Self-tutoring about tree identification: the tutor notices European ash. I’ve returned from Nanaimo after a great week. I made more great tree finds there. One of the trees I became acquainted with is European ash. It looks like other ash…

Self-tutoring about tree identification: the tutor continues in Nanaimo. I came upon a tree with peeling red bark. At first it reminded me of arbutus, but obviously wasn’t. The tree is small, maybe 12 feet tall with trunk diameter 5…

Self-tutoring about tree identification: the tutor encounters a eucalyptus. In Nanaimo, the abundance of exotic trees always impresses me. I’ve noticed a eucalyptus along the route to work. The eucalyptus tree has blue-green leaves, with smooth, light coloured bark that…

Self-tutoring about tree identification: the tutor ID’s white poplar. In my previous post I mention finding a pair of red winged blackbirds at a lakeshore. They weren’t all I found. I noticed some trees I remembered from last time I’d…

Self-tutoring about plants and flowers: the tutor mentions an encounter with amaryllis. In early June, exploring a campus, I arrived at a crossroads for its various paths. There, in a raised box, bloomed an arresting red flower. Internet research suggests…

Self-tutoring about botany: the tutor notices pink yarrow. In my last post about yarrow I mention seeing some with red flowers. Almost always, though, the yarrow I see is white. Yet, in a grove of white yarrow, I’ve recently noticed…

Self-tutoring about biology and lifestyle: the tutor wonders why searching for unfamiliar plants is exciting. Looking through the plant guide during a spare moment, I will sometimes plan searching for a particular plant I’ve never seen, yet lives here. Why…

Self-tutoring about botany: the tutor IDs a plant. I’ve long known an evergreen bush with silvery leaves. Its yellow flowers have 13 petals, which I find surprising. It’s around a metre tall, but spreads outwards rather than gaining height. What…

Self-tutoring about botany: the tutor identifies bedstraw. A really satisfying identification happens when you notice a plant, see it often, then finally ID it. Small bedstraw, for me, is the latest such plant. I’ve noticed it a couple of years…

Self-tutoring about plant identification: the tutor mentions shepherd’s purse. Reading the field guide lately, I noticed shepherd’s purse in there. It looked familiar, but I wasn’t sure where I might have seen it. In my experience, there are two ways…