Branch of an Eastern hemlock tree (Tsuga canadensis), located on the pathway between Villaridge condo complex and Thoreau Place just across South Lakes Drive from South Lakes shopping center. Note the older cones on the lower left that are brown and opened, while the newer cones on the upper right are still green and closed.
A better look at one of the new green cones on this hemlock. If you click on the picture for a higher-resolution version, you can see the two parallel white stripes of stomata on the undersides of the needles that are a hallmark of hemlocks. Also noticeable in this picture is that the needles taper from their base to their tip; according to the Virginia Tech tree datasheets, this is what best distinguishes Eastern hemlock from Carolina hemlock.
A cluster of red berries on a flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) at the southwest corner of Sunrise Valley Drive with Barton Hill Road. Like many of the flowering dogwoods in Reston, this one is suffering from disease (I am not a plant pathologist, and thus cannot diagnose the specific disease that is burning this tree's leaves).
Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) in a weedy patch along Sunrise Valley Drive just east of the Barton Hill Road tennis courts. Note the characteristically purple stem, which can become quite thick in the fall, as well as the clusters of berries that are turning from green (near top of picture, bleached by the camera flash) to dark purple. These berries are quite poisonous. Compare the description at the Virginia Tech weed guide.
