Moon day 19
Starts Jun 13, 2025 11:12 PM
Ends Jun 14, 2025 11:47 PM
Lots of new plants coming to the fore, now that dandelions, garlic mustard, and dames rocket, three highly invasive species not native to North America that have dominated the GAP right-of-way up until now, have largely gone to seed.
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| Indian hemp, a native of North America. Its fibrous stems were used by Native Americans to make textiles and cordage (click on photos for enlargements). |
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| Indian hemp |
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| Indian hemp |
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| Herb-Robert, or Mountain geranium, another native of North America |
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| Herb-Robert, or Mountain geranium |
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| The lovely foxglove beardtongue. Another native, although at first it appeared only in the Mississippi watershed, now has spread through northeast America. |
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| Foxglove beardtongue |
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Foxglove beardtongue
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| The showy Viper’s bugloss, a native of Eurasia, introduced into America |
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| Viper’s bugloss |
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| The dainty little Hedge bedstraw, a native of Eurasia |
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Witches broom is flourishing. Despite its ubiquitousness in North America and its prominent place in American folklore, it is not a native of North America. It was introduced by European settlers who valued its Medicinal Qualities, and perhaps by witches who wanted to utilize its alleged Magical Properties.
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| A second year witches broom plant |
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A second year witches broom plant with stalk just emerging. The stalk can get up to five feet long by the end of summer. This is when witches gather it to use as a broomstick on which they fly through the air, at least according to legend. Others maintain they are just hallucinating.
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| Cow parsnip, or Wild celery. Also known as Satan’s celery. A native of North America. |
Cow parsnip, the young stalks of which are edible (Alaskan Natives living in the rain forests of southern Alaska gather it in considerable quantities), has flowers which closely resemble
Poison Hemlock, the deadliest plant in North America. The leaves and the stalks are quite different, however.
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| Artemisia growing the GAP. Although probably not Artemisia Vulgaris, the most famous species of artemisia, it smells very much the same and probably has similar qualities. Dried, it makes a great incense, legendary for dispelling negative influences. Handfuls thrown on a campfire will also drive away unwelcome visitors. |
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| Artemisia, also known as mugwort |
