Red Maple (Bear Claw/Hanging Bat)

Mountain Maples (Rocky Mountain/

I grouped a number of maples show here under the Mountain Maple banner, including what may be Rocky Mountian Maple,

Silver Tip Maple

By contrast the regal Sugar maple, the Silver Tip is a much scrappier tree. The leaves seem to line the branches, and without the ballish bulk of the Sugar Maple. The Silver leaf may posses one or several trunks. The leaf too is less "direct" with three to five very gagged, deep lobes. When blown in the wind (and before fall) the silver tip often flashes its light white (silver?) leafed underbelly

"Beechy" Maple

Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua

(Recycle)

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Altingiaceae
Genus: Liquidambar
Species: L. styraciflua

Liquidambar styraciflua

The most obvious attribute of the Sweetgum, is a leaf that looks like star -- However, the stars range from kind of blocky to deeply lobed. The other attribute, known quickly by anyone who has an American Sweetgum in his yard, is the stickery "mine-ball" seed" - a great weapon or a nuisance under the heal.

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As a camera toting teenager, I called them "Kix ball trees" - with Kix referencing the cereal, which in turn referenced the fact that a Sweetgum in fall can showcase almost any color...all at once, and spangled throughout the form.

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In the wild, Sweet gum tend to grow thin and tall, and will along the roadside, take on the form of a tall colonnade. (they lack the bulk of either oak or maple)

for more info see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sweetgum

and for an odd gum ball use

Saltbush - Rabbitbush

Early October, bush starts with cream green look, then presses white over the weeks.

This bush is over 9 feet tall.

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Female plant with very visable white pappus seed hairs.

Male Plant (I initially thought that this was another species, or just a saltbush pre-bloom, but didn't understand why this one bush should be out of sync with the others in the area and with a different distribution "weight". Turns out it is the male of the species, and even had a different smell, much like sage.

Baccharis halimifolia

aka:  Rabbit bush, Salt bush

October 24, 2009  (These are from years past, with some stages more advanced than what we see right now.)

A hearty thanks to Gary Tucker who was able to identify this plant, and who helped me solve another riddle. I had noted plants seemingly of this same species, that appeared to be out of sync with the others, and still green. Turns out they were the males of the species.

Gary writes:
Your plant is saltbush or rabbitbush, Baccharis halimifolia . It is of widespread occurrence in Arkansas w/ exception that it is largely absent from mountain regions of NW Arkansas. Very common in Arkansas River Valley, coastal plain, and Delta regions. There are male and female plants. The colorful plants with an abundance of white are the female plants, with the white representing a group of hairs (called the pappus) on the seeds. The male plants are typically growing among the female plants but are not showy because they lack the white hairs on the seeds.

Thank you,

Gary E. Tucker, PhD
Senior Botanist
FTN Associates, Ltd.

Snapshot: 10/8/09 Golden glow near the Car Wash

The Big Legume

Not sure what this stuff is yet.  Looks like Daisy Fleabane, but a bit raggitier.

I will confess to being a little dazzled by the number of butterflies in a small space.  Turns out the Monarchs are migrating to Mexico, and can be seen in groups or lone flappers, all by themselves headed south.  Someone showed me how to distinguish the males, but since I don't have a good pic that shows the difference, I will just see if I can snag another picture.  All pics taken next to the car wash off of Hogan Lane Near Dave Ward, Across from the "New Walmart", Conway, Arkansas

cloud grass

Waiting on both ID and better pictures:)

without the dew, this grass appears to have a thin purple hue, but with dew, it takes on the look of cloud

Grass, Id waiting

(Recycle)

Grass: waiting on an ID

Gardenia

Who would have thought this to be Gardenia time? But our bush outside the house keeps sqeezing them out at the rate of one or two blooms per day. (Areas to the North have managed first frost, be we are still in waiting.