Edible Mushrooms: The Cep (Boletus edulis)
Karen Also known as the porcino (plural, porcini) mushroom, this distinctive fungus is a favorite of cooks. It is found in late summer and fall growing in deciduous woods especially oak…
Plant Profile: Warley Rose Stonecress (Aethionema x warleyense)
This evergreen subshrub is probably a cross of A. armenum and A. grandiflorum. It is a member of the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that also includes broccoli, cabbage, and asylum. Plants…
Edible Mushrooms: Charcoal Burner (Russula cyanoxantha)
The charcoal burner can be found singly or in troops from summer to fall in deciduous and coniferous woodlands of the northern temperate zone including North America and Europe. It…
Plant Profile: Redwood Inside-Outside Flower (Vancouveria planipetala aka V. parviflora)
Also known as redwood ivy, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is a member of the barberry family, Berberidaceae, that also includes nandina, mahonia, and epimedium. It is native to northwestern California…
Edible Mushrooms: Saffron Milk Cap (Lactarius deliciosus)
Groups or troops of saffron milk cap can be found in summer and fall growing in the calcareous and siliceous soil in coniferous forests especially under pines. It is native…
Plant Profile: Common Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)
Sneezeweed is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial in the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. It is native to eastern and north central North America where it…
Edible Mushrooms: Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia)
Orange peel fungus belongs to the group called “sac fungi”, Ascomycetes, because they produce their spores is sac-like structures called asci (singular ascus). The asci are produced in cup-like orange…
Plant Profile: Rocky Mountain Flowering Raspberry (Rubus deliciosus)
Also known as delicious raspberry, boulder raspberry and snowy bramble, this deciduous shrub or vine is native to Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and the Oklahoma Panhandle. It is a member…
Edible Mushrooms: Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystea)
Abundant in Central, South, and North America as well as Europe and Asia, the amethyst deceiver appears in troops and fairy rings from summer to early winter in both coniferous…
Plant Profile: Pussytoes (Antennaria dioica var. rosea)
Also called cat’s foot and mountain everlasting, this semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial is native to western and north-central US where it grows in many different habitats. It is a member of…