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I bought a cheap plant ID app and it actually changed my whole hike
For the longest time, I figured I could just look up plants in a book or guess. On a walk in Forest Park, I kept seeing this pretty purple flower and had no clue. My friend told me to get a plant app, but I thought it was a waste. I finally caved and spent about $5 on one called 'LeafSnap'. I pointed my phone at the flower, and in two seconds it told me it was Dame's Rocket, an invasive species I should actually pull. I ended up using it for a full hour, learning about five new plants in my own neighborhood. That small purchase turned a simple walk into a real learning trip. What's a plant you were surprised to learn was in your area?
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faithwalker1d ago
That Dame's Rocket thing is wild, I'd have just thought it was a nice flower.
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kim3731d ago
Honestly @faithwalker, sometimes a nice flower is just a nice flower... People get so worked up about what's native or invasive that they forget to just enjoy things. That Dame's Rocket makes whole ditches look like a purple fairy tale for a few weeks. If it grows well and looks pretty, maybe that's enough of a reason to let it be. Not every plant needs to pass some kind of ecological purity test.
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