Flora

The Flora category honors the plant life that shapes and sustains Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary. Native shrubs, wildflowers, thicket species, medicinal plants, food forest guilds, and botanical companions all form part of a living landscape designed for ecological restoration and spiritual reflection.

Plants are teachers. Through them we learn about succession, resilience, cooperation, and interdependence. Native wild plums, serviceberries, pawpaws, hazelnuts, hawthorn, prickly ash, dogwood, and countless other species contribute to layered habitats that support insects, birds, mammals, and humans alike.

Many posts highlight native plant restoration and the importance of preserving species that are disappearing under industrial agriculture and development. Others explore edible and medicinal uses, seasonal changes, and the beauty of blossoms, fruit, and seed.

At Crossing Hedgerows, flora is both practical and symbolic. The thicket shelters wildlife. The blossom feeds pollinators. The fruit nourishes community. The pattern of growth reflects divine geometry written into creation itself.

In this category you will find plant spotlights, photo journals, ecological insights, and reflections from the forest — all rooted in gratitude for the green world that sustains us.

Plant Spotlight – Native Wild Plums

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:31:19+02:00January 31st, 2026|Flora|

By Jean Cavanaugh(A Wild Plum from this past August) Another of the native shrubs we have planted at Crossing Hedgerows is the Wild Plum. At one time, native plums were one of the most established wild food crops of Native Americans. According to the book, Native Plant Agriculture, by Indigenous Plants, Native Plums are more energy dense than any domesticated fruit you'd find in the grocery store and is only rivaled by other wild fruits such as serviceberries, ...

The Lowly Sumac

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:31:13+02:00January 31st, 2026|Flora|

(Sumac Berries by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC)It's been awhile since I have posted a native plant profile! All the plants I post about are ones that we have planted or are protecting on our land at Crossing Hedgerows.Most people are familiar with sumac, but don't realize how valuable it is. Because so many of our native thicket plants have disappeared to large swaths of farmland, it's another of the ones that we have encouraged on our land.The ...

Our Beautiful Sanctuary

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-03T17:04:12+02:00January 31st, 2026|Fauna, Flora, News|

As we come to the close of this year, I want to thank all who have supported our beautiful Sanctuary this year. Here are a few photos that Brennah took (and identified) recently at Crossing Hedgerows. Oftentimes the small and inconspicuous are overlooked and under appreciated, but what important roles they each play in the ecosystem. Wild geranium leaves Liverwort (probably fringed treewort) Bonfire moss Dandelion ...

Samhain at the Sanctuary

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-03T18:26:02+02:00January 31st, 2026|Fauna, Flora|

As we begin the season of Samhain here at the Sanctuary, please enjoy a few photos of the land. We are so excited and grateful for all that is, and all that is to come. ✨

Buttonbush

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:17:32+02:00January 31st, 2026|Birds, Flora|

By Brennah Cavanaugh, Board Member of Crossing Hedgerows SanctuaryButtonbush is a bush with very unique looking flower clusters that are almost perfectly spherical. Its flowers are adored by pollinators of all sorts, but due to the long tube-like shape of the individual flowers in the cluster they are especially attractive to pollinators with longer tongues, like butterflies, bumble bees, and hummingbirds. (The unusual shape of the flowers make them attractive to humans, too!) It is also a ...

Into the Woods

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-04T03:14:18+02:00January 31st, 2026|Birds, Flora, Musings|

Today I took a short video so you can see what the woods are looking like right now. At the end you can hear a plane flying low overhead, as the Sanctuary is not too far from Detroit Metro airport. https://youtu.be/y7gwtDCswo4 Our world is constantly becoming more and more developed even in areas that are zoned for agriculture. Farm fields across the road from the Sanctuary are currently being partitioned off and sold for ...

Interbeing

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:17:30+02:00January 31st, 2026|Fauna, Flora, Musings|

Sunrise - July 1st, 2023: A distinctive purple glow over the stone circleAs we head into July, I want to thank you all for your continued support of Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary. Though we haven't been having as many events this year, the land continues to heal and is teaming with ever more life. Sometimes the bird song is almost deafening around here, and the varieties of insects, and animals passing through are too many to list. Yet ...

Member Photo Share

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-04T16:24:55+02:00January 31st, 2026|Events & Celebrations, Flora|

Hello everyone! These are some photos that one of our members wanted to share with us. She took them at the Sanctuary during our May Walk and Bonfire. Thank you Marie for sharing your interaction with the land spirits! 🦋 mushrooms on a log trees and wild geraniums trillium and lily of the valley flowers trillium jack in the pulpit I ...

Native Plant Spotlight : Blue Flag Iris

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:17:30+02:00January 31st, 2026|Flora, Insects|

A new native plant that has appeared at the Sanctuary this year is the Blue Flag Iris. It grows in wet areas, often along the edges of water. So unsurprisingly it has begun growing along the edge of the creek bed, not far from the beautiful buttonbush, another amazing plant which I will highlight in a later post.Blue Flag Iris provides nectar for native pollinators, and is also forage for muskrats. It likewise attracts hummingbirds, which we already ...

