Madrona Murphy (@arbutocrat) · DIRTY

Madrona Murphy

@arbutocrat

Mercenary botanist (mostly for @kwiaht.org), local scientist, pro-abortion, nerd, stoic, ecofeminist killjoy, irreverent descendant of Puritan colonists, she/her; moreover, ICE must be destroyed.

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Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· 13h

Olga Red Gravenstein: this uniquely red sport of Gravenstein was discovered in Olga on Orcas by local grower Clay Cunningham in 1905 and extensively propagated and marketed by local and regional nurseries.

A bright red apple with russetting around the stem held in a hand. It is somewhat lopsided and the stem is short.

An old newspaper clipping. It reads: "Clay Cunningham has a freak of nature in his orchard. On one of his Gravenstein trees there is one limb that has borne perfectly red apples for several years--a deep blood red all over. They are perfect Gravensteins otherwise, but seem to be better bearers than the yellow ones. Mr. Cunningham has grafted 25 trees from the scions, and intends to work over some more of his orchard to them."

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· 1d

Duchess of Oldenburg ripening near Friday Harbor in August last year

A cluster of yellow apples flecked with short red stripes.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· 1d

You've probably heard of King, but have you met the Duchess apple? Duchess of Oldenburg is an early ripening apple that's been grown in the San Juan Islands since at least 1889 and is still growing on trees planted before 1894 near Friday Harbor.

Pomological watercolor of Duchess of Oldenburg. It shows two whole apples. They are slightly conical, and somewhat lopsided, with a wide basin around the sepals. The stem is short. One half is greenish yellow and the other is covered in netted red stripes.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· 20d

Screenshot of a post on Facebook in Lopez Island Community Info & Discussion Board from Kristina Stucki (reporter for the Journal of the San Juans). She shares a post from the Journal of the San Juans and adds "Kenmore confirmed crash details to the Journal. No fatalities and everyone accounted for." The Journal's post reads "Kenmore has confirmed to the Journal that the a flight from Lake Union to Roche harbor, which took off at 4pm, went down just off of Sucia island at 5:30 pm tonight, July 23. There were 10 passengers and one pilot, all of whom have been accounted for. Zero fatalities. Coast guard is still on the scene and four passengers have been transported to medical facilities. Two to Orcas Island and two to Bellingham. Injuries are unknown at this time. More information to come."

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Jul 4

This is quite interesting in terms of local ecological knowledge. The article refers to the display "honoring local flora and fauna", but the ones named after plants are either weeds, ornamentals, or generic ("willow").

The program for the Lopez Community Fireworks 2026. There are red and blue stylized fireworks around the edges. It reads: " Lopez Community Fireworks 2026 program. 4th of July. Celebrating the American dream, 250 years of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! Dawn: National Salute, maritime 21 gun salute. Noon: National Salute, maritime 21 gun salute. Salute countdown 1 boom = 15 min, 2 booms = 10 min, 3 booms = 5 min. Main program starts at 10:30. Intro -- Land of the free and home of the brave. Set 1 -- Meadow thistles. Set 2 -- Firedust to green chrysanthemum. Set 3 -- Red bees. Set 4 -- First rain. Set 5 --Crossing crossettes--barley ears. Set 6 -- Dandelion firefly. Set 7 -- The small flowers. Set 8 -- Wheat shelves. Set 9 --Yung Feng before intermission. Set 10 --Crossing comets-thunder in a soft rain. Set 11 -- Cloud bursts and fireflies. Set 12 -- Variegated cornflowers. Set 12.5 -- Red and gold flitter crossette flowers. Set 14 -- Chameleon peonies. Set 15 --Traditional gold willow. Set 16 -- National salute maritime 21 gun salute and grand finale. Since 1951. Traditional Japanese style sets, inspired by nature, for a strong community. 'With charcoal fire-dust, we paint the sky.' Follow us on Facebook fireworkslopez@gmail.com, www.lopezislandcommunityfireworks.com. Watch our 'behind the scenes' documentary by Ken Kortge https://youtu.be/GKDPFEIQGHY?SI-TDFAUA7LNHKU-NIK" (the YouTube video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKDpFEIqGhY)

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Jun 16

With alt text

"Tell him I was too fucking busy--or vise versa" -Dorothy Parker

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Jun 14

Lolling in the shade

A striped calico wearing a black harness with a red leash flopped in the dirt with her white belly showing.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Jun 13

They grow wild in our garden! My partner weeds around them (and transplants the ones that get in the way). The haul so far this morning...

