Tour de Fleur: Ross Marble

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Ross Marble Tour de Fleurers

Special thanks to those who attended the Tour de Fleur to the Ross Marble Quarry Natural Area at Ijams last Saturday. The walk was organized by Kathleen Gibi, with the city parks and rec, and Ellen Blasius with the county parks and rec.

Highlights were: ironweed, frostweed, New England aster, Spanish needles, Pennsylvania smartweed, Virginia knotweed, Florida blue lettuce (that's a lot of state and regional proper names, too bad we did not find any Tennessee chickweed). And, of course, lots and lots of blooming ragweed, both giant and common.

Thanks, Kathleen and Ellen.

Kathleen Gibi and Ellen Blasius

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a milkweed that climbs

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Well it certainly looked like the exploding seeds pods for common milkweed, but then again it didn’t. You know how that goes? IDing sparrows is a cinch compared to some plants. Luckily, we had local wildflower expert Kris Light with us on our hike to the Ross Marble Natural Area.

It is in the milkweed family, a native perennial vine found in the southeast somewhat blessed with a plethora of common names: blue-vined milkweed, sandvine, honeyvine milkweed, climbing milkweed and/or smooth swallow-wort. But to any biologist, it’s simply Cynanchum laeve.

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Ross Marble Hike

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Special thanks to everyone who went on my first guided hike to the Ross Marble Natural Area yesterday. The weather was wonderful, perhaps the last good weekend before winter.

The new 105-acre parcel was officially opened last week. With this addition, Ijams Nature Center is now 275 acres. And, of course, like the rest of the park, Ross Marble is open 365 days a year.

For more information go to Ross Marble.

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swallowtail soiree

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Were you invited?

In affect, I was. Paul James came into my office the other day and said, "You need to check this out." The service road leading into the new Ross Marble Natural Area was apparently holding a swallowtail soiree. Dozens were nectaring on the late-season wildflowers that are in bloom along the overgrown trail.

"You better take your camera," he added. As indeed I did.

The new Ross Marble Natural Area is slated to be opened to the public in early November. It will bring the total acreage of Ijams Nature Center to over 275 acres.

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