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 […]
If you hike or enjoy the mountains, I bet you have noticed tree lines. Sometimes they are called timberlines. They are the place on a mountain where trees stop growing. I became interested when I read the sign in the photo to the left. We were far up the Dalton Highway enjoying the amazing tundra. […]
Well to my dismay, another invasive species. Ever remember pulling the center out of a honeysuckle flower to get the nectar? Most likely it was Japanese Honeysuckle or Lonicera japonica. Read more to find out about Japanese Honeysuckle an aggressive invasive species. History of Japanese Honeysuckle There are species of honeysuckle that are native to […]