Natural History Archives - Lafayette Square Archives

1840: A Case of Milk Sickness

Nature is wonderful stuff. I delight in watching the shifting strength of various woodland plants as they compete through the summer. I got to studying the mayapples of late spring, when the forest floor is covered with them. Each plant labors to create a single drooping fruit. Roots, shoots, fruits and all are mostly gone by July.

Introducing White Snakeroot

There isn’t much that first blossoms around here in September, but two exceptions are the goldenrod and white snakeroot. Both of these have the run of the place right into October, lining the edge of woods and walking paths. Their tiny flowers serve the vital function of providing late season nourishment to bees, butterflies and moths. The only other reason to deliberately plant it might be that its bitter taste deters deer and rabbits.

2023: I Spied A Skink

My dog and I walked a trail through the woods in Kirkwood Park last week. Approaching a bridge over the creek, I noted a couple of lizards turn tail and disappear below the decking. On our way back, I snuck up and got some photos of the little fellas. I knew they were skinks, but had no real idea what that means, so had to crack the internet for detail.

2013: Vile Wild Violets

Wild Violets

Sometimes scary tales involve something one wouldn’t associate with a threat. Something pleasant to the eye, that wouldn’t hurt a fly. Little wild violets, for example.

We once had a home with a large yard in South County. Pat came in beaming one spring morning, delighted by the little blue flowers that had appeared in our lawn.

1939: A Local History of Coal

Walking the alleys of Lafayette Square, I came upon this old coal chute door in the side of a building.

Closer inspection yielded some specifics on its origin.

1870: The Bird That Decided To Stay

The Missouri Audubon Society lists 434 distinct species of birds in the state. Did you know that one had a range limited to Lafayette Park in 1870, and has migrated no farther than 150 miles in the 150 years since?

2019: The Chestnut Trees Of Lafayette Park

Once, there were an estimated 4 billion American chestnut trees in the eastern US. They were the redwoods of the East Coast, and many uses were developed for the ftrees. The trees grew quickly to massive dimensions, and were long the primary source for construction timber. They also provided a sweet nut (up to 6000 per tree!) for roasting and generated wistful references in various American songs and prose. Chestnut Mares and chestnut hair, and Under the spreading chestnut tree, the village smithy stands, and chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

2021: The Spark In The Park – Lightning Bugs

Growing up in western Montana, the only exposure a kid gets to fireflies is anecdotal, like the bug in Sam And The Firefly from the Dr Seuss series of books; a tiny comic superhero. Moving to Missouri and camping on the Huzzah River, watching the early evening light display of real-life fireflies was memorable.

2020: Making A Case For Squirrels

Here’s a good word for the day: “anthropomorphize”. It means attribute human characteristics to an animal or object. If you’ve ever carried on a conversation with your dog, that’s really what you’re up to. It’s not a bad thing… and in its highest form, gives us cartoon characters. I want to discuss squirrels today, and yet I can’t Rocket J. Squirrel out of my head.

1891: The Granitoid Sidewalks Of St Louis

Some of the oldest sidewalks in St. Louis aren’t concrete, they’re granitoid. Let’s take a walk and explore our native surface material.

2019: Ode To Ginkgo, Or Eau De Ginkgo

Soon after a craft beer festival in Lafayette Park, a neighbor whose dog was mixing with mine commented on a strong smell, like that of someone having barfed nearby.

That odor actually IS the smell of someone barfing nearby. It’s butyric acid, and it’s formed by the rotting fruit of the female ginkgo tree. I say female because there are two sexes to this tree. Not that this would help you select one to plant, as they are also known to change sex from male to female on short notice.