Jack Monsted
@oldirtybotanist.bsky.social
Ecologist, Botanist, Native Plant Enthusiast. At home in and around them Appalachian mountains! Assistant curator at the State arboretum of Virginia.
Native plant a day, day 5 - Smooth beardtongue (Penstemon laevigatus). This Southern Appalachian endemic has really nice reddish stems. It grows wild in wet meadows throughout Virginia and the Carolinas.
May 21, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Native plant a day, day 5 - Smooth beardtongue (Penstemon laevigatus). This Southern Appalachian endemic has really nice reddish stems. It grows wild in wet meadows throughout Virginia and the Carolinas.
Day 4 of gushing about random native plants I find - Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis). Found this guy blooming on top of a Rock outcrop at Shenandoah River SP today. It's shorter than its cousin Virginia spiderwort, and grows in sunnier, drier spaces. Still lovely colors.
May 19, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Day 4 of gushing about random native plants I find - Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis). Found this guy blooming on top of a Rock outcrop at Shenandoah River SP today. It's shorter than its cousin Virginia spiderwort, and grows in sunnier, drier spaces. Still lovely colors.
Day 3 of sharing a random native plant I find: wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) - this little guy is growing in my front yard. I bought it at a small nursery years ago, but it must be a local mountain ecotype because its stature and flowers are much smaller than most garden varieties you find.
May 18, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Day 3 of sharing a random native plant I find: wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) - this little guy is growing in my front yard. I bought it at a small nursery years ago, but it must be a local mountain ecotype because its stature and flowers are much smaller than most garden varieties you find.
Native plant a day: pink lady slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule)!
Found a bunch of these beauties blooming today up on great North mountain. They tend to prefer acidic soils while their cousins, yellow lady slippers, tend to grow in calcareous soils.
Found a bunch of these beauties blooming today up on great North mountain. They tend to prefer acidic soils while their cousins, yellow lady slippers, tend to grow in calcareous soils.
May 17, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Native plant a day: pink lady slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule)!
Found a bunch of these beauties blooming today up on great North mountain. They tend to prefer acidic soils while their cousins, yellow lady slippers, tend to grow in calcareous soils.
Found a bunch of these beauties blooming today up on great North mountain. They tend to prefer acidic soils while their cousins, yellow lady slippers, tend to grow in calcareous soils.
Native plant a day: Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) - 5/16/25
1.5 years old, planted in a restored grassland in Northern Virginia. When fenced from deer it grows very fast, even in tough dry soils.
1.5 years old, planted in a restored grassland in Northern Virginia. When fenced from deer it grows very fast, even in tough dry soils.
May 16, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Native plant a day: Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) - 5/16/25
1.5 years old, planted in a restored grassland in Northern Virginia. When fenced from deer it grows very fast, even in tough dry soils.
1.5 years old, planted in a restored grassland in Northern Virginia. When fenced from deer it grows very fast, even in tough dry soils.
Spring in a photo. Trout lily (Erythronium americanum), flowering on a river bank in Maryland. Maybe my favorite spring ephemeral?
April 17, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Spring in a photo. Trout lily (Erythronium americanum), flowering on a river bank in Maryland. Maybe my favorite spring ephemeral?
I planted these two redbuds (cercis canadensis) as tiny transplants with only two leaves a few years ago. This year they're finally looking like real trees!
Gotta leave your redbuds trunks multi-stemmed to preserve that natural look.
Gotta leave your redbuds trunks multi-stemmed to preserve that natural look.
April 5, 2025 at 8:15 PM
I planted these two redbuds (cercis canadensis) as tiny transplants with only two leaves a few years ago. This year they're finally looking like real trees!
Gotta leave your redbuds trunks multi-stemmed to preserve that natural look.
Gotta leave your redbuds trunks multi-stemmed to preserve that natural look.
My home for the next few days. Got about 1000 native plants to pot up!
April 3, 2025 at 1:08 PM
My home for the next few days. Got about 1000 native plants to pot up!
Reposted by Jack Monsted
Spring beauties are up in our woodlands - such delicate little blooms!
