Freeing The Lupines

 I went out today to remove the cages around several of the lupines located in the newest planting area. Many of them have reached mature size and needed to be uncaged so that they didn't  become restricted.

In one case I had to cut off some shoots because they had grown through the wire openings and could not be pulled back inside without further damaging the plant.

When I contacted Cheryl Peterson at Bok, I learned that this was supposed to have been done already and offered to  carry out the task to save her a trip. Most of the cages still had lupines of various sizes, though many were surrounded by everything from oaks to various species of grass--mostly Natal grass--and other plants such as Horseweed.

I also noticed the exoskeletons of Narceus gordanus, the large millipede that is fairly common here, stuck either trying to get in or get  out of t he enclosures. I ddi see some rabbit scat, but no real sign of herbivory.

Scrub Blazing Star Expands At Last

 

Since the mechanical clearing several years ago, I have been concerned about the decline of the number of Scrub Blazing Star on the preserve.

During a walk through today, I found a number of  blooming plants that were emerging later than I had seen them before. though that may have  been influenced by the irregular rainflall in late summer and early fall here connected with the arrival of Hurricane Ian.

Rainfall about a mile from this site for September was 19.1 inches/

The plants were emerging from a patth that had been cleared between the second Lupine planting area and the main north-south interior path.

The Lupines were doing fine, though some seem to be bound by the cages installed around them to protect them from herbivory by Eastern Cottontail Rabbits. 

There was some tree fall along the northern fire lane adjacent to First Avenue, but generally the preserve .did well.