We’re back to Paw paws and spicebushes. Since both trees are considered ”understory trees,” I think it is important to think about how important these plants are to our ecology. They are often overlooked. No one would select a 25 foot tree as the major shade tree in...
Along the creek where we often walk is a cluster of pawpaw trees (Asimina triloba) and spicebush trees (Lindera benzoin). They are not native in the far north, but do well here in West Virginia. These understory trees are about 7 feet tall and take most of the...
This morning as I was walking with my dog through the abandoned parking lot near our house, I found a white flower that had a bladder inflated behind it. I have always called this flower a “Bouncing Betsy.” The plant identifier on my cell phone called Picture...
I was walking around my favorite abandoned parking lot the other day looking for flowers that might have survived the assault of lawn mowers and mulching activity, when I spotted a beautiful yellow flower with five petals. It was similar to the buttercups I see in...
This past week I was walking along the edge of a woodland, when I spotted a beautiful branch of sassafras flowers. It was such a pretty sight with the new leaves in the center, that at first I thought the new leaves were the flower. But, no, it was a circle of flowers...
