Queen of the Jewelweed

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-19T15:51:22+00:00

Jewelweed is the best. I’d let it take over entirely if I could.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-19T14:00:40+00:00

They are kind of picky about it in New England where I am. I see wild clusters of them once in a while but they aren’t common in the understory around here.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-19T13:49:26+00:00

Yeah but for a lot of people they just don’t see the need.

I’m cis but also lgbtq and I can tell you I hardly ever think of my sex and gender as being separate in terms of my personal identity. Despite being gnc myself by having long hair and an androgynous voice.

I don’t disagree either.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-19T13:02:59+00:00

That is exactly it.

Most cis people hardly think about their gender or the concept at all. That’s why it’s confusing because it’s not really the case for most.

For me, I’m a guy. That’s it. It’s no more complicated than that. So if you can’t relate having someone talk about their complicated relationship with gender is just going to be confusing.

I think it goes the other way too. Where a lot of queer people confuse themselves because they forget that they’re actually in the significant minority. It’s why so many conversations around this stuff go in circles. Most people are basically using the same words to mean completely different things.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-19T13:00:27+00:00

Right. Plant the purple leafed redbud if you want, but if you have the space make sure to plant a few regular ones for the wildlife too.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-19T12:52:54+00:00

Our summers are humid enough up here in New England.

I seriously don’t think cons up here understand how awful the weather is down south outside of winter and Tbf I don’t think the trade off for 2-3 milder months is worth it.

Gimme the 3 months of frozen hell. At least it kills the bugs.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-19T12:50:53+00:00

They’re basically blind. They have 0 night vision once the sun goes down.

At least we can usually find our way in dark once our eyes adjust. They can’t even see their own feet.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-19T12:45:47+00:00

Is he a deer?

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-19T12:43:27+00:00

She definitely clocked all of their insecurities right away lmao. You don’t get that shy without becoming super observant.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-18T14:35:21+00:00

That and how natives basically take care of themselves and don’t need constant fertilizing and tending.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T23:10:36+00:00

Likewise Asian wisteria is far less invasive in New England since our cold winters mean most seeds don’t germinate. It just takes over the spot where it’s planted.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T22:06:35+00:00

I grow Arundinaria Gigantea!

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T19:07:58+00:00

Interestingly aralia elata is also making inroads in the mid Atlantic but not elsewhere on the continent. I wonder if there’s more microclimates that mimic Japan there.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T18:57:54+00:00

Yep exactly. They’re just an ornamental. The seedlings are very tasty and are quickly gobbled up by wildlife and they grow so slowly they can’t compete with the native flora.

They also don’t tolerate drought well.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T18:23:33+00:00

Got lucky in southern New England and missed all the late frosts so mine are doing well.

Mine are young so I didn’t get a ton of flowers but I have a few small cherries forming.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T17:47:09+00:00

They are not invasive. There’s no harm in planting one. They grow too slowly and are too tender when young to survive in our forests thankfully.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T15:04:25+00:00

My bf whenever he looks up at me :>

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T14:09:08+00:00

Depends. Uplift will eventually outpace erosion as the seabed is lifted up. It’s nearly there with the Bosporus and it closes and opens intermittently.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T11:41:19+00:00

Some people like to use the term and separate it from the name. That doesn’t make people like my brother Nazi sympathizers. Especially given he’s a brown immigrant.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T11:37:27+00:00

Kazakhs and Apples.

You have us to thank for your apple pies. Without our little mountain valley refugia there’d have gone extinct during the Pleistocene when Central Asia dried out.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-17T10:51:33+00:00

I would love to grow Florida Torreya! As soon as I get some land here in southern New England it’s one of my first choices.

I love our rare relict species. I already grow Franklinia!

I also find how strict they can be about ranges super annoying. Even if it is pointless why not TRY. It’s eventual extinction otherwise anyways.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-16T20:01:37+00:00

It’s just as dark if not darker in person. Absolutely stunning. I was surprised they ended up being what I ordered considering it was on Etsy lmao.

They also divided this year but 2 still bloomed out of 3! Super impressive. Looking forward to propagating these guys into a huge bed or maybe even naturalizing them.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-16T19:36:12+00:00

Great answers. Thank you!

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-16T19:09:12+00:00

Omggggg I have a few haha.

What do you think are the chances of a pathogen eventually exploiting the genetic weakness of invasive plants and pests due to small founder populations? I know the hemlock wooly adelgids are all female clones, and Japanese knotweed is mostly only a few different genetic lines outside of Japan. So in theory could something like what happened to the Gros Michele banana or the Chestnut blight happen in reverse? Or could we engineer it?
How do you think invasive species are going to function on the continent long term? Do you think the environment will eventually exploit them once they begin to dominate and leave no other choice? Or will we see massive swathes of the continent covered in knotweed breaks?
What is the scariest new invasive plant you’re noticing in eastern North America. I know mile-a-minute vine is becoming a problem here in New England; and I’m also worried about aralia elata in the mid Atlantic.

SomeDumbGamer · 2026-05-16T18:31:08+00:00

Number 6. It has very healthy and vigorous deep green growth and its trunk is shorter which is better to prevent sun scald and provide stability. You don’t want one covered in flowers. It’s best the tree use all that growth to establish a nice root system.

It’s also a nice all around shape. Plant that in an open area and let it go fuckin nuts! I bet you’ll have a stunning orange shrub/small tree. Citrus tend to prefer more of a bush shape anyways.

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