Most of us associate flowers with the warmth of spring, rather than the crispness of autumn. But naturalists and gardeners know a secret: there are plenty of plants that don’t bloom until late summer and fall. Here are four you can look for:

White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)
This plant produces many white to pinkish flowers that grow together on a short spike. They’re shaped a bit like the head of a turtle poking up from the water. Fittingly, you’ll find it in damper locations, perhaps adjacent to a pond, where it provides cover for wetland critters like frogs. It’s also the main food plant for the caterpillar of a striking orange-and-black butterfly, the Baltimore checkerspot.

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) 
Many species of aster are native to our region. Their colors range from pink to purple (and occasionally white). The name “aster” comes from the Greek word for “star,” referring to the shape of the flower heads, which stand out strikingly against the subdued tones of autumn. New England Aster grows in moist places, such as wet meadows or stream banks, and is an important late-season food source for nectaring insects.

Blue-stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia)
Related to asters, goldenrods bear yellow (and rarely white) blossoms. They have an undeserved reputation for triggering fall allergies—maybe because their big sprays of flowers look like they’re bursting with sneeze-inducing pollen. In fact, goldenrod pollen is too big to spread far through the air. The real cause for late-season sniffles is usually ragweed, a plant that is almost entirely green.  Blue-stemmed goldenrod has long, slender leaves alongside clusters of yellow flowers.

American Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
As the weather grows colder, you’ll start to notice that a few of the unremarkable-looking shrubs in the forest burst into bloom. The American witch-hazel produces yellow flowers with thin petals. Keep an eye out for the nearby seed cases, which explode open when mature, hurling the seeds 30 feet or more.

What’s your favorite fall bloom?

Some animal species look very similar to each other. Here are some tips for distinguishing a few of the trickier lookalikes you’ll find at our wildlife sanctuaries.

Monarch vs Viceroy

Everybody’s on the lookout for monarchs lately, but don’t be fooled by the viceroy. This black and orange butterfly looks so much like a monarch that it’s hard to believe they’re not closely related.

Scientists have long known that monarchs are poisonous to predators. They used to believe that viceroy butterflies copied the monarchs’ patterns to trick predators into leaving them alone as well. However, we now know that birds find viceroys distasteful, too. In fact, these butterflies share a similar appearance so that if a predator has a bad experience eating one, it’ll leave both species alone.

There are several subtle differences between the two species, but the simplest way to tell the difference is to look for the extra black band on the hind wings of the viceroy.

Monarch                                    Viceroy

Green Frog vs Bullfrog

These greenish-brown frogs live in permanent wetlands like ponds and marshes. Green frogs typically grow up to about 4 inches, whereas bullfrogs can grow up to about 6 inches. But how do you know if you’ve found a green frog or a young bullfrog?

Green frogs have two ridges—one on either side of the body—that start behind the eye and run down the back. Bullfrogs have much shorter ridges; these also start behind the eye, but stop after curving around the circular hearing organ (called a tympanum).

The two species also have very different calls. The green frog makes a sound like a banjo string being plucked—“gunk.” The bullfrog makes a deep sound like “gr-rum.”

Green Frog                               American Bullfrog

Downy Woodpecker vs Hairy Woodpecker

These two woodpeckers share similar black and white patterns, and in both species, males have a dot of red on the head. To tell these two apart, look at the beak.

The downy’s beak is very small—about a third the length of the rest of the head. The hairy’s beak is as long as the rest of the head. Also, the white outer tail feathers on a hairy woodpecker are typically white, whereas on a downy, they’re patterned with black and white.

Also, you’re more likely to see downy woodpeckers in urban areas; hairy woodpeckers prefer spaces with less human activity.

Downy Woodpecker                     Hairy Woodpecker

Tell us about the similar-looking species that you find most challenging, and we’ll keep them in mind for future articles about lookalikes.

Woodpecker photos via USFWS