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Goldenrod Crab Spider — Beneficial 'Insects'

7/9/2019

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Picture
The Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia), also known as a flower crab spider, isn't really an insect, of course; but this arachnid is so beneficial to your garden that I decided to include it with beneficial insects. According to Planet Natural Research Center, spiders are the most effective of all beneficial 'insects' and are even more beneficial than birds at controlling insect pests in the garden. In fact, planting flowers in your vegetable garden is a great way to attract spiders to the garden and take advantage of their veracious appetite for insects. 

Crab spiders are a type of ambush spider, which means they typically select a flower and sit in wait for insects to visit the flower where they quickly attack and overpower the poor, unsuspecting insect.. Because they can change colors from white to yellow, the goldenrod spider often blends into the background, making it difficult to see. The crab spider above has made her home on a wild daisy and is predominately white. Those found on goldenrod or other yellow flowers appear yellow.
Picture
But, don't be fooled into thinking all goldenrod crab spiders are plump and white. The male is much smaller with dark markings. The photo above shows both the female crab spider on the center of the daisy and the male on the right.
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Sulfur Cinquefoil — Wildflower or Noxious Weed?

7/9/2019

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Picture
Sulfur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) is a delightful summer flower that is often viewed as a noxious or invasive weed. This plant is not native to the United States. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and was brought to the U.S. sometime before 1900.
Picture
It can be found in backyards, along ditches or in fields and other scrub areas. It is most commonly found in areas where the soil has been disturbed, but it can also appear in undisturbed areas.

While this plant may become a nuisance, especially when it springs up in lawns, gardens and flower beds, its heart-shaped petals give this flower plenty of appeal.
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    For more nature photography, check out my photography site.

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Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



Photo used under Creative Commons from MyArtfulLife
  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
      • Control Blister Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables