Learning...Always Learning

   For as long as I can remember, I have wandered the woods, creek beds, bogs and marshes in search of new plants and critters.  This interest in what Mother Nature provides was instilled in me by my granddad.  Being the youngest of a brood of five, it is possible that my folks needed a break so I got to spend lots of time with my grandparents.  It delighted me so all was good.  Granddad always had some "lesson" to teach me and those stuck...most of the time.  Still, I find that some of the names of plants may have been just local lore and not the true name.  For the bulk of my life, those names have stuck and probably will always be there.  I do, however, find it interesting to learn the actual name and a bit more about what I find.

  After a pea-soup thick foggy morning, the day unfolded to be bright and sunshiny.  The bluest of blue skies literally glowed after the winter greys.  This meant that my afternoon hike gave new light to a lot of things.  Down behind the canebrake, my path took a sharp left and then an equally sharp right to the creek bed.  There I was greeted by a cluster of small trees with lovely white blooms. The small trees twisted their ways through the palmettos to reach the sunlight making photographing a tad difficult.  Still, I was determined.

  Growing up, I was taught that this was "Knotweed" blooms.  When you are with your grandpa and he tells you something...you listen.  So, Knotweed Tree has been the name for all of these many (many) years.  Now, I find that Granddad may have been using a local name and not the "real deal".  Recently, I was shown an article that described the tree and called it Buckwheat Tree.  Sure enough, those pictures did look a lot like my photographs!  So, I am assuming that I should try to remember the "new" name.  It will be hard to "relearn" something after so many years but that is a part of life and learning is a good thing.  Never stop!  Buckwheat Tree!  Buckwheat Tree is named after the buckwheat plant from which we get buckwheat seed and, guess what...it is in the knotweed family!  Sort of ties things all in together...Knotweed Tree aka Buckwheat Tree.  Maybe not...maybe just me.  Maybe Granddad knew this.  I like to think he did, anyway.