October 13, 2016

Field Maple


Leaves are turning into gold.







Hera a leaf of a Field Maple (Acer campestre). This tree is easy to find in the wild but it is also often planted. A row of Field Maple make a good hedge and protect against windy weather and it is easy to trim. It is not a difficult tree, it grows on nearly all kinds of soils (maybe with a slight preference for limestone) and supports very well dry summers.










Here it is embellished with spider webs and lichens.








The fruits are called samaras and they are typical for maples. They grow in pairs, every samara carries a wing, and when they fall down together they turn and wheel like little helicopters.




Some branches with summer leaves.

October 1, 2016

Floating Primrose-willow


It is supposed to be a really intrusive invasive plant, but, no matter, Floating Primrose-willow (Ludwigia peploides subsp. montevidensis) is pretty to look at.







At the end of summer, yes, until in October, it shows off ist yellow flowers. It grows in water or at in places where land and water touch. Here and there it form dense mats of vegetation on the banks of the Dordogne river or even in the water where there is not much current.




Rosettes of leaves detach themselves from the mother plant and float down the river to new spots.