Flowering Band

Here’s a unique plant with lavender flowers that I’d never seen before. Apparently, it’s not uncommon to see this beauty here in East Tennessee. I’d say it’s hard to miss being that it can get up to 8’ tall!

It’s called, Common Teasel. It’s a non native plant and actually listed as invasive -

However, it does provide some benefits for bees and butterflies (nectar), as well as its seeds for Goldfinches and other birds in the fall.

The way the flowers grow out add to it’s uniqueness.

They're Here!

The Lincoln Street Asian Lady Beetle invasion has begun!

Perhaps cute don't be fooled, these are NOT Ladybugs. Rather, they're false ladybugs otherwise known as Asian Lady Beetles.

Although they look similar, their size, color, and markings can help you tell the difference. 

The easiest way to tell Asian lady beetles apart from ladybugs at a glance is to look for the white “M.” Asian lady beetles have a distinctive, highly visible M-shaped black marking on their otherwise-white heads. This marking varies in size, thickness, and shape, but it’s always there, so look for the “M”, which you can clearly see in these pics -

Similar to ladybugs, Asian lady beetles feed on aphids and other insects that munch on plants. This means that although they can be a nuisance, they can still be a gardener’s friend.

However, these bugs won’t bid a happy goodbye after gardening season is over. They’re prone to swarming, and prefer to overwinter inside homes. Once they’re finished feasting on aphids, they will crowd on reflective surfaces like windows and sliding glass doors. If they have the opportunity, Asian lady beetles will invade your home -

The last week or so, when the temps during the day climb (mid 50ish), these beetles have started swarming the south side of my house!  There's not as many as the Boxelder beetles but certainly more than a handful.

I swat the Boxelder beetles every chance I get!  They're too messy but these Lady Beetles I leave alone.  They're too cute and likeable.

Odiferous Invader For Sure!

 

Garlic mustard, also called Jack-by-the-hedge and sauce-alone, is a biennial plant in the mustard family and a seriously invasive alien plant. Left to itself, it can completely take over an area, crowding out all native plants. It grows along shaded roadsides, woody paths, and other shady areas.

 

I noticed this growing in our backyard, along the wooded areas, years ago now but in the last couple of years it's exploded and taken over!  Not only do I see it in the neighbors yard but along the roadways and parking lots too.  I also find plants attempting to grow in our flower beds and raspberry beds - it's everywhere.

 

I guess it shouldn't be a surprise since the maximum production on one plant with 12 stems is estimated at 7,900 seeds, yikes!