Cool funky NJ native clubmosses! they are lycopods and reproduce by the use of spores, their sporophyte (tannish-yellow part at the top, containing spores) becomes brown at the end of the growing season and releases a puff of spores that are highly flammable... they were used by native americans as a type of spark powder, as well as being used for early fireworks and flash photography.

A beautiful native hardwood tree with edible fruit and often exceedingly climbable limbs! They often grow quite squat and outward rather than upward.

Characteristics to easily identify:

- Remarkably dark colored bark, kind of scale-y and quite hard.

- Fragrant white flowers ... they will probably be blooming in may, and will turn into edible, dark reddish-purple-y edible fruits afterward!

-2-4in leaves that are smooth on top, edges are wavy

Link to photos and some more information:

https://www.jerseyyards.org/plant/prunus-serotina/

we got the lovely, the illustrious, the darling, the endlessly something-or-other and ONE and ONLY hopeless semantic band on air today at 11!

it's spring baby you know what that means. plant of the week is back.

this week: skunk cabbage! (symplocarpus foetidus)

You can spot skunk cabbage right now as the flowers emerge from the ground after their winter dormancy. The flowers appear before the leaves and have a very distinctive mottled red and yellow-greenish color, consisting of a hood with the flowers protected inside. The outer protective hood is called a spathe, the internal part is called a spadix. while not botanically considered a composite flower (composite flower: a "flower" which appears to be one single flower is actually a complex grouping of many tiny, independent flowers.... such as a sunflower!), the spadix is one singular fleshy structure covered in many tiny independent flowers. Here's a link to a picture and some more information!

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife...

especially joyful show to selfishly celebrate my birthday, musically. we got some funny music and some beautiful relaxing music and some of my favorite stuff ever. also we're gonna read hunting of the snark (again) and try to get ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT.

THREE HOURS! lets gooo! to celebrate our elongated springtime slot, i've got a bunch of super long, beautiful sonic adventures for us to embark upon.

plant of the week:

Drosera Intermedia (spoonleaf sundew)

sundews are tiny carnivorous plants who lure in prey using specialized glands on their leaves which release a sweet-smelling, sticky "nectar".

plant of the day:

Gaultheria Procumbens (eastern teaberry/wintergreen)

a (kind of? it turns red, haha) evergreen ground-cover plant that is exceedingly common in NJ! its bright red berries persist through the winter and are a food source for wildlife (and hikers. they're delicious).

got a lot of jazz for ya!

plant of the day: mountain laurel (kalmia latifolia)

(good morning!)

plant of the day:

sassafras (sassafras albidum)

sassafras is a lovely native! it can grow as a tree or shrub, usually in our area it grows as a shrub. sassafras can be easily identified by its unique lobed leaves and spicy sort of smell.

show focusing on the wonderful, beloved banjo and its history as an instrument

when you wake up and just go! (calmly)

reminder everyone that it is the fall drive here at WPRB! toss us a donation if you are feeling altruistic this morning! (although it's absolutely a more "you scratch my back, i scratch yours" type of situationshp). :)

INFO AT: pledge.wprb.com

plant of the day:

sweet pepperbush (clethra alnifolia)

nj pine barrens native. can be identified by peppery-sweet smell, distinctive parallel veined leaves and the unique shape of its flowers.