Trees, Shrubs, & Woody Plants – Learn Your Land

This Forest Disease Is Spreading in a Strange Way

Adam Haritan — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:37:48 +0000

These days, it seems there are just as many tree diseases as there are trees in a forest. Who knows where they’re all coming from, or why they keep showing up, but there’s one thing we can say for sure: they can drastically alter the way a forest looks and feels. Right now, I’m thinking […]

Source

Why the Southeast Has America’s Greatest Tree Diversity

Adam Haritan — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:03:17 +0000

I recently took a last-minute trip to the southeastern United States. In addition to surprising my uncle for his 65th birthday, I admired all the trees I don’t usually see back home in Pennsylvania: water tupelo, willow oak, southern red oak, loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, sugarberry, and dozens of others. I eventually lost count of […]

Source

Eastern Forests Are Changing — And Pawpaw Is Winning

Adam Haritan — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:00:15 +0000

In my neck of the woods, there’s a particular tree that grows in the understory. It’s not a very big tree, but it’s doing something that has recently caught my attention: It’s becoming much more abundant. On the surface, this looks like a wonderful thing. Known as pawpaw (Asimina triloba), this native species produces a […]

Source

I Never Expected To See This Oak

Adam Haritan — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:45:13 +0000

Imagine spending over a decade with the same group of friends, only to discover a stranger had been among you the entire time. This recently happened to me, but it didn’t involve humans. It involved oaks. For more than a decade, I’d been visiting the same patch of woods near my home. I thought I […]

Source

Why This Shrub Is A Tick Paradise

Adam Haritan — Thu, 28 May 2026 19:56:02 +0000

In my neck of the woods, some places are absolute tick hot spots. If I need to photograph ticks or study their habits, I know exactly where to go. But until last week, I didn’t know that a particular shrub was strongly associated with tick abundance. A new study found this to be true, and […]

Source

Why Eastern Forests Don’t Grow 300-Foot Trees

Adam Haritan — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:39:35 +0000

I’ve spent a lot of time in wild places over the years. Something I’ve noticed is this: Humans are place-based creatures. We thrive when we feel connected to certain landscapes. I’ve also noticed that one of the best ways to develop this connection is to learn what makes each place unique. Lately, I’ve been exploring […]

Source

The Forest We Lost — And The One That Came Back

Adam Haritan — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 17:24:55 +0000

Years ago, I started reading books on Taoism. One Taoist concept I learned early on was the inevitability of change. Nothing stays the same, Taoists tell us. Things move, shift, grow, and fade, whether we’re paying attention or not. Years later, I became interested in ecology, and I began to wonder: how do forests change? […]

Source

Old-Growth Forests: Myths vs Reality

Adam Haritan — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:09:51 +0000

I really enjoy spending time in old-growth forests. I admire the sights, I love the sounds, and I like that old-growth forests can make a human feel small, yet still important. Old-growth forests once covered large areas of land in North America, but these forests are far less common today. As a result, we might […]

Source

Are Pawpaws Neurotoxic?

Adam Haritan — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:15:19 +0000

Are pawpaws neurotoxic? It sounds like an absurd question to ask. After all, many people eat these wild fruits every year without experiencing any apparent negative effects. But let’s consider the following pieces of information: Studies have linked the consumption of fruits in the Annonaceae family to neurodegeneration in humans. Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is in […]

Source

Is Black Walnut Killing Your Plants?

Adam Haritan — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 18:03:14 +0000

“Black walnut kills plants.” I first heard this statement many years ago. Occasionally, I still hear some version of this claim: Black walnut engages in warfare by releasing a chemical into the soil. This chemical kills or inhibits the growth of plants. But is this entirely true? Does black walnut actually kill plants? Some people […]

Source

American Chestnut: Just How Massive Was It?

Adam Haritan — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 17:47:14 +0000

Every now and then, I’ll come across a decent-sized American chestnut and wonder: “Just how big did these trees get?” I’ve always read that American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was a dominant tree throughout eastern North American forests. I’ve heard people describe American chestnut as a tree that towered above all others. I’ve even seen references […]

Source

If This Isn’t Good Medicine, I Don’t Know What Is

Adam Haritan — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 14:55:39 +0000

To find good medicine, look in a forest. In a forest, you’ll encounter plants that have the ability to heal human ailments. Many years ago, I learned about the medicinal properties of a particular woody plant. This woody plant, when applied to my face as an extract, improved my poor complexion. Over the years, I’ve […]

Source