What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

Wispy Wonder

We found a bush covered in these fluff balls at the edge of a field. What plant is this?

Answer

This is the seedhead of one of two closely-related species: Clematis vitalba or Clematis virginiana, sometimes called virgin’s bower, old man’s beard, or traveler’s joy. The two are difficult to tell apart at this stage, when their flowers are all but gone, and the leaves have disintegrated. We’re betting this is C. virginiana, which is native and present throughout New England, according to the Native Plant Trust, which lists C. vitalba as non-native (and unlikely in Vermont and New Hampshire).

This week’s contest winner was Constance Snyder