Wild Anise
One troublesome plant that is present on my property is multiflora rose (rosa multiflora). On my early visits to the property after I bought it, I looked around and saw quite a number of large rose bushes and also a … Continue reading →
Yellow Birch
I’m not certain about this one, but my best guess, from studying the Virginia Department of Forestry tree identification guide and doing further research on the Internet, is that it is a yellow birch (betula alleghaniensis). If I’ve learned anything … Continue reading →
Damson Plum
The Damson Plum (prunus domestica) is not, strictly speaking, a native of Virginia. The plant was introduced to the Americas by English colonists long before the American Revolution. So, while it has been in this country several centuries, it isn’t … Continue reading →
Shagbark Hickory
There are four different hickorys native to southwestern Virginia: bitternut, shagbark, mockernut, and pignut. Shagbark hickory is easy to identify because of the shaggy bark, but the others are a little bit more difficult. This photograph is very likely of … Continue reading →
Summer Grape
Last fall, I posted a picture of a summer grape (vitus aestivalis) vine that wasn’t all that big, but I knew that I had larger ones on the property. Here is one of them: This one is climbing a black … Continue reading →
Post Oak
This one was easy for me to initially identify – I knew it was an oak. But which one? There are 7 different oak species in southwestern Virginia. Using my plant identification guide, I was able to identify this one … Continue reading →
Hawthorn
The hawthorn (crataegus spp. L.) family, I discovered, is a large group of shrubs and small trees that are nearly impossible to identify as separate species. Wikipedia says that “a reasonable number is 200 species” but “some botanists in the … Continue reading →
White Dogwood
Flowering dogwood (cornus florida), as all Virginians should know, is the state tree. Early on, I noticed numerous dogwoods on my property – they are gorgeous in the spring when they bloom! On this trip, a friend told me that … Continue reading →
Cucumber Tree
Shortly after buying my property, I went out to Rocky Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway and bought a copy of Trees & Shrubs of Virginia, by Gupton and Swope. While browsing through it, I noticed an entry for a … Continue reading →
Spicebush
Little by little, I am identifying the plants that are on my property. I took lots and lots of pictures, but when I got home and downloaded them, I found that I didn’t have a very good system for taking … Continue reading →