New blooms

The arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) has been in bloom for over a week now. The clusters of white flowers are attractive, and a it is a good wildlife plant, both for the flowers' nectar and for the fruit in the fall. This fuzzy fellow was making good use of the shrub (and vice versa). Beardtongue (Penstemon sp.) is also blooming on the preserve. This one is growing along Piersol Road, but you can also see lots of it in the meadow on Bethesda Road. And on a dry ridgetop, cow wheat (Melampyrum lineare) that has these funky bristles at the base of some of the leaves. It's a tiny flower, one that is easily overlooked (I can testify to this). It grows on the outcrop of Chickies quartzite on the preserve, known locally as Monocacy Hill—not to be confused with the lovely Amity Township, Berks County, natural area by the same name.