Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is best known as a late-season native shrub with delicate fall flowers. But it also has a long history as a medicinal plant. This essay explores the chemistry, ecology, and traditional uses of witch hazel, and how foraging can deepen our relationship with native plants and the habitats they support. Continue reading "Witch hazel: A medicine for a**holes"
Fall is here, and that means pumpkins and gourds are popping up everywhere—on porches, in centerpieces, and at every farmers’ market. But did you know there’s a native gourd that’s been growing in North America long before the decorative ones hit the scene? Enter the buffalo gourd, a wild cousin to pumpkins and squashes that […] Continue reading "Plant Spotlight: Buffalo Gourd, A Native Plant to Celebrate This Fall "
One of my favorite native shrubs for winter interest in the garden or landscape is Ilex verticillata, commonly known as winterberry. This deciduous holly loses its leaves in the fall, unlike many other hollies that retain their foliage through winter. The absence of leaves makes the bright red, berry-like drupes that persist all winter especially […] Continue reading "Winterberry: Adding Color to the Winter Landscape"