Enchanted Forest and Stone Circle Photos 🌺🪨

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-04T19:44:17+02:00January 31st, 2026|Events & Celebrations, Flora, Insects|

Last week's gathering was a magical time coming together with old friends and new. We didn't have a chance to take pictures during the event, but wanted to share a few of the photos that Brennah has taken this spring in the woods, as well as photos that I took of the stones that were collected and placed into the stone circle as offerings. Trilliums with mossy log Wild Geraniums (also known ...

Native Plant Spotlight: Prickly Ash

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:31:08+02:00January 31st, 2026|Fauna, Flora|

While we were pulling out some trash (old tires and such, left by the previous residents) from the woods on our work day this week, there was a particular plant whose thorns wanted to grab at us as we passed by it. This is one of the reasons why we have trails, because these shrubs can make it nearly impossible to pass through certain areas. However, they are another of our beloved native plants that grow in ...

Tiny Felt Leaves

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:17:28+02:00January 31st, 2026|Flora|

"What beauty is in the world that I never noticed before?" -Rick RubinFollowing is another cross post from the Patreon page of Brennah Cavanaugh Photography.Last spring I was fascinated by these tiny just-emerged oak leaves I found on the many oak saplings along the north edge of the woods. To me they looked like tiny felt crafts. They were actually tiny enough to be tricky to photograph.Bright red, fuzzy leaves don’t seem to be a characteristic of ...

Bluebird and Dogwood Berries

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:17:25+02:00January 31st, 2026|Birds, Fauna, Flora|

Hello Everyone! Today is a cross post from Brennah Cavanaugh Photography of a bluebird at Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary and Farm. We hope youHello Everyone! Today is a cross post from Brennah Cavanaugh Photography of a bluebird at Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary and Farm. We hope you enjoy it!Here is a series of photos I took shortly before I went to New Mexico of a bluebird doing acrobatics to reach some dogwood berries. This series is definitely an improvement ...

Working with Nature

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:17:23+02:00January 31st, 2026|Flora|

The photo above was taken this summer of some native plants growing under the shade of autumn olive shrubs, which are considered invasive. There are two sassafras trees and some spicebush, both of which are highly valuable for wildlife and humans alike. These native forest plants popped up on their own in this spot, spread by natural processes.Autumn olives can be problematic when they take over areas that have generally been dominated by native thickets of shrubs ...

Photo Gallery

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-06T22:42:22+02:00January 31st, 2026|Flora, News|

A few recent pictures from around the Sanctuary... Warm wishes to each of you, Jean

Ground Cherries (Physalis pruinosa)

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:17:21+02:00January 31st, 2026|Flora|

Ground cherries are a crop that has done well for us over the years. Physalis pruinosa is in the nightshade family and is related to tomatoes, potatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and such (but not cherries!). Like tomatillos, they have a papery husk on them. However, ground cherries are sweet, with a flavor similar to pineapple or strawberry. Ground cherries are native to the Americas. "Estimates for the earliest use of Physalis for human consumption range from 900BCE to 5000BCE. ...

Sanctuary Magic

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:17:20+02:00January 31st, 2026|Fauna, Flora|

Hello everyone! We would once again like to provide you with a little Sanctuary Magic brought to you by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC. These were all taken in the month of August. The images are compressed, and not the high resolution of the originals, so that we can share them publicly.(Petey - a monarch raised from an egg by Alissa, then adopted by the Cavanaughs and set free at the Sanctuary after coming out of the chrysalis.)I ...

Some Current Scenery at the Sanctuary

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:17:17+02:00January 31st, 2026|Flora|

Path from the Sanctuary driveway back towards the woodsBlue Vervain standing proudlyPurple Loosestrife glowing in the sunshine (for an interesting perspective on this plant, feel free to check out the following link: https://commonwealthherbs.com/herb-of-the-week-purple-loosestrife/ )One of the wider trails through the woods - a wonderful place to be on a hot day."When you regain a sense of your life as a journey of discovery, you return to rhythm with yourself. When you take the time to travel with reverence, a ...

Plant Portrait – False Indigo Bush

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T04:31:04+02:00January 31st, 2026|Flora|

As you might know by now, I like to periodically highlight plants we have at the farm and sanctuary. Today's pick is the False Indigo bush. False Indigo Bush in blossom - photo by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLCThis is one which we planted back around 2014 in various areas because it does well in wetter habitats. It is a native plant to the area that is also a nitrogen fixer, meaning that it adds natural fertilization to the ...

Upcoming June Events

By Jean Cavanaugh|2026-03-07T01:36:37+02:00January 31st, 2026|Events & Celebrations, Flora|

Primroses from our Spring Equinox celebration growing happily Here's what is going on at the Farm and Sanctuary this month. Our regular workdays will resume on Wednesdays and Saturdays, on Wednesday, June 15th after a two week break starting tomorrow. Saturday, June 18th (start time TBD): We will be building a composting outhouse with the help of Bill Campbell, who teaches construction/engineering at the Saline H.S. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are needing to ...