The tall plant to the left of the tree is Downy False Foxglove,
Aureolaria virginica. As we progress into summer, it will develop attractive fuzzy yellow flowers. I used to see a lot of these around Blue Jay Barrens.
Now this is a more common scene. Deer love this plant and nibble their way right down the stalk. I estimate 90% of the plants are eaten before they have a chance to flower. Most are left with enough leaves to survive, but they won’t resprout and flower this year. Seed production has nearly been stopped.
The eaten plants always show a lot of insect damage. I’m guessing that the stressed plant is more attractive to insects. Unhealthy plants often signal their distress through odor or color. Many insects respond to these signals that a plant is more susceptible to predation and swarm in for a meal.
This particular plant was supporting a large population of little beetles. These were feeding on the cut stalk while others chewed holes in the leaves.
A grasshopper nymph was nibbling on the leaf margins. Shifts in animal populations can dramatically change plant populations. Thirty years ago, deer were only seen occasionally. Now it’s impossible to walk through the woods without seeing multiple deer. It makes me wonder what things will look like as the deer population continues to increase.
The tall plant to the left of the tree is Downy False Foxglove, Aureolaria virginica. As we progress into summer, it will develop attractive fuzzy yellow flowers. I used to see a lot of these around Blue Jay Barrens.
Now this is a more common scene. Deer love this plant and nibble their way right down the stalk. I estimate 90% of the plants are eaten before they have a chance to flower. Most are left with enough leaves to survive, but they won’t resprout and flower this year. Seed production has nearly been stopped.
The eaten plants always show a lot of insect damage. I’m guessing that the stressed plant is more attractive to insects. Unhealthy plants often signal their distress through odor or color. Many insects respond to these signals that a plant is more susceptible to predation and swarm in for a meal.
This particular plant was supporting a large population of little beetles. These were feeding on the cut stalk while others chewed holes in the leaves.
A grasshopper nymph was nibbling on the leaf margins. Shifts in animal populations can dramatically change plant populations. Thirty years ago, deer were only seen occasionally. Now it’s impossible to walk through the woods without seeing multiple deer. It makes me wonder what things will look like as the deer population continues to increase.