A plastic container with about half a cup of small woodland strawberries in it.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Jun 13

And the cicada wanter

The back of a striped calico cat wearing a black harness with a red leash. She is looking at a rock (it is not the rock with the cicada, she is pretending to ignore that)

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Jun 13

Cicada!

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Jun 12

A new to me gall: Chirosia betuleti fly galls on Pteridium aquilinum fern tips

A hard to see orange larva in a cluster of wadded green fern fronds, held by a hand over dry grass.

A green fern tip curled in on itself, held flat by a hand.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Jun 1

This is a cat check point. Relinquish your most recent cat picture (if you feel like it)

A striped calico cat wearing a black harness with a red leash is crouched in a patch of wild strawberries. She looks like she sees something she might want to pounce on.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 31

The Opuntia fragilis is early this year.

Two bright yellow cactus flowers surrounded by small green cactus pads and more flower buds. Some brome grass is sticking up through the patch.

A close up of two bright yellow cactus flowers surrounded by small green cactus pads and more flower buds. Some brome grass is sticking up through the patch.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 26

Last night this cat alerted me to the great excitement of Live Frog in the House Season

A striped calico cat relaxing in a box of packing paper

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 20

Here's one from earlier this month in the San Juan Islands

A black and pale yellow striped bee on a creamy white inflorescence. Her wings are still but held out to the sides.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 12

Spent some time among the skunk cabbages yesterday

Huge, lush green western skunk cabbage plants.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 4

The digging was good

A bucket of large butter clams in seawater.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 2

Or maybe you prefer hemiparasitic species? Castilleja hispida

Red paintbrush flowers in a meadow with dark purple camas, white field chickweed, and yellow qexmin.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 2

Also saw my favorite click beetle, Selatosomus suckleyi

As black beetle with four orange blocks on its elytra. It is on a blade of grass surrounded by green leaves.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 2

This is death camas (and the death camas bee Andrena astragalii)

Cream and yellow flowers with a fuzzy yellow and black bee.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 2

This is a white great camas. Looks nothing like death camas (Toxicoscordion venonosum), but seems to confuse a lot of folks.

A single white camas flower, surrounded by green leaves and a few purple flowers.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 2

See how the tepals twist around the seed capsule as they wither? You can tell great camas from blue camas by that.

A close up of dark purple camas flowers. In the old flowers the tepals are twisted around the seed capsule.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· May 2

Spent today visiting great camas (Camassia leichtlinii)

A dense patch of tall, dark purple camas.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Apr 27

Snuck in a visit with the other camas (Camassia quamash)

A drift of purple camas in a meadow with yellow buttercup and lots of green leaves. There are coniferous trees and fenceposts in the background.

Purple camas growing with green leaves and yellow buttercups.

A close up of a purple camas inflorescence with a hand behind it.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Apr 23

Our fairweather cat found herself a makeshift rain shelter

A striped calico cat with a red leash attached to her harness has burrowed under a large folded piece of remay garden cloth and is peeking back out at the rain.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Apr 14

Camas season! #PostYourCamas

Flowering Camassia leichtlinii (camas). The tepals are deep purple and the leaves are green. Two flowers are open on the inflorescence. There is a hand behind the plant for focus and scale.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Apr 7

It's good to be a cat

A striped calico cat wearing a black harness with a red leash flopped on grass and a sawdust path in the sun. Her paws are white and there are white stripes on her tail. She is not looking at the camera

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Apr 7

I think it helped that this was my view while doing so

A striped calico cat wearing a black harness with a red leash. She is viewed from above while she sniffs a fence made of purse seine net

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Apr 3

Spring satin flower (Olsynium douglasii) at the American Camp Redoubt.

A deep pink satin flower with water beading on the petals.

Madrona Murphy@arbutocrat· Apr 1

The cat planted herself (and looks mightily smug about it)

A striped calico cat wearing a black harness with a red leash attached sitting in a wide terracotta pot on top of a cedar stump in a garden.