These native wildflowers are also called 'fairy spuds' because they produce small potato-like corms in their root system. They're technically edible, but who could bring themselves to dig up such a pretty little plant?
These native wildflowers are also called 'fairy spuds' because they produce small potato-like corms in their root system. They're technically edible, but who could bring themselves to dig up such a pretty little plant?
March 21, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Spring beauties are up in our woodlands - such delicate little blooms!
These native wildflowers are also called 'fairy spuds' because they produce small potato-like corms in their root system. They're technically edible, but who could bring themselves to dig up such a pretty little plant?
These native wildflowers are also called 'fairy spuds' because they produce small potato-like corms in their root system. They're technically edible, but who could bring themselves to dig up such a pretty little plant?
I love how bloodroot leaves kinda hug the stem right when the flowers pop up. Chilly little flower just tryna' warm itself up!
#sanguinariacanadensis #springephemerals #wildflowers #nativeplants
#sanguinariacanadensis #springephemerals #wildflowers #nativeplants
March 20, 2025 at 8:14 PM
I love how bloodroot leaves kinda hug the stem right when the flowers pop up. Chilly little flower just tryna' warm itself up!
#sanguinariacanadensis #springephemerals #wildflowers #nativeplants
#sanguinariacanadensis #springephemerals #wildflowers #nativeplants
This is where ecological restoration meets art! When clearing invasive buckthorn trees from this native grassland I found they were surrounding a grove of sycamores. Rather than hauling the cut buckthorn stems out to be burned, we used them to build pathway into the grove. #nativeplants #ecoart
March 13, 2025 at 1:26 PM
This is where ecological restoration meets art! When clearing invasive buckthorn trees from this native grassland I found they were surrounding a grove of sycamores. Rather than hauling the cut buckthorn stems out to be burned, we used them to build pathway into the grove. #nativeplants #ecoart
Y'all know what time it is. It's bluebell City over here!
March 12, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Y'all know what time it is. It's bluebell City over here!
Reposted by Jack Monsted
Today staff were hard at work removing invasive buckthorn trees to make space and sunlight for the native foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) that were being crowded out of the area.
#nativeplants #invasiveplants #ecologicalrestoration
#nativeplants #invasiveplants #ecologicalrestoration
February 28, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Today staff were hard at work removing invasive buckthorn trees to make space and sunlight for the native foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) that were being crowded out of the area.
#nativeplants #invasiveplants #ecologicalrestoration
#nativeplants #invasiveplants #ecologicalrestoration
Reposted by Jack Monsted
Medicaid is not for sale.
NASA is not for sale.
The Post Office is not for sale.
America is not for sale.
We have an obligation to resist kings. We outnumber them. And they can be overwhelmed.
NASA is not for sale.
The Post Office is not for sale.
America is not for sale.
We have an obligation to resist kings. We outnumber them. And they can be overwhelmed.
February 21, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Medicaid is not for sale.
NASA is not for sale.
The Post Office is not for sale.
America is not for sale.
We have an obligation to resist kings. We outnumber them. And they can be overwhelmed.
NASA is not for sale.
The Post Office is not for sale.
America is not for sale.
We have an obligation to resist kings. We outnumber them. And they can be overwhelmed.
My volunteers and I built these cages of bamboo and dormant Rubus stems last year to protect young native shrubs from deer browse. I really like this solution because the woven, thorny stems are not so unlike the natural thickets that would protect developing trees from grazers in the wild.
February 21, 2025 at 2:15 PM
My volunteers and I built these cages of bamboo and dormant Rubus stems last year to protect young native shrubs from deer browse. I really like this solution because the woven, thorny stems are not so unlike the natural thickets that would protect developing trees from grazers in the wild.
Christmas ferns (Polystichum acrostichoides) and Cricket (Very goodboy) in the George Washington national Forest!
Christmas ferns are a reliable, flexible evergreen ground cover that grow in lots of different kinds of forests.
Christmas ferns are a reliable, flexible evergreen ground cover that grow in lots of different kinds of forests.
February 20, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Christmas ferns (Polystichum acrostichoides) and Cricket (Very goodboy) in the George Washington national Forest!
