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Plant Talk

Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Around the Garden

Morning Eye Candy: Munch, Munch

Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on July 17 2013, by Matt Newman

Caterpillars often munch unmerciful on their preferred plants, but there’s usually the later butterfly’s pollinating habits to look forward to, at least. I think this one will become a black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes). Then again, I’m no entomologist. Any confirmations from readers?

Caterpillar

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

Morning Eye Candy: The Lotus’ Chambers

Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on July 16 2013, by Matt Newman

Are you a trypophobe? If so, the sight of a lotus pod might just set off your fight or flight response. This fear of “clustered holes” and similar patterns most often finds root in the fleshy, expanding seed chambers of this particular plant, though some psychologists have pointed to Photoshop and the popularity of giving people the willies on social media as a factor in the supposed spread of the phobia.

Us? We just think they’re fascinating botanical constructs.

Lotus pod

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen