If you’ve spent some time around Nantucket’s marshes and harbors, you’ve probably found a spider crab or two, but did you know that crab spiders—yes, crab spiders—can also be found on Nantucket? Not to be confused with the similarly named crustacean, crab spiders are usually found on or near flowers, waiting for their next meal. This can include bees, butterflies, ants, and more—crab spiders aren’t picky!
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If you take a walk at Windswept Bog while the roses and irises are blooming or venture out to Head of the Plains while the bearberry and blueberries are in flower, chances are you’ll be greeted with the delightful hum of bees! Native bees are the true unsung heroes! In addition to bumble bees and carpenter bees, the most well-known native bees, there are also thousands of species of other native bees, including squash bees, sweat bees, digger bees, mason bees, leafcutter bees, and carder bees.
Read MoreGot Knotweed? There’s a good chance knotweed is one of those plants you’re battling in your yard…and if not, it’s practically guaranteed there’s some in your neighborhood. It’s one of…
Read MoreIt may seem like March is a bleak wasteland as we wait for signs of spring, but if you pay close attention, you may discover that more is happening in…
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Nantucket is fortunate to have several species of native wintergreens that retain their foliage through the winter. They are actually easiest to learn to identify during the colder months when most other plants have dropped their leaves and it is easier to see through the understory.
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Last November I reported on the beginning stages of a big “Landscaping Makeover” at the NCF office at 118 Cliff Road. This long-awaited renovation allowed us to incorporate areas with…
Read MoreWith wildflowers distracting the eye with bursts of bright color, it’s often easy to overlook some of the island’s most common plants, grasses, many of which are blooming right now.…
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At home colonizing old fields transitioning to woods, sassafras (Sassafras albidum) can be found around Nantucket, from the maturing forests of Squam to small, scattered stands in the Serengeti area…
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Red maple (Acer rubrum) is a common and widespread tree species that has grown only more abundant as North America’s forests have been repeatedly logged and forest composition has shifted…
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One of the complaints people make during winter and early spring in New England is how much they miss the color of foliage and flowers from the warmer months. In…
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