Christmas ferns are a reliable, flexible evergreen ground cover that grow in lots of different kinds of forests.
Christmas ferns are a reliable, flexible evergreen ground cover that grow in lots of different kinds of forests.
Reposted by Jack Monsted
It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic.
When the fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from raging out of control.
When the fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from raging out of control.
February 19, 2025 at 6:44 PM
It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic.
When the fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from raging out of control.
When the fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from raging out of control.
False Boneset (Brickellia eupatoroides) seedlings are starting to germinate in the greenhouse! This native beauty surprised me on the edge of the meadow this summer and I had to collect some seeds to propagate. Some might be for sale at Blandy's garden fair this year! #nativeplants #wildflowers
February 10, 2025 at 8:31 PM
False Boneset (Brickellia eupatoroides) seedlings are starting to germinate in the greenhouse! This native beauty surprised me on the edge of the meadow this summer and I had to collect some seeds to propagate. Some might be for sale at Blandy's garden fair this year! #nativeplants #wildflowers
Reposted by Jack Monsted
This white oak fell and died in the summer. Now, it still has all its leaves attached while the surrounding living oaks have dropped theirs. This illustrates that dropping leaves in autumn isn't just a passive process - trees must grow a layer of cells at the base of the leaf to 'push' them off!
February 5, 2025 at 7:01 PM
This white oak fell and died in the summer. Now, it still has all its leaves attached while the surrounding living oaks have dropped theirs. This illustrates that dropping leaves in autumn isn't just a passive process - trees must grow a layer of cells at the base of the leaf to 'push' them off!
A wall of moss and lichen like this is just amazingly beautiful to me. So many different species jam packed into one little area. The composition of species shift and respond to the changes in weather, surrounding forest, and the substrate beneath. You could study one spot for hours.
February 3, 2025 at 5:06 PM
A wall of moss and lichen like this is just amazingly beautiful to me. So many different species jam packed into one little area. The composition of species shift and respond to the changes in weather, surrounding forest, and the substrate beneath. You could study one spot for hours.
I've been hearing tons of barred owls in the woods lately. Like several owls chatting back and forth. I guess mating season is upon us?
Don't forget to go spend some time in the woods and listen for these noisy goofs!
Don't forget to go spend some time in the woods and listen for these noisy goofs!
February 1, 2025 at 2:35 PM
I've been hearing tons of barred owls in the woods lately. Like several owls chatting back and forth. I guess mating season is upon us?
Don't forget to go spend some time in the woods and listen for these noisy goofs!
Don't forget to go spend some time in the woods and listen for these noisy goofs!
Just look at them voluptuous hips. 10/10 would eat. Her name is pasture rose, aka Rosa carolina. She really is a phenomenal Virginia native wild rose that looks great all year. #nativeplants #roses #foraging
January 30, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Just look at them voluptuous hips. 10/10 would eat. Her name is pasture rose, aka Rosa carolina. She really is a phenomenal Virginia native wild rose that looks great all year. #nativeplants #roses #foraging
Reposted by Jack Monsted
A lovely old red maple on our native plant trail died after the drought in 2023 and had to be removed. While we were sad to see that tree go, a huge patch of this beautiful flat-topped white aster sprung up around where it had been, no longer suppressed by its shade. Nature always surprises.
January 30, 2025 at 7:14 PM
A lovely old red maple on our native plant trail died after the drought in 2023 and had to be removed. While we were sad to see that tree go, a huge patch of this beautiful flat-topped white aster sprung up around where it had been, no longer suppressed by its shade. Nature always surprises.
Rock polypody (Polypodium virginianum) on a sandstone rock outcrop in a nearly sub-zero day. Look at those little brown sori on the bottom of the fronds! Gotta love the tenacity of these ferns. #nativeplants #ferns
January 28, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Rock polypody (Polypodium virginianum) on a sandstone rock outcrop in a nearly sub-zero day. Look at those little brown sori on the bottom of the fronds! Gotta love the tenacity of these ferns. #nativeplants #ferns
The flowering dogwoods drenched in snow and morning sunlight.
January 23, 2025 at 3:42 PM
The flowering dogwoods drenched in snow and morning sunlight.