August 2024

Late summer and fall is a time when hikers become painfully aware of the great number of plant species that produce fruits with spines, hooks, or other prickly protuberances designed to catch a ride on our pant legs, socks, and shoe laces. Nature originally developed these structures to aid in the dispersal of seeds and […]

“Weed” is one of those rare botanical terms without a precise meaning. Often, a weed is considered “a plant growing out-of-place”. Such a definition is broad enough to include both native and introduced species, as well as plants that are adapted to disturbed sites. A few weeds were originally imported for their economic use, but […]