Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Plants”
Have you ever owned an air plant or Tillandsia? These hardy, pretty, and low-maintenance plants are popular home, office, and garden decorations. However, they also represent a diverse, fascinating group of plants that live a very particular lifestyle. These epiphytic plants spend most or all of their lives in the air, sometimes never touching the ground! But how is that …
Almost anybody who has spent time around trees has seen or dealt with sap. For homeowners and gardeners, dealing with trees and their sap can be a regular chore. Sometimes it’s runny and watery, while other times it can be a sticky mess. But why do trees produce sap in the first place? What is it’s purpose? In this Naturalist …
Plants are so widespread in natural places that it’s easy to overlook them. Almost everywhere you go at certain times of year, the plants form a wall of green. But how do plants find their habitats in the first place? After all, they can’t move around on their own like animals. In this Deep Stuff blog post, let’s explore seed …
As the winter holidays approach, we are reminded of familiar, longstanding traditions. Even though they may be popular, they can also be mysterious. Where did they come from in the first place? One of my favorite examples is mistletoe. Between pop songs and Christmas carols, everyone seems to love the flirty thought of puckering up under the mistletoe. But what …
In late Summer and Fall, you may find strange shapes on the stems of plants or tree leaves. These odd growths come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and sometimes even colors. Upon closer inspection, what you might think are fungi or insect pupa appear to be somehow part of the plant itself. You’re looking at galls! These bizarre plant …
If you’ve done any research into wildflowers or wild gardening, you’ve probably heard about milkweeds. These pretty and widespread wildflowers are super important for native biodiversity and can attract a lot of fascinating pollinators. You can find milkweeds throughout most of North and South America as well as part of Africa. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 70 …
If you want a better look at objects that are close-by, you may want to bring along a magnifying glass.
Strategies and adaptations All wildlife at higher elevations or latitudes face the challenge of adapting to winter. In part 1 of this post, we explored the challenges that wildlife faces during winter. To recap quickly: Food can be scarce! Starvation or lack of energy is a major survival risk for all kinds of wildlife—plant, animal, or otherwise. It gets cold. …
