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Manage White-Tailed Deer to Protect Our Natural Heritage
Most residents of Virginia understand the need to change human land use practices to stop or minimize habitat destruction and preserve our native plant communities. An increasing number of people also support combating the spread of non-native invasive species to include problem plant species and insects such as the emerald ash borer beetle which girdles…
Read MoreThe Living Landscape: Summary of Rick Darke’s Talk
Rick Darke recently gave a talk on his new book, co-authored with Doug Tallamy, The Living Landscape; sponsored by our Prince William Wildflower Society Chapter and delivered to a full house of over 180 attendees. This new book is much more than a traditional “how-to” design manual. It is a thoughtful analysis of the natural harmony of relationships…
Read MoreMeet The Witch Grasses!
Grasses are often overlooked and dismissed as difficult to identify – too technical and cryptic. No wonder, then, that the enigmatic witch grasses (genus Dichanthelium) have really gotten the short end of the stick. It is at least worth your while to know that these little grasses are quite successful and diverse. Most habitats in…
Read MoreAdventures In Plant ID
Every chair was taken and extras had to be brought in for the first of the Piedmont Chapter’s Winter Speakers Series this afternoon in Marshall, VA. An appreciative audience paid close attention as the speaker, Richard Stromberg, revealed some of the tricks of his trade during his talk: ‘Adventures in Plant Identification: Tools, Tips, and…
Read MoreThe Habitat Game
Games are a great way to get people to learn, and the Piedmont Chapter has invented a cool (tested!) activity to teach the concept that our choices in landscaping make a difference, and why. This article first appeared in the Chapter’s Winter newsletter, The Leaflet. We’re happy to have the opportunity to spread the idea…
Read MoreWinter Solstice Field Trip and Hooley, 2014
Many thanks to all the participants, over 60 in all, who made the December 21, 2014 Winter Solstice Field Trip and Hooley at Ferry Hill, Washington County, Maryland such an enjoyable and memorable outing! This event, traditionally held at one of the region’s old-age forest communities, is always a great way to welcome the winter…
Read MoreLandscapes of Memory
Venus Flytraps near my Grandparent’s home in coastal North Carolina were the first plants that caught my interest. Like many kids, I was fascinated by the idea of carnivorous plants, but until reading an article in National Geographic, I had no idea that they lived so close to a place I visited frequently. I begged my parents…
Read MoreEscape to Poor Mountain
Just 15 to 20 minutes from downtown Salem, VA, is Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve, part of the Division of Natural Heritage system that protects special plants, animals, and ecosystems throughout Virginia. Although Poor Mountain is named for its predominantly infertile, acidic soils, it makes a rich destination for the botanically minded. Next time you…
Read MoreSmile – It’s A Smilax!
The genus Smilax is bound to catch your attention one way or another – your eye catches a distinctive green leaf; your nose detects a whiff of something slightly ‘off;’ your skin or clothes catch on sharp prickles as you walk down the trail. Those prickly Simlax have common names that include the words Greenbrier or…
Read MoreCoastal Barnyard Grass
Fall is a great time of year for grass ID! Echinochloa walteri, member of the Poaceae family, is an annual herb that can reach six feet. According to the the Flora of Virginia it is frequent to common in the estuarine and maritime zones of the Virginia’s Coastal Plain. The flowers are only a few…
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