Spent a drizzly morning wandering the trails at Boyd Hill on Friday. Unlike the mall, it was pretty quiet out there but some of the plants were putting on a show. Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa) shrubs were loaded with fruit and looked so cheery in spite of our dearth of rainfall this year. Might have to plant one in my yard since birds and other wildlife are fond of the fruit.

Sadly, invasive species were also thriving, like the detestable Brazilian Peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolia) and pervasive Air Potato Vine (Dioscorea bulbifera). The vines are rapid spreaders, growing 6 inches a day. Though I must begrudgingly admit that those heart-shaped leaves are attractive.

Both of these invasives are a land management headache, proving difficult to eradicate manually. Thankfully, the USDA has approved biological control agents for them. Species-specific thrips, leaf gallers, and beetles to the rescue!

Not a bad way to spend a cloudy morning.