The tutor shares his discovery of English oak in Campbell River. English oak is easy to zero in on around here. First of all, it’s a white oak: the leaf lobes are round, rather than pointed. (Pointed means red oak.) …
Lifestyle: tree identification from field guide: English oak Read more »
The tutor shares a nice find from his walk home today: an American sycamore tree. Sometimes, identifying a tree, one can’t get so close as one might like: the tree might be on private property, so the viewer can’t inspect …
Lifestyle: remote tree identification: American sycamore Read more »
The tutor brings up an oft-seen ornamental in populated areas of Vancouver Island: the California poppy. California poppies are hardy plants on Vancouver Island fields, and they’re perennial. They’re typically around 40cm tall, with netted foliage that isn’t very noticeable. …
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The tutor shares a couple of terms he recently learned. In a forest setting, mast can refer to food dropped from trees and bushes, such as acorns, nuts, or berries. Masting refers to the trees’ production of the mast, but …
The tutor shares the answer to a question he’s long harboured. Generally, red oak acorns take two years to mature. Does that mean the tree drops a crop of acorns only every second year? According to Cathy Blumig of outdoorlife.com, …
Oak trees: do red oaks produce acorns every year? Read more »
The tutor researches the effects of juglone from black walnut trees. Juglone is a toxin produced by the black walnut tree; it’s found throughout the tree and in its leaves, shells and nuts. Apparently, to humans eating the walnuts, the …
The tutor discusses a find yesterday that has him guessing. Yesterday, clearing foliage from between some paving stones, I noticed an orange flower. In fact, it was going to seed: the petals had collapsed, but still clung to the pistil. …
Botany: can creeping buttercup flowers be orange? Read more »
The tutor is glad to offer a botany post. The past school year, I walked home most weekdays from my wife’s work after dropping the kids at their school, then delivering the car back to her. (She works at a …
Lifestyle: plant identification from field guide: sulphur cinquefoil Read more »
The tutor identifies a familiar plant from the yard. I didn’t know it was herb-robert, but I’ve worked among it for years. In the yard, it grows along fences or buildings, always the shady side. Herb-robert is attractive, with fern-like …
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The tutor gladly makes a decision about this one. For weeks I’ve been studying a plant in the yard, trying to make an ID. The plant in question consists of several stems that seem connected. They are ankle height, with …
Lifestyle: plant identification from field guide: small-flowered forget-me-not Read more »