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Sunday, February 28, 2021

The Two Lives of Cedar-Apple Rust

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  The dimpled, red galls on this eastern red cedar ( Juniperus virginiana ) are signs of cedar-apple rust, a fungus that divides its time be...
Monday, February 15, 2021

Crusty Clues to Plant ID

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In this patch of winter woods, black knot has a grip on the understory. Dark, lumpy galls crust over many stems and branches, flagging them ...
Saturday, January 30, 2021

How to Identify Oriental Bittersweet in Winter

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The twining stems, yellow capsules and scarlet arils of Oriental Bittersweet are distinctive in winter. Winter is an ideal time to look fo...
Friday, January 15, 2021

How to Identify Common Buckthorn in Winter

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A female Buckthorn displays a persistent leaf, fruits and terminal thorn that help with winter identification. For an explanation of the ter...
Wednesday, December 23, 2020

How To Identify Deciduous Trees and Shrubs in Winter

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Even after deciduous trees and shrubs shed their leaves, most can be easily identified using their winter characteristics. Buds, bark and ov...
Thursday, December 3, 2020

Sunset for Kentucky Coffee Tree?

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Its numbers are declining in nature. A look into its distant past could explain why.   A female Kentucky coffee tree, Gymnocladus dioicus,...
Sunday, November 1, 2020

Status of Emerald Ash Borer in Minnesota

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  Range of confirmed emerald ash borer in Minnesota. Source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Emerald ash borer, or EAB, has been confir...