northeast-flora-and-fauna

Here's an invasive wildflower you can see in a lot of places, a Purple Crownvetch . I've discussed this wildflower before , so I'll just add a few more factoids: Like other legumes, they indirectly help restore nitrogen to the soil. That's due to a symbiotic relationship the plant has established with rhizobia , a bacteria that requires a host plant and converts nitrogen in the air into ammonia in the soil. It's slow to establish itself, but once it does its deep weeds, nitrogen fixing , and aggressive behavior make it very difficult to get rid of. It's unclear that any wildlife will eat it, though Differential Grasshoppers and a few others are suspected of giving it a try from time to time. One native wildflower suggested as an alternative, the Wood Vetch , is considered so flammable that it's recommended to keep it away from homes. (There might not be a great native alternative.) The "vetch" part of the name comes from a Latin word (vincire) me...