Chances are, while you are in lockdown, you’ve popped up a bird feeder, or you’ve taken to birdwatching, even if it’s off-and-on from your new home office window. You might have even found yourself asking “have these brightly-colored birds always been here?” They...
What is a Chrysanthemum? The chrysanthemum is a popular gardening flower all over the world, commonly referred to as chrysanths or mums. It is an herbaceous perennial with alternate leaves divided into leaflets. These leaflets are typically toothed; occasionally,...
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...
Read the transcript below:Welcome to today’s episode of Plants of the Amazon! As the largest tropical rainforest in the Americas, the Amazonian rainforest has unparalleled biodiversity. One in ten species in the world lives in this rainforest, making it a habitat...
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.
You might think that an oak is an oak, and there’s nothing else to it – but as a beginner botanist or curious naturalist, you might start to take a second look at those trees, however, and notice that they are all different. Red and white oaks are not just individual trees, but separate groups that contain different species. Fortunately, there's an easy way to tell them apart...
You’ve probably heard about wildlife sanctuaries, which are swaths of land dedicated to providing habitat for certain species of wildlife. Lesser known, however, are plant sanctuaries. These sanctuaries serve the same purpose, but on a more foundational scale.
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.
Global change happens with local, individual action. In this article, you’ll learn about how inaction hurts and what you can do about the climate crisis today.
When you think of the ginseng plant, you might think about the full plant in all its green and red beauty with the berries shiny and ready to be planted; but American ginseng doesn’t have berries most of the year. The beautiful red berries are only on the plant for a small window of time.
For centuries, American ginseng has been in the spotlight for mountain foragers and market specialists. Now, it is in the spotlight for conservationists who are striving to protect it from an irreversible decline.
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.
Interested in getting into the microgreens market, but worried if they’ve lost their popularity and profitability? Learn what you need to know here.
One of the best things about microgreens is that they don't require a lot of space. You can grow them in a small container on your windowsill, balcony, or even your kitchen countertop. Since they grow quickly, you can enjoy fresh greens in just a few days for most beginner-friendly varieties.
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.
Spring and summer are right around the corner, and for many of us that bring an exciting, migratory flurry of color and energy known as hummingbirds. Choosing the best hummingbird feeder can be the difference between attracting entire families of hummingbirds to your yard and attracting one or two.
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.
This article has been updated. See these resources instead:There are many plant identification apps available online, but Go Botany is different. As a plant database, rather than an automatic detection app, it is the only resource dedicated to accurate self-guided...
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.
