Lifestyles
Uschi goes on a trail walk at High Bridge
Hello, fellow wildflower lovers. It’s me Uschi. Several months ago, I went with my mom on a trail ...
Lifestyles
Stalking the hoary yellow puccoon
Sometimes a plant just shows up in an unexpected location. Sometimes you walk by that location over and ...
Lifestyles
Incised fumewort is problematic
I went to Powhatan State Park last week, walked the usual trails and searched for Dutchman’s breeches, which ...
Lifestyles
Speedwell, a beautiful weed
Hiking in late winter or very early spring requires an open mind about the plants that can be ...
Columns
Hiking can be a voyage of discovery
Spending time outside, whether gardening or hiking, is just plain good for you. Hiking and walking have been ...
Lifestyles
New apps for field work
Not too many years ago, hiking meant carrying a heavy backpack filled with my favorite field guides – ...
Lifestyles
The aftermath of finding a rare plant
A good part of last year was spent hiking with a list of plants that needed to be ...
Lifestyles
Torrey’s mountain mint: A rare find
It’s been so hot and dry that I decided Oct. 4 would be my last major hike before ...
Lifestyles
A tale of persistence and what grows in the swamp
While mucking about in a swampy area at Holliday Lake State Park last month, I stumbled upon an ...
Lifestyles
Long-lobed arrowhead: An uncommon plant
In the early days of the commonwealth, the naming of rivers was arbitrary. Settlers along a particular waterway ...
Lifestyles
The difference in buttonweed
It’s been so hot that my hikes have been reduced to half-hearted slogs up and down the back ...
Lifestyles
Wood Betony: an interesting hemiparasite
There are some native plants that I just can’t keep straight in my head unless I see the ...
Lifestyles
Slipper Orchids: Love and obsession
Wildflower people are both incredibly generous and seriously obsessive. This spring I’ve been the recipient of untold generosity. ...
Lifestyles
The thrill of the find
In my ongoing rambles in the woods, I visit new places every year, but I also return to ...
Lifestyles
Lyre-leaf sage: An assertive native
Walk across any unkempt lawn (mine!), waste area or woodland clearing this month and you’ll find basal rosettes ...
Lifestyles
Coltsfoot: an early sign of spring
By late February, most of us are so desperate for early signs of spring that we’re overjoyed to ...
Lifestyles
Naming plants
When people on my Facebook wildflower page talk about plants, there can be massive confusion. Many of them ...
Lifestyles
Virginia Creeper: vibrant color to brighten a fall day
Visit that massive stone heap, Blenheim Palace, in October and you’ll find the walls near the main entrance ...
Lifestyles
Blue Mushrooms and Hens for Dinner
When I was a kid, about a 1,000 years ago, mushrooms were an exotic food that came in ...
Lifestyles
The Wild Onion Controversy
As many of you know, I manage a Virginia Wildflower Community Page on Facebook. It has just under ...
Lifestyles
Dodder: An interesting parasite
Yesterday I was driving on the Powhite Parkway, getting ready to merge onto 288 S. when something bright ...
Lifestyles
Thugs and potential thugs
I’ve been searching for wildflowers since I was about 12 years old. It’s what my dad and I ...
Lifestyles
Species of roses
Roses are very old flowering plants. Fossil evidence shows that they’re around 35 million years old. The cultivation ...
Lifestyles
The mystique of lady’s slippers
Virginia has quite a few species of native orchids. Some are showy, while others are almost drab by ...
Lifestyles
Yellow confusion in Mother Nature’s garden
It all began with a series of posts on my Facebook wildflower community page. There was a flurry ...
Columns
A tale of two plants
Walk through just about any wooded area in Prince Edward or surrounding counties and you’re likely to find ...
Columns
Old friends rediscovered in new places
Nearly 10 years ago, I found some trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens) at Holliday Lake on the Lakeshore Trail. ...