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Monday, October 2, 2023

Simply ferntastic! West Virginia's many fern species

Polystichum acrostichoides thrives on a wooded hillside. (Source: Wikipedia)
In my humble opinion, ferns are one of the most overlooked groups of plants in West Virginia forests and woodlands. Here in Greenbrier County,...

Spring ideal season to engage in West Virginia botanical events

A yellow spring flower blossoms on an Allegheny ridge top.
SAINT ALBANS, W.Va. — One of the best things about living in West Virginia is the opportunity to experience its cycles of growth. Whether...

Some spring crocus are indigenous in Appalachian Mountains

A crocus thrives alongside a patch of spring snow in West Virginia.
FLAT TOP, W.Va. — There are few surer signs of the approach of spring in West Virginia than the emergence of crocus blossoms in...

Eastern Skunk Cabbage performs magic in spring

Skunk cabbage rises through the snow in spring in West Virginia.
SUNSHINE FARM, W.Va. — Winter and spring may be the best time of year to sing the praises of Symplocarpus foetidus, a.k.a. “Eastern Skunk...

Tropical plant store near new national park takes award

Botany Tropicals is among the innovative new businesses opening in Hinton, West Virginia.
HINTON, W.Va. — You might not think a West Virginia town of fewer than 3,000 residents would be the ideal location for a booming...

Yes, (West) Virginia, there is a native geranium!

Geranium can be found growing wild in West Virginia.
SUNSHINE FARM, W.Va. — When it became my turn to present my current story proposal at our regular editorial board meeting, my pitch was...

West Virginia native plant ideal groundcover in shade

Meehania cordata blossoms at Sunshine Farm and Gardens Wholesale Nursery.
When botanist Thomas Meehan died in 1901, I'm sure he went to the big forest in the sky feeling proud that Nathaniel Lord Britton...

Sarvis Tree blossoms signal the arrival of mountain spring

A sarvis tree blossoms on the edge of a barnyard in Wyoming County near Twin Falls State Park.
Seasons can come and go in the temperate regions of the world with many false starts, but in the Appalachian Mountains, folks know spring...

Native Solomon's Seal ideal for wild and shade gardens

Sunshine Farm and Gardens Wholesale Nursery near Lewisburg, West Virginia.
If you’ve read any of my past diatribes, you know that I favor scientific botanical nomenclature above common names. That’s caused many readers to...

Native W.Va. garden plant may go unnoticed in the wild

A bed of Hydrophyllum virginianum comes into flower.
A picture speaks a thousand words, and that’s a good thing because I have a lot to say about this plant that could best...

Remarkable orchid's single leaf persists through winter in W.Va.

The remarkable leaf of Tipularia discolor stands out on the forest floor.
You may have to stretch your imagination a wee bit to embrace the common name of this very interesting West Virginia resident. That plant,...

Ramp harvesting ends in national parks in southern W.Va.

Ramps in southern W.Va.
Due to an observed decline in their population, ramps may no longer be harvested on properties managed by the National Park Service in southern...

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