Spring wildflowers bring first splash of color
As the weather warms, signs of spring are everywhere–green grass, emerging larch needles and spring wildflowers. The burst of color from spring wildflowers is a…
Tag: Flora
Wildlife attracted to dead trees
I often notice snags because of the woodpecker holes or woodpeckers drumming on the tree. However, woodpeckers aren’t the only ones utilizing snags. What animals…
Puffballs not your typical mushrooms
Poof. With the gentle nudge of a shoe, a small plume of “smoke” rises from the dry puffball. Adults and kids often get a kick…
Clubmoss rich in history
Some plants catch your eye. During a walk on an overgrown road I was noticing the mosses and kinnikinnick along the road edges. Then I…
Elderberry a versatile plant throughout history
After finding only a few huckleberries and not wanting to come home empty-handed, I spied some elderberries along the road. Luckily I had just looked…
Identifying orchids in North Idaho
The orchids in North Idaho aren’t as spectacular as tropical orchids but they have their own attractiveness. Some of the orchid flowers are so small…
More to ferns than fronds
Thalli. Sporangia. Sori. Pinnae. Frond. As foreign as these words may seem, they refer to a plant we see all the time–ferns. You won’t find…
Skunk cabbage true to its name
Whether the winter is short or long, the first flower is a joyful sight–even if its name is skunk cabbage. The bright yellow flowers emerge…
Roots do more than anchor a tree
Remember the incredible wind storms last summer? Tall ponderosa pines were bent over under the forty mile an hour winds. Some trees came crashing down…
Not your Christmas mistletoe
Tis’ the season for mistletoe hanging in doorways to add romantic cheer. True mistletoe may spread cheer but another mistletoe–dwarf mistletoe–doesn’t spread cheer throughout the…
Blister rust decimated white pine forests
The western white pine was the most abundant forest type in the Inland Northwest 50 years ago. Long, clear trunks skyrocketed to heights of 200…
Western hemlock tolerate life in the shadows
Fastest. Strongest. Survival of the fittest. When push comes to shove in nature, usually the weak or meek don’t survive. And in the case of…
Wildlife attracted to dead trees
I often notice snags because of the woodpecker holes or woodpeckers drumming on the tree. However, woodpeckers aren’t the only ones utilizing snags. What animals…
Puffballs not your typical mushrooms
Poof. With the gentle nudge of a shoe, a small plume of “smoke” rises from the dry puffball. Adults and kids often get a kick…
Clubmoss rich in history
Some plants catch your eye. During a walk on an overgrown road I was noticing the mosses and kinnikinnick along the road edges. Then I…
Elderberry a versatile plant throughout history
After finding only a few huckleberries and not wanting to come home empty-handed, I spied some elderberries along the road. Luckily I had just looked…
Identifying orchids in North Idaho
The orchids in North Idaho aren’t as spectacular as tropical orchids but they have their own attractiveness. Some of the orchid flowers are so small…
More to ferns than fronds
Thalli. Sporangia. Sori. Pinnae. Frond. As foreign as these words may seem, they refer to a plant we see all the time–ferns. You won’t find…
Skunk cabbage true to its name
Whether the winter is short or long, the first flower is a joyful sight–even if its name is skunk cabbage. The bright yellow flowers emerge…
Roots do more than anchor a tree
Remember the incredible wind storms last summer? Tall ponderosa pines were bent over under the forty mile an hour winds. Some trees came crashing down…
Not your Christmas mistletoe
Tis’ the season for mistletoe hanging in doorways to add romantic cheer. True mistletoe may spread cheer but another mistletoe–dwarf mistletoe–doesn’t spread cheer throughout the…
Blister rust decimated white pine forests
The western white pine was the most abundant forest type in the Inland Northwest 50 years ago. Long, clear trunks skyrocketed to heights of 200…
Western hemlock tolerate life in the shadows
Fastest. Strongest. Survival of the fittest. When push comes to shove in nature, usually the weak or meek don’t survive. And in the case of…