Wander, Explore, Hike, Renew

🦗 Meet the Northern Flatid Planthopper!

Have you ever noticed a tiny, greenish insect that looks like it’s been dusted with flour? You may have spotted a Northern Flatid Planthopper (Flatormenis proxima)!These small, wedge-shaped, sap-sucking insects are common throughout the eastern United States and are active from June through October. Their bodies and wings are covered in a distinctive, mealy white wax that helps give them their almost frosted appearance.🌿 Northern Flatid Planthoppers feed on a wide variety of woody and herbaceous plants, including oaks, grape, milkweed, mulberry, hophornbeam, and elm. Despite their broad diet, they rarely cause significant damage to healthy plants.🦘 They are also excellent jumpers! When disturbed, they can quickly spring away, making them easy to miss.At just 5.5–9 mm long, these tiny insects are a great reminder that there is always something new to discover when you take a closer look at the plants around you.Keep your eyes open—you might find one at Wehr! 🌿🔎The image features a pale, translucent insect perched on a vertical plant stem. The insect, likely a type of planthopper, displays a white and slightly iridescent body, which is shaped like a small triangle with rounded edges. Its wings are folded closely along its body, revealing fine veining that adds texture and detail. The background is softly blurred, emphasizing the insect and the green, slightly mottled stem it clings to. The plant stem shows a rough texture with a mix of light and dark greens, alongside small flecks of red. The lower left corner contains a logo with the text “WEHR Nature Center.” … See MoreSee Less

Do you have your tickets for our Brews and Botany Event on August 22nd from 4pm – 6pm. You can learn more about the event here: www.wehrnaturecenter.com/event/brews-and-botany/

Did you know that Wisconsin's native Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) has a surprising connection to one of the world's most distinctive spices?Although it is often called the "toothache tree" because its bark and berries create a tingling, numbing sensation in the mouth, our native prickly ash is also a close relative of Sichuan (Szechuan) pepper. Despite its name, Sichuan pepper isn't related to black pepper at all—it's the dried berry of an Asian species of prickly ash (Zanthoxylum). Its signature citrusy flavor and electric tongue-tingling sensation have made it a staple of Chinese cuisine for centuries.That same unique flavor has also found its way into the beverage world. Prickly ash berries can be used to make herbal teas and medicinal decoctions, while craft distillers and bartenders use them in aromatic cocktail bitters to add bright citrus notes, earthy complexity, and a subtle cooling tingle to cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks alike.Here in Wisconsin, our native prickly ash is much more than an interesting flavoring. This thorny shrub or small tree is an important part of our ecosystems, with fragrant citrus-scented leaves and a very special role as the primary host plant for the spectacular Giant Swallowtail Butterfly—the largest butterfly found in North America.At "Brews & Botany," we'll be exploring fascinating native plants like prickly ash and discovering how their relatives around the world have inspired unique beverages, bitters, and botanical traditions.Here is a link to the Boot hill Distillery and some recipes that feature Prickly Ash Bitters: www.boothilldistillery.com/recipes/tag/prickly+ash+bitters … See MoreSee Less