Horsetails rooted in history
Long before scouring pads were invented for cleaning dishes, Europeans and American settlers utilized what was available in nature–scouring rushes and horsetails. The widespread use…
Category: Plants
Grass is under our feet and in our cupboards
What do barley, corn and fescue all have in common? They are all grasses. From the green grass in yards to fields of oats to…
Magnitude of beargrass blooms unpredictable
While on the Parker Ridge trail below Parker Peak last summer, I rounded a corner and was surprised by the hundreds of beargrass blooms filling…
White wildflowers blooming everywhere
Early spring wildflowers, such as trilliums, are blooming at higher elevations as the snow recedes and the ground warms. At lower elevations summer wildflowers are…
April showers bring May wildflowers
The saying “April showers bring May flowers” certainly rings true this year. After several days of rain followed by 70 degree weather, spring flowers are…
Being green in winter isn’t easy
Compared to the Midwest, the forests of North Idaho are filled with more conifers than deciduous trees. Conifers keep our forests green through winter as…
Sweet cottonwood fragrance will announce spring
One day in early spring, the sweet fragrance of cottonwood buds will fill the air. The large pointed buds of black cottonwoods are filled with…
Carpets of moss similar to miniature forests
From five feet above cushions of moss look alike but down on my hands and knees I can see the intricacies of the inch tall…
Juniper species grow in tree and shrub form
Nestled on a rocky site north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, a juniper bush seems out of place. Could it be the same species…
Alpine larch usher in autumn in the high country
As autumn begins, a golden color will highlight timberline as alpine larch turn from a light green to a golden yellow. Turning color and losing…
Insects instigate abnormal growth on plants
Odd growths on plant leaves or stems ranging from tiny bumps to red, spiny growths to pinecone-like growths on willows are a unique plant/insect relationship.…
Conifers increase the odds with prolific pollen
You may have noticed a yellow dust on your car or around the edges of puddles recently. The visible yellow dust is only a fraction…
Grass is under our feet and in our cupboards
What do barley, corn and fescue all have in common? They are all grasses. From the green grass in yards to fields of oats to…
Magnitude of beargrass blooms unpredictable
While on the Parker Ridge trail below Parker Peak last summer, I rounded a corner and was surprised by the hundreds of beargrass blooms filling…
White wildflowers blooming everywhere
Early spring wildflowers, such as trilliums, are blooming at higher elevations as the snow recedes and the ground warms. At lower elevations summer wildflowers are…
April showers bring May wildflowers
The saying “April showers bring May flowers” certainly rings true this year. After several days of rain followed by 70 degree weather, spring flowers are…
Being green in winter isn’t easy
Compared to the Midwest, the forests of North Idaho are filled with more conifers than deciduous trees. Conifers keep our forests green through winter as…
Sweet cottonwood fragrance will announce spring
One day in early spring, the sweet fragrance of cottonwood buds will fill the air. The large pointed buds of black cottonwoods are filled with…
Carpets of moss similar to miniature forests
From five feet above cushions of moss look alike but down on my hands and knees I can see the intricacies of the inch tall…
Juniper species grow in tree and shrub form
Nestled on a rocky site north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, a juniper bush seems out of place. Could it be the same species…
Alpine larch usher in autumn in the high country
As autumn begins, a golden color will highlight timberline as alpine larch turn from a light green to a golden yellow. Turning color and losing…
Insects instigate abnormal growth on plants
Odd growths on plant leaves or stems ranging from tiny bumps to red, spiny growths to pinecone-like growths on willows are a unique plant/insect relationship.…
Conifers increase the odds with prolific pollen
You may have noticed a yellow dust on your car or around the edges of puddles recently. The visible yellow dust is only a fraction…