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Why Are Some Leaves Changing Color Early?
A few yellow or red leaves can show up well before the rest of a tree starts changing for fall. Here’s why some leaves change color early and what those early signs can tell you about the plant.
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Why Do Berries Change Color?
Listen to this story as a two-minute radio feature: By late summer, shrubs and trees begin to fill with color. Raspberries turn bright red. Elderberries deepen to purple. Chokecherries become so dark they can look almost black, while blueberries take on their familiar blue. Those colors are more than decoration. For many plants, they are part…
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Goldenrod Gets a Bad Rap
Goldenrod is everywhere in late summer, and so are seasonal allergies. The connection isn’t what most people think.
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The Bank Hidden Beneath Your Feet
Beneath every field, prairie and forest lies a hidden seed bank. Learn how dormant seeds wait for the right conditions before springing back to life.
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Why Do Some Plants Smell So Good?
Plants produce hundreds of different aromatic chemicals that drift through the air, carrying information to the living things around them. To us, they might smell sweet, spicy, citrusy or minty. But to the rest of nature, they’re part of a sophisticated chemical language.
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Native or invasive? The easy trick for identifying cattails
At first glance, cattails all look pretty much the same. But if you take a closer look at the flower spike, one small detail can tell you whether you’re looking at broadleaf cattail or narrowleaf cattail. Related: Why Cattails Are the Ultimate Survival Plant The flower spike is made up of two parts. The upper…
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Pineapple Weed: Chamomile’s fruity cousin
Pineapple weed (*Matricaria discoidea*) is a close relative of German chamomile that often grows unnoticed in sidewalks, gravel driveways and other disturbed areas. Learn how to identify this fragrant wild herb, explore its traditional uses, and discover why harvest location is important.
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Witch Hazel
While visiting the New York Botanical Garden last week, I got to see a few different types of witch hazel. I was very excited because, up until now, I’d only read about the shrub and its unique flowers and had never seen one in person. American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana L.) is native to North…
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Why Cattails are The Ultimate Survival Plant
If people across the U.S. were suddenly forced to rely on the land again, cattails would be one of the most important plants to know. They are widespread, easy to identify, and provide food, materials, and practical uses from a single plant.
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The Herbalist as Teacher, Not Merchant
I’ve recently started selling some herbal products in a local store under my brand, Brigid & Bri Botanicals and Bee-Wares. While I’m excited about that and genuinely love making things for people to use (especially when it introduces them to herbalism), I’ve also found myself thinking more deeply about the role of the herbalist. And…
