Understanding Beech Leaf Disease
The fate of the American Beech tree hangs in the balance, but the resilience of nature and the determination of those invested in its preservation offer a glimmer of hope.
Understanding Beech Leaf Disease
Recent Articles
View All by Most Recent
The Parts of a Plant: The Root System
The Parts of a Plant: The Root System
Roots are almost always underground, but these hidden systems are responsible for a range of functions from securing the plant in the soil to absorbing water and nutrients. You can think of the root system as the foundation of a building: it's what keeps the plant stable, nourished, and capable of growth throughout its life cycle.
Parts of a Plant and Their Functions: Introduction and Basic Terminology
Parts of a Plant and Their Functions: Introduction and Basic Terminology
Part one of an in-depth series. Getting your hands dirty in the garden or diving into botany can be a much richer experience when you understand the various parts of a plant and their functions.
Featured in Botany
Ginseng Companion Plants
Ginseng Companion Plants
Ginseng has many “companion plants” that like to grow in similar conditions. These plants may be a sign of a nearby ginseng population, or as a sign of ideal site selection for cultivation. While solely looking for companion plants is not a foolproof way to find a...
How to Get Involved in Botany
How to Get Involved in Botany
Are you looking for ways to get involved in botany or potentially become a botanist? Most entry-level botany jobs will require that you have a bachelor’s degree at least, or a master’s degree in botany depending on the work and responsibilities you are taking on. No matter what you want to pursue in botany, some relevant experience will help you get the jobs or volunteer opportunities you want.
Understanding Beech Leaf Disease
Understanding Beech Leaf Disease
The fate of the American Beech tree hangs in the balance, but the resilience of nature and the determination of those invested in its preservation offer a glimmer of hope.
Featured in Environment
Springtime Sighting of a Vulnerable Butterfly, the West Virginia White
Springtime Sighting of a Vulnerable Butterfly, the West Virginia White
One spring morning, eight botanists packed into carpools and drove to a small town on the far edge of western Massachusetts to find a small white butterfly, Pieris virginensis, and its host plant, Cardamine concatenata and C. diphylla.
Citizen Reports Needed: The Nematode Project
Citizen Reports Needed: The Nematode Project
Today, I'm coming forward with the announcement of an independent study that will be publicized on this blog for the foreseeable future.
Call for Beech Leaf & Soil Samples
Call for Beech Leaf & Soil Samples
Update 3/01/24 No longer accepting samples. Instead, please report images of both infected AND healthy beech trees using iNaturalist. These reports help scientists determine the timeline and path of spread, helping them discover any potential beech tree...
Featured in Gardening
Can I Grow Ginseng at Home?
Can I Grow Ginseng at Home?
Ginseng used to be plentiful in the United States and southern Canada, but the ‘gold rush’ of ginseng in the colonial era left the population on the decline. Today, we can change the trend and help steward in a new generation of plants. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing ginseng pop out of the ground year after year in a thriving ecosystem.
What is a Child Garden?
What is a Child Garden?
The focus is often on creating an immersive and engaging experience that is tailored to the needs and interests of young children based on grade level.
Does Ginseng Come Up Every Year?
Does Ginseng Come Up Every Year?
As a steward or grower of ginseng, it’s important to look toward the future and know what to expect from this plant, especially as it takes multiple years to grow to maturity in the first place. Once you’ve learned how to identify the plant over the winter, you may...
Featured in Microgreens
Choosing the Right Microgreen Rack for Any Setup
Choosing the Right Microgreen Rack for Any Setup
Eating microgreens is a great way to add variety and nutrition to your diet. But these days, you’ll spend a pretty penny stocking up on greens at the grocery store every week. If you’re anything like us, you’ve started wondering about growing microgreens yourself....
Packaging Microgreens: The Ultimate Guide
Packaging Microgreens: The Ultimate Guide
People who buy microgreens want to improve their diets in a sustainable way. If your packaging is the wrong shape, size, or material, you’ll struggle to turn a profit, let alone stay open for business. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll understand the importance of great packaging and the best options for every scenario.
Growing Microgreens for Profit
Growing Microgreens for Profit
Microgreens are the perfect urban farming solution to making a profit in a small space. Adaptable to small closet spaces or spare bedrooms, they don’t take up much room or require a lot of overhead, and they can produce delicious, intense flavors.
Featured in Reviews
Best Growing Mediums for Microgreens
Best Growing Mediums for Microgreens
What is the best growing mediums for microgreens, and how will it affect your overall yield? Do certain microgreens need certain soils? There are a lot of questions.
Fortunately, however, there are also a lot of answers despite indoor urban farming being a relatively new concept in agriculture.
Garden in the Woods: Botanical Garden Spotlight
Garden in the Woods: Botanical Garden Spotlight
In this spotlight, you’ll learn about a wonderful outdoor botanical garden focused on highlighting native plants in the New England region. Garden in the Woods is a great way to learn more about sustainable gardening practices, ecosystems, and habitats of the...
(Top 20) Plants Safe for Cats and Dogs
(Top 20) Plants Safe for Cats and Dogs
Keeping houseplants is a hobby that is on the rise in recent years. The more time you spend at home, the more you want to fill your home with beautiful foliage. In fact, plants are great at helping reduce the stress we experience on a daily basis. But what do you do if you also have pets?
Get Planty with HerbSpeak Emails
Take a break and photosynthesize a little. With monthly emails from HerbSpeak delivered right to your inbox, you can develop your botanical literacy in a way that is fun and accessible.
Life is plantier with HerbSpeak. Subscribe to email alerts today and stay up-to-date with the latest learning.