How often do you come across a mylar balloon out in nature? While many folks will purchase balloons as a way to express love and appreciation for loved ones many will buy them as a decorating accessory for weddings, graduations, birthdays, funerals and sadly many will release balloons into the environment. These balloons however will stick around for years to come after that special occasion. When folks release them into the environment they are actually littering and leaving

T𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮 var. 𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮, Western Trillium. At first glance we would assume the whorl of foliose (leaf-like) bracts subtending the inflorescence are leaves and many confuse them for being leaves. Some field guides and authors will refer to them as leaves, but they are actually bracts (modified leaves) and in this instance they are capable of photosynthesis. As the inflorescence (flower) ages it changes in tones from white, pink to a purple. The seeds ha

𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢 has a mutualism with the hawkmoth, which is its pollinator. In exchange for pollinating the inflorescence, the female hawkmot