Vol. 16 Issue 1, Spring 2011 By Ryan Robinson The stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a curious plant, capable of causing extreme pain while also providing beneficial medicinal properties. Common throughout the world, the highest concentrations can be found in Europe and North America.  We find them in our moist woodlands, thickets, by waterways, and […]

Vol. 15 Issue 1, Spring 2010 By Kerry Bzdyk One of the great joys of a walk or hike in Loudoun County in the spring is the discovery of colorful wildflowers along the path. The uniqueness and beauty of the Birdfoot Violet (Viola pedata) makes this little wildflower a welcome find. The Latin word pedata means […]

Vol. 14 Issue 3, Fall 2009 By Mary LoPresti The Virginia Creeper, scientifically known as the Parthenocissus quinquefolia, is a five-leafed woody vine that provides an abundance of food for hundreds of insects, birds and other wildlife.  This green vine, which changes to a beautiful, purplish to bright red color in autumn, uses tendrils (slender, […]

Vol. 13 Issue 3, Fall 2008 By Kerry Bzdyk It’s the plant we all love to hate. If it’s growing in our yards, we just want it gone. But this native plant, about which myths abound, does have some positive attributes. Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is a deciduous plant that is native to North America and […]

Vol. 13 Issue 2, Summer 2008 By Helen VanRyzin Despite its prickly reputation to most, the thistle is a Scottish icon. Scottish legend says that the thistle saved sleeping Scottish warriors from invading Vikings who, barefoot, stepped in a patch of thistles. Thistles are defined in the dictionary as “any of various prickly composite plants (especially […]

Vol. 12 Issue 3, Fall 2007 By Emily Bzydk I was sitting on my backyard swing the other day reading a book, when I heard a loud buzzing nearby. I looked up and found myself face to face with a small green hummingbird. It wavered back and forth, studying me, making sure I was no threat, before […]

Vol. 12 Issue 1, Spring 2007 By Nicole Hamilton As winter turns to spring, some of the first flowers we see are those of the tiny violets. These wildflowers grow primarily in moist woods, meadows and wetlands. By mid-April the woods, especially near streams and other wet areas, can be carpeted with violets. It’s such a beautiful […]

Vol. 12 Issue 4, Winter 2007 By Kerry Bzdyk While our Loudoun landscape is beautiful in any season, if you’re like me, you find joy in any plant that looks green and alive during the gray winter months. One of these welcome green shrubs is the American Holly. While not as widespread here in Loudoun as it […]

Vol. 11 Issue 3, Fall 2006 By Karen Strick Summer eases into fall by showing off the lavender-blue flowers of the native American herbaceous perennial Joe-Pye Weed . Several species of Joe-Pye Weed, members of the aster or daisy family, bloom in the mid-Atlantic region during late summer and fall. Joe-Pye Weed thrives across much of the […]

Vol. 11 Issue 1, Spring 2006 By Nicole