Get Your Botany On!

Dryopteris marginalis is a frequent native in the eastern half of North America . Especially common and abundant in the Appalachians , it i...

Polystichum acrostichoides grows in a variety of woodlands and is especially at home on north and east facing slopes. The acrostic fertile ...

Have you ever been planning for a botanical excursion in the United States and wondered what floras or field guides might be available to h...

These leaves of Aquilegia canadensis emerged in the landscaping around my house during mild weather in December, 2011. They seem a little ...

Exceedingly rare in Indiana , the little-known and poorly recognized Ground Cedar ( Lycopodium tristachyum) is occasional in semi-dry, sand...

Potentilla arguta ... at least that's how I picture the conversation between William Dampier and a field assistant upon seeing the s...

Good call, Scott! It is Phlox divaricata, Woodland Phlox, a common native plant in Midwestern forests. Posted earlier: This plant shows ...

Hepatica americana is a colorful and attractive member of the Ranunculaceae (Crowfoot or Buttercup Family). It has a special affinity for r...

Congratulations to Andrew "The Commander" Blackburn for correctly identifying the winter leaves of Monarda punctata , Horse Mint. ...

Frequent in mesic woods, Isopyrum biternatum is one of the most abundant green plants in winter. In a very cold winter the leaves are mostl...

Rough Sand Sedge, Cyperus schweinitzii , scribes a series of nearly concentric arcs in Porter County, Indiana. Sand arcs like these, along...

Yesterday I posted this as a plant quiz: "Photographed in a beech-maple forest in St. Joe County, Indiana on January 7, 2012. Can you i...

Goodyera pubescens: The basal rosette of this attractive orchid is a good thing to look for on winter hikes. It grows in a variety of fores...

Providing color and variety for the winter hiker, Mitchella repens is a member of the Madder family (Rubiaceae). It grows on cool, shady roc...

"The sun that brief December day rose cheerless over hills of grey, and darkly circled, gave at noon a sadder light than waning moon......

I recently posted the following plant quiz... ******************** Name that plant... Photo taken in September in northcentra...

Despite having a wide distribution in Indiana, Spotted Wintergreen is not very easy to find, though it can be locally frequent where it occu...

Good call, Scott! It is Viola pedata , Birdfoot Violet, a denizen of the dry country. It's especially at home in dry sand among a thin g...

Good call, "Euphorb!" It is Epigaea repens , Trailing Arbutus. At home on acid slopes, this tiny native shrub stays green all win...

The french fur trappers who came through the Great Lakes region called this delightful little subshrub Petit the de bois meaning "litt...