Poet, Playwright, Workshop Facilitator
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Welcome to daily nature photo and creative writing blog, #NewThisDay

Welcome to my daily nature photo blog

Writing from My Photo Stream ~ Kelly DuMar

 

#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream

Charles River, Trestle View, Near Rocky Narrows

Charles River, Trestle View, Near Rocky Narrows

Notes on Oriental Bittersweet’s Bitter News

Bittersweet on the River's Edge - Such riveting, eye-catching colors in autumn

Bittersweet on the River's Edge - Such riveting, eye-catching colors in autumn

The defining characteristic of the plant is its vines. . .

when it is near a tree or shrub, the vines twist themselves around the trunk. The encircling vines have been known to strangle the host tree to death. . .

distinctive red seeds which are encased in yellow pods that break open during autumn. All parts of the plant are poisonous. . .

Oriental bittersweet has naturalized to landscapes, roadsides, and woodlands of eastern North America. . .

its dispersal has endangered the survival of several other species…

attractively colored fruit. . . is eaten by mammals and birds, which excrete the seeds to different locations. . .

threatens the local flora because the native plants then have a strong competitor. . .

native to Eastern Asia. . . was introduced to the US for aesthetic purposes. . . used in floral arrangements, and because of improper disposal the plant has been recklessly introduced into areas, affecting the ecology of over 33 states. . .
— Notes adapted from Wikipedia entry for oriental bittersweet

All photos and words copyright Kelly DuMar, 2016, unless otherwise attributed