Tag Archives: nature
Live Oak – The Heritage Tree
When the topic of survival food comes up, acorns can’t be far behind. Unfortunately, not all are created equal. Oaks are divided into two groups, white oaks and red oaks. The acorns of red oak species like water, willow, scarlet, … Continue reading
Sow Thistle: Versatile Wild Green
It sure doesn’t look very appetizing. The name won’t arouse your palate either, but sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) makes a tasty salad or cooked green. Sonchus is Greek for hollow (referring to the stems) and oleracea means vegetable or herb-like. … Continue reading
Long Live the Beech
You’re probably familiar with the word beechnut, but likely your first thoughts pertain either to smokeless tobacco, baby food or chewing gum. American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is one of our more common trees and yes, the nuts are edible. Small … Continue reading
The Versatile Sassafras
If you’ve strolled around the edge of the woods you’ve encountered a sassafras tree, though it might have been only a seedling. Unless you knew what you were looking for you probably walked right past without giving it as much … Continue reading
Purslane – A Hot Weather Green
You’ve probably seen it in your garden when the weather has been so dry that nothing else will grow. You might even plant one of its cousins in your flower garden. The plant in question is purslane (Portulaca oleracea). The … Continue reading
Persimmons – Sweet Gems of the Fall
The persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is one of the true delicacies of the southeastern states. They grow as far north as southern Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey and west to east Texas and Oklahoma. We are in the … Continue reading
Mulberry – A Healthy Secret
They are a fruit few have eaten. The trees are common in our area, but most people don’t know what they are or even what the fruits look like. Mulberries are small trees up to 30 feet tall. Their leaves … Continue reading
More Pesky Vines
Kudzu has the reputation for the fastest growing and most aggressive. Poison ivy is likely the most feared. A few others deserve merit for most annoying. I bet in the last 20 years I’ve had hundreds of people show me … Continue reading
Harvest the Strangler
Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is the single biggest scourge of the southern landscape. Vines can grow to the top of the tallest trees and head back down again, all in a single season. It can choke out trees and landscaping almost … Continue reading
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