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…
Category: 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…
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…
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…
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…
The never-ending aspen
One of my favorite sounds is the rustling of aspen leaves in the wind. While most leaves are attached to branches with round stems, quaking…
Sweet cottonwood fragrance will announce spring
One day in early spring, the sweet fragrance of cottonwood buds will fill the air. The large pointed buds of black cottonwoods are filled with…
Juniper species grow in tree and shrub form
Nestled on a rocky site north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, a juniper bush seems out of place. Could it be the same species…
Alpine larch usher in autumn in the high country
As autumn begins, a golden color will highlight timberline as alpine larch turn from a light green to a golden yellow. Turning color and losing…
Conifers increase the odds with prolific pollen
You may have noticed a yellow dust on your car or around the edges of puddles recently. The visible yellow dust is only a fraction…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The never-ending aspen
One of my favorite sounds is the rustling of aspen leaves in the wind. While most leaves are attached to branches with round stems, quaking…
Sweet cottonwood fragrance will announce spring
One day in early spring, the sweet fragrance of cottonwood buds will fill the air. The large pointed buds of black cottonwoods are filled with…
Juniper species grow in tree and shrub form
Nestled on a rocky site north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, a juniper bush seems out of place. Could it be the same species…
Alpine larch usher in autumn in the high country
As autumn begins, a golden color will highlight timberline as alpine larch turn from a light green to a golden yellow. Turning color and losing…
Conifers increase the odds with prolific pollen
You may have noticed a yellow dust on your car or around the edges of puddles recently. The visible yellow dust is only a fraction…