Botany and Forestry

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s 2014 ginseng harvest will open Monday, Sept. 1, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 30, according to Leslie Fitzwater Smithson, public information specialist with the W.Va. Division of Forestry. The native herb grows in all 55 counties in West Virginia and is ready to harvest when its berries turn red. State law … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Spring wildflowers are on track for a timely blossom in West Virginia, according to staff at state and national parks. Unseasonable temperatures in recent years had thrown cycles off, but barring exceptional weather, 2014 should be normal. It could even be very good, thanks to ideal precipitation. I think this could be a very … Read more