Why do western larch grow new needles every year?
The vibrant green needles growing on a western larch is one of my favorite signs of spring. The needles are so much greener than any…
Tag: Trees
Ross Creek Cedars over 1,000 years old
Towering giants. Ancient trees. Trees growing since Columbus sailed to the New World. We have gigantic western redcedar close by–south of Troy, Montana in the…
Wildlife attracted to dead trees
I often notice snags because of the woodpecker holes or woodpeckers drumming on the tree. However, woodpeckers aren’t the only ones utilizing snags. What animals…
Every burl is different
Every so often while hiking I find a tree with a burl. Sometimes the burl is a small globular protrusion on a branch and…
Elderberry a versatile plant throughout history
After finding only a few huckleberries and not wanting to come home empty-handed, I spied some elderberries along the road. Luckily I had just looked…
Roots do more than anchor a tree
Remember the incredible wind storms last summer? Tall ponderosa pines were bent over under the forty mile an hour winds. Some trees came crashing down…
Not your Christmas mistletoe
Tis’ the season for mistletoe hanging in doorways to add romantic cheer. True mistletoe may spread cheer but another mistletoe–dwarf mistletoe–doesn’t spread cheer throughout the…
Blister rust decimated white pine forests
The western white pine was the most abundant forest type in the Inland Northwest 50 years ago. Long, clear trunks skyrocketed to heights of 200…
Western hemlock tolerate life in the shadows
Fastest. Strongest. Survival of the fittest. When push comes to shove in nature, usually the weak or meek don’t survive. And in the case of…
What is that big beetle?
Whether a bird, plant or insect, identifying one I haven’t seen before is always interesting. So when I received an email that Cal Russell was…
Do you know your cones?
Plink, plink, plink, plop. Plink, plink, plink, plop. The sound of a busy squirrel harvesting cones as they drop to the forest floor. The squirrel…
Recent swarms of insects are woolly aphids
During the past few weeks, swarms of tiny blue and white insects have pelted windshields like raindrops and stuck to the clothing of anyone walking…
Ross Creek Cedars over 1,000 years old
Towering giants. Ancient trees. Trees growing since Columbus sailed to the New World. We have gigantic western redcedar close by–south of Troy, Montana in the…
Wildlife attracted to dead trees
I often notice snags because of the woodpecker holes or woodpeckers drumming on the tree. However, woodpeckers aren’t the only ones utilizing snags. What animals…
Every burl is different
Every so often while hiking I find a tree with a burl. Sometimes the burl is a small globular protrusion on a branch and…
Elderberry a versatile plant throughout history
After finding only a few huckleberries and not wanting to come home empty-handed, I spied some elderberries along the road. Luckily I had just looked…
Roots do more than anchor a tree
Remember the incredible wind storms last summer? Tall ponderosa pines were bent over under the forty mile an hour winds. Some trees came crashing down…
Not your Christmas mistletoe
Tis’ the season for mistletoe hanging in doorways to add romantic cheer. True mistletoe may spread cheer but another mistletoe–dwarf mistletoe–doesn’t spread cheer throughout the…
Blister rust decimated white pine forests
The western white pine was the most abundant forest type in the Inland Northwest 50 years ago. Long, clear trunks skyrocketed to heights of 200…
Western hemlock tolerate life in the shadows
Fastest. Strongest. Survival of the fittest. When push comes to shove in nature, usually the weak or meek don’t survive. And in the case of…
What is that big beetle?
Whether a bird, plant or insect, identifying one I haven’t seen before is always interesting. So when I received an email that Cal Russell was…
Do you know your cones?
Plink, plink, plink, plop. Plink, plink, plink, plop. The sound of a busy squirrel harvesting cones as they drop to the forest floor. The squirrel…
Recent swarms of insects are woolly aphids
During the past few weeks, swarms of tiny blue and white insects have pelted windshields like raindrops and stuck to the clothing of anyone walking…