Thursday, October 15, 2015

Hiking weather and a Stranger in the Woods!

The weather was perfect for hiking while we were in NC. We spent the afternoon at the North Carolina Arboretum and walked the trails along Bent Creek.

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Lots of ‘hilly’ terrain that gave us quite a work out!

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And the ‘stranger in the woods’ was this unusual plant.

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Imagine my surprise when my blog buddy, Debby from My Favorite Things did a post about it this week. She has some great information on it in her post.The link to her post is HERE.

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She identified it as the Bursting Hearts or Hearts-a-Bustin', Strawberry Bush or the by the official name of Euonymus americanus!

I was so excited to see something so unusual and beautiful, that I stopped some other hikers to point it out to them. Always a surprise when you get out in nature…when you surround yourself with beauty.

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I’m joining Tex for the

Good Fences party.

45 comments:

ann said...

Oh so pretty. There is always something special about red in the forest. Is it poisonous? I wonder if birds eat the berries?

NanaDiana said...

I have never seen that plant, Diane. It is just beautiful and such a nice pop of color for autumn. Looks like another Happy Hike! xo Diana

Stacey said...

Neat walk and beautiful plant. Did you see the new movie with Robert Redford? A Walk in the Woods...it was great! :)

eileeninmd said...

Hello, what a pretty place for a walk. The berries are beautiful, love their color. Great fence shots, enjoy your day!

Debby Ray said...

Your pictures are beautiful, Diane...you even got water drops on yours! My first photos had droplets on them but most were blurry and dark. Your first commenter asked if it was poisonous...no it isn't since the deer consider it ice cream...lol! Thanks for linking to my post. You realize we may never see this plant again...we have to get to it before the deer! Happy Thursday!

Diane said...

Interesting! I've never seen that plant either. Love your last photo!

EG CameraGirl said...

WOW! I LOVE the Euonymus americanus! Wish it grew wild here!

Primitive Stars said...

Morning, beautiful woods to take a hike and I love those berries so.Blessings Francine.

Francisco Manuel Carrajola Oliveira said...

Belas fotografias.
Gostei do blog.
Um abraço.
http://andarilharar.blogspot.pt/

LV said...

You definitely fenced is a different and interesting plant. I never heard of it.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

The arboretum is beautiful. That plant was really cool!

Susan said...

Great scenery for hiking!

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

That's a new one for me- I have never even heard of it! But how pretty!

Vee said...

Must be a good year for bursting strawberries...truly a unique and lovely plant. I love thinking of your stopping other hikers to share your find!

Christine said...

Lovely area for hiking, Diane! How coincidental that you saw those amazing plants the same week as Debby! It is awesome!
Have fun!
Christine
PS I have all my fence photos on my photo blog Christineandhercamera.blogspot.com
Love to have you visit there!

Ida said...

What a lovely area to take a nature hike. The fencing is rustic but quite nice. - Wow how cool to have spotted that same plant that Debby did. I think it is really cool.

Sherry@Back2Vintage said...

That plant is a first for me, too! How beautiful it is and what a great area for hiking!!!

Petite Plangonophile au chocolat said...

Thank you for sharing your discovery with us Diane. The Bursting Hearts is such an unusual and beautiful plant! I like the photo with rain drops on it.

Hill Top Post said...

What a beautiful time of year to be out and about! The strawberry bush is new to me, but oh-so-beautiful! I also love Ginger's new dress and the bow in her hair...perfect for the tea party!

Linda @ A La Carte said...

What a beautiful plant! I love hiking in the mountains I always see such interesting things in nature!
hugs,
Linda

Susie said...

Diane, That is an amazing plant. I have never seen it before. I know what you mean about walking rough areas...That kills my ankles if I walk too long on rough paths. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

Carla from The River said...

Hi my Hiking Buddy, :-))
I love the plant, what a fun name and a fun plant.
Great photos!
Carla

TexWisGirl said...

that really is a cool plant. :) now that's what rail fencing is supposed to look like. :)

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

I've never heard of that plant before - it is wonderful. Your hike looks so wonderful and refreshing.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Lovely area to walk in

EL RINCON DE CHELO said...

Que sitio tan bonito!! preciosas las fotos, besos

handmade by amalia said...

I've never seen one before. What a beauty and a great name to go with the bright colors.
Amalia
xo

Breathtaking said...

Hello!:) What a lovely place for a hike. The strawberry bush is so pretty, and really grabs your attention with it's vibrant colour.

Connie said...

What a beautiful walk . . . thanks for taking us along :)

RURAL said...

It is beautiful isn't it Diane, I've always wanted one for my yard...we had a tree at the nursery and the color of the bright fuschia berries and orange was so appealing it's stayed in my mind all of these years.

How fortunate that you got to see it in it's natural state!

And what a good workout for your thighs....those hiking trails look lovely...no bears there are there?

Jen

Musings from Kim K. said...

You always have the best hiking adventures. Thank you for taking us along!

Rose said...

I think it is gorgeous..Debby told me about you finding it, too. Did she tell you that I see stuff called Wahoo that reminds me of it? Different on the outside, but it bursts open to show the seeds, too. I was wanting to find some of it to show Lorelei...and now will always be on the lookout for this, too.

Uniquely Ella said...

Hi Diane, thanks for sharing this beautiful hiking trip with us. OMG the berries are so beautiful, you take the best pictures. Beautiful nature trails, I can almost feel the crisp air.
S
Blessing,
Marlene

Red Rose Alley said...

Oh my, that red plant is so unusual looking. I've never seen or heard of it before. Isn't it nice to find so many interesting things in nature?

Lovely post, Diane.

I hope you are enjoying this Autumn season.

~Sheri

cynthia lee designs said...

What a beautiful place to hike at!! Loved all the photos.
~Cindy

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

That plant is new to me...it is lovely as are all of your scenic shots! :)

Boopnut said...

Looks like a marvelous place for a hike and oh, how I love that plant!
Deb

SImple and Serene Living said...

what a gorgeous and unique plant. I always love finding something new. xo Laura

Kathy said...

This is so unusual. I have never seen anything like it.

BeachGypsy said...

Wow! I have never came across that plant before! We learn so much from our blogger friends!

September Violets said...

I can't believe a month has whipped by and you're back already Diane! These are beautiful images of NC, and that bursting strawberry is so interesting. I like to point things out to strangers on the trail too ... like "BEAR!" ... which I did yell to a couple of fellow hikers this summer.
Wendy

Buttercup said...

Beautiful pictures! I don't think I've seen Bursting Hearts before and so enjoyed seeing it. It's cold here and I'm so enjoying visiting my blog buddies in warmer climates. Take good care!

Kim@Snug Harbor said...

I bet it was a gorgeous time of year to be hiking in NC. Never heard of that plant either.

Jeannie Marie said...

I'll be driving through your part of Florida soon. I must scroll through your blogs for inspiration on where to stop!

Sam I Am...... said...

I've never seen anything like that but how beautiful. Thank you for telling us what it was. Hikes here are "hilly" too....good for the heart!