of a large eye gazing at the viewer — perhaps a reminder to watch our step, literally and figuratively. Here, stair-step moss and other epiphytic plants create a thick layer of life upon every available surface, an ostentatious example of the interwoven ecosystems that cover every square inch of the world around us.
Equipment: Canon G9X
Photo ID: 32575

“Calypso” by Dan Holtmeyer

Plant(s): Calypso orchid or fairy slipper (Calypso bulbosa), stair-step moss (Hylocomium splendens)
Photo Story: A calypso or fairy slipper orchid pokes a few inches out of a carpet of moss like a pink firework on the Thunder Knob Trail in North Cascades National Park. The flower provides no nectar, tricking insects into providing pollination for no reward.
Equipment: Canon G9X
Photo ID: 32576

“Last blooms” by Dan Holtmeyer

Plant(s): Bluestem goldenrod (Solidago caesia)
Photo Story: A bluestem or woodland goldenrod’s small yellow flowers and beaten-up leaves give one last splash of color in the understory gloom during an October hike in the Ozark National Forest in northwest Arkansas.
Equipment: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Photo ID: 32577

“Hoh River” by Dan Holtmeyer

Plant(s): Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
Photo Story: A pileated woodpecker flits across the Hoh River near the entrance to Olympic National Park’s Hoh Rainforest, a dreamy scene that captures one aspect of the Pacific Northwest’s conifer woodland: It might not always be raining, but it’s always thinking about raining.
Equipment: Canon G9X
Photo ID: 32578

“Bee Fly on Blanket Flower” by Bryan Dahlvang

Plant(s): Bee Fly on Blanket Flower
Photo Story: While walking along the shoreline of Ft. Cobb Lake, I saw several Bee Flies sipping nectar from some Blanket Flowers and I was amazed at this one’s eyes. I’d never seen one with eyes like this before.
Equipment: Canon 80D with 100mm Macro lens
Photo ID: 32579

“Bison on the Prairie” by Bryan Dahlvang

Plant(s): Bison in prairie grass
Photo Story: This photo was taken in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge near Lawton, OK
Equipment: Canon 80D with 150 – 600mm zoom lens
Photo ID: 32580