Becky Smith
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rlsdvm.bsky.social
Becky Smith
@rlsdvm.bsky.social
Epidemiologist at UIUC, working in One Health
Finally, how long do the different species bloom? Here's a density plot of the number of weeks in bloom by type. The invasives are clearly bimodal, but the others have a nice distribution with a fat tail
November 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
This graph sums up the number of species blooming in a given week by color and by status (native, non-native, and invasive - I define invasive as a non-native I want to get rid of because they spread too quickly and don't behave)
November 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Here are the individual species and their weeks of appearance and bloom color. We clearly have a good range of start dates, although still not enough early blooms
November 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
I'm declaring the bloom census over for the year, thanks to last night's lake effect snow. Time to play with the data!
November 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Solar cats
November 7, 2025 at 4:20 PM
This week's bloom census, mostly stray blossoms:
Violet, catmint, tomato, rose, lavender, hydrangea, hydrangea tree, coneflower, brown-eyed Susan, goldenrod, sky blue aster, calico aster
November 3, 2025 at 3:15 PM
The remains of 4 large bowls of candy and a small bowl of bouncy balls. We had a big group of undergrads in the neighborhood, and good for them!

Now I have to raid 8's stash for my Reece's
November 1, 2025 at 1:56 AM
This week's bloom census, a few still hanging on:
Violet, tomato, rose, rosy sedge, hydrangea, coneflower, lady's thumb, brown-eyed Susan, tomatillo, hydrangea tree, swithchgrass, goldenrod, white snakeroot, sky blue aster, calico aster
October 27, 2025 at 2:03 PM
For your Monday. You can't hear the purr, but it was loud and happy
October 20, 2025 at 1:56 PM
This week's bloom census, all continuing:
Violet, rose, hydrangea, coneflower, lady's thumb, plantain, white clover, brown-eyed Susan, whorled mountain mint, hydrangea tree, Joe Pye weed, swithchgrass, Drummond's aster, goldenrod, white snakeroot, calico aster, sky blue aster
October 20, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Waning super moon still shining on IGB this fine autumn morning
October 9, 2025 at 1:41 PM
cont.: blue mist flower, showy goldenrod, pannicled aster

Some new aster names, thanks to a handy guide to identifying the white asters of the Midwest (I don't plant them, they volunteer, and iNaturalist was wrong on all of them)

Ramping down now for winter
October 6, 2025 at 3:07 PM
This week's bloom census, all continuing:
lavender, hydrangea, coneflower, pokeweed, lady's thumb, plantain, brown-eyed susan, whorled mountain mint, Joe Pye weed, tomatillo, hydrangea tree, partridge pea, switchgrass, Drummond's aster, goldenrod, white snakeroot, sky blue aster, calico aster, ...
October 6, 2025 at 3:07 PM
cont: Queen Anne's lace, Missouri ironweed, sunflower, devil's beggartick, white snakeroot, horseweed, smooth blue aster, sky blue aster, false aster

New: blue mist flower, showy goldenrod
September 29, 2025 at 2:20 PM
How cool is the work our campus photographer does? Related story: news.illinois.edu/study-identi...
September 22, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Some invert predator fun today. Tiger made a good catch when I was feeding them, and 8 noticed this lovely mantis the size of his hand
September 21, 2025 at 8:48 PM
The swamp rose mallow fully bloomed!
September 16, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Cont: partridge pea, swithchgrass, forked aster, goldenrod, queen Anne's lace, garlic chives, sunflower, devils beggartick, white snakeroot, horseweed, smooth blue aster, sky blue aster, false aster

New: swamp rose mallow, American jumpseed
September 15, 2025 at 2:42 PM
. . . false strawberry, goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, garlic chives, Missouri ironweed, sunflower, devil's beggartick, white snakeroot, false aster

New: horseweed, smooth blue aster, sky blue aster
September 10, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Kicking off the International Conference on Lyme Borreliosis and TBDs, sadly without any CDC staff (no travel permissions) but we still get CDC swag
September 7, 2025 at 8:51 PM
He looks almost just like her brother! Different ear shape
September 6, 2025 at 4:25 PM
A void for your #caturday
September 6, 2025 at 12:18 PM
I volunteer my 12yo to design it. She made me this Culex cowboy sketch (NOT a tattoo)
September 5, 2025 at 2:58 PM
For #InverteFest, this morning's new finds
September 1, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Cont. Oregano, garlic chives, Missouri ironweed, flat sedge

New: sunflower, devils beggartick, white snakeroot
September 1, 2025 at 2:44 PM