We are finally getting some rain. After the rain, the fungi and mushrooms emerge. I love forest fungi. They are an amazing part of nature. Certainly I am not an expert on fungi. However, I think I found some Amanita muscaria var. flavivolvata. These are also called a fairy tail toadstool or Fly Agaric. They […]
Most Virginians know that the Flowering Dogwood is the state tree of Virginia. Coincidentally, the flower is the state flower of Virginia. However, Virginia is not the only state that honors this tree. It is the state tree of Missouri and New Jersey. It is also the state flower on North Carolina. And guess what? […]
It rained and a few fungi came back! These jelly fungi came to life again after a couple of rainy days. The last few summers and falls were dry, and fungi were scarce. I didn’t realize that the first time I wrote about fungi was an unusual year. It was really wet that year, and […]
Even though these snakes are generically called black snakes, they are really Eastern Rat Snakes. These snakes are found throughout Virginia. They are actually the most commonly found snake in Virginia. Find out more and look below for some interesting photos. Physical Characteristics Coloring Eastern rat snake juveniles look similar to a venomous copperhead […]
These crazy looking growths are squawroot. Wow! I found a rare native plant in VA! Since the COVID-19 closures, my awareness increased. I notice really interesting things that previously I would have missed. Of course, timing helps. It was coincidence that I saw the cedar-apple rust. Those creepy orange things only appear for a few […]
Bamboo is another invasive species. Certainly, that is not a surprise. We have been in this business for years. I know that it is very difficult to remove. Somehow, we ended up with a patch of it. The photo above is the initial patch. Within a couple of years (see photo below), it extended over […]