Date: 9/4/25 12:28 pm From: Marie P. Read <mpr5...> Subject: Re:[cayugabirds-l] Goldfinches and cup plants - location and photos
Hi again everyone,
People have been requesting the location of the cup plants in the Cornell Botanic Gardens Arboretum, Ithaca, NY.
The plants are on the southeast side of the two ponds in the middle of the arboretum. The best way to find them is to park between the ponds and the sculpture garden in the arboreum. Proceed east taking the road bridge over one of the ponds, take the first path on the right. This leads you around the pond then splits to go uphill. The extensive stands of cup plants are right there and you can't miss them!
Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum) is a tall plant with yellow daisy-like flowers and paired leaves that form a cup at the base of the flower stems. This leafy cup can collect water during rain and birds have been known to drink from it. Seed-eating birds love the seeds. And bees and other insect pollinators love the flowers.
Here is a photo of some cup plant flowers I took in the arboretum last week.
Marie Read
452 Ringwood Road
Freeville NY 13068 USA
http://www.marieread.com ________________________________
From: <bounce-128908091-5851667...> <bounce-128908091-5851667...> on behalf of Marie P. Read <mpr5...>
Sent: Thursday, September 4, 2025 11:09 AM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L <CAYUGABIRDS-L...>
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Goldfinches and cup plants
For anyone desiring an auditory and visual feast, the large expanse of cup plants in the Cornell Arboretum is currently full of American Goldfinches and their relentlessly begging fledglings enjoying the seeds. Most of the plants are gone to seed, but some still have yellow flowers that contrast boldly with the vivid purple of iron weed. Beautiful!
A reminder that there are still things to celebrate in the world.
Marie
