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Pennywort Project
Pennywort
Obolaria virginica or Virginia Pennywort is a member of the Gentianaceae family. It grows among the leaf litter of moist hardwood forests. The patch I'm observing is growing in Macon County, Tennessee. It's a tiny plant, only 3 to 6 inches tall. The primary color is a dull imperial purple and dull deep green. The flowers are white and grow along the central axis in groups of three.
Virginia Pennywort 2025
3/25/2024 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
For reference, I'm adding this picture of blooming pennywort from last year. I took the picture on March 25th. I looked through my old pictures to see if I could find one that accidentally included a pollinator. No luck.
Who is pollinating the pennywort? That's the question. :)
Who is pollinating the pennywort? That's the question. :)
2/4/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
Taken on February 4, 2025 in Macon County, Tennessee
I'm surprised to see the pennywort this early, so I thought I'd work to come back and take pictures as it develops this spring. If I'm lucky I'll get some pictures of pollinators on the blooms. We will see.
I'm surprised to see the pennywort this early, so I thought I'd work to come back and take pictures as it develops this spring. If I'm lucky I'll get some pictures of pollinators on the blooms. We will see.
2/7/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
10:33 am until 11:43 am
Phone App: 46°
Thermometer: 49° - 51°
The pennywort patch I'm going to watch this spring sits at the top of a slop that faces nearly due north and slightly west. 840 feet in elevation.
Phone App: 46°
Thermometer: 49° - 51°
The pennywort patch I'm going to watch this spring sits at the top of a slop that faces nearly due north and slightly west. 840 feet in elevation.
2/7/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
The day is mostly overcast, although the sun peeks through infrequently.
The pennywort grows through the leaf litter and fallen branches.
I'm sitting on an empty, bright orange, sunflower seed bag. It crackles when I move. Typically, when I'm moving sunflower seed bags from place to place, it doesn't seem loud, but here in this quiet forest on this quiet day, it's loud! It scared up a deer nearby.
The pennywort grows through the leaf litter and fallen branches.
I'm sitting on an empty, bright orange, sunflower seed bag. It crackles when I move. Typically, when I'm moving sunflower seed bags from place to place, it doesn't seem loud, but here in this quiet forest on this quiet day, it's loud! It scared up a deer nearby.
2/7/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
The trees near the pennywort patch are Eastern Red Cedars. They don't grow well in the shade so the lower branches are all dead. They deep green tops give the slight illusion of a giant green Q-tip.
Nearby, there are tulip poplars, American beeches, sweet gum, shagbark hickory, and white oaks. The tulip poplars are the largest trees though and seemingly (guessing based on the size) about 10 to 40 years old.
The pennyworts have blooms just forming at around the stem.
Nearby, there are tulip poplars, American beeches, sweet gum, shagbark hickory, and white oaks. The tulip poplars are the largest trees though and seemingly (guessing based on the size) about 10 to 40 years old.
The pennyworts have blooms just forming at around the stem.
2/7/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
Something has nibbled on this pennywort plant. Both the top of one stem and the leaves show nibble damage.
I saw, but did not get a picture of, one small bright red mite that I think is in the Trombidium genus. I've noted this mite in this section in previous years. Other than that, I noted no other insects, flying or crawling.
I saw, but did not get a picture of, one small bright red mite that I think is in the Trombidium genus. I've noted this mite in this section in previous years. Other than that, I noted no other insects, flying or crawling.
2/8/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
12:22pm until 1:00pm
Phone App: 69°
Thermometer: 69° - 67°
Wind 17 mpg ssw
It's a windy day! We're here to cut down tree-of-heaven that we chemical killed last summer.
I don't notice any changes in the pennywort, and, for the brief time I was at the patch, I didn't see anything crawling or flying.
I'm feeling the occasional rain drop, like catching the side mist of something sprayed forward.
It's supposed to get cold and wet this week (e.g., 44°), so I lightly cover the pennywort before I leave.
Phone App: 69°
Thermometer: 69° - 67°
Wind 17 mpg ssw
It's a windy day! We're here to cut down tree-of-heaven that we chemical killed last summer.
I don't notice any changes in the pennywort, and, for the brief time I was at the patch, I didn't see anything crawling or flying.
I'm feeling the occasional rain drop, like catching the side mist of something sprayed forward.
It's supposed to get cold and wet this week (e.g., 44°), so I lightly cover the pennywort before I leave.
2/8/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
I'm sitting on the ground, and when I point my camera north, down the slop, this is the image.
2/8/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
I'm sitting on the ground, and when I point my camera up, this is the image. You can see the top of the Eastern Red Cedars and what is left of the tulip poplar seed heads.
2/14/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
It's been a cold wet week, so this is the first day I've been out to check the pennywort. I left it covered with leaves. It's mostly uncovered.
2/14/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
It's 30° and feels like 19°. I'm wearing coveralls. I arrived at 10:25 am and left at 11:24 am.
2/14/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
I did a little inexact measuring with a piece of paper and a pen - then a ruler at home. The pennywort I'm observing are now between 1 1/2 and 2 inches tall.
2/14/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
According to a rare plant profile prepared for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection by Jill S. Dodds (Pennywort is rare in NJ, not in TN), the plant begins senescing about 16 weeks after it emerges. I has to get its entire reproductive cycle finished before the canopy closes.
If that holds true, it should be senescing in mid to late May.
If that holds true, it should be senescing in mid to late May.
2/17/2025 Virginia Pennywort or Obolaria virginica
32° degrees today and overcast. It's after 11:00 am, but I didn't record the exact time. Yesterday and the day before we had a deluge of rain. At our house, we had over 7 inches. So I came out to see how the pennywort fared. We're expected single digit freezing weather and snow, so I don't think I'll be back out for a week.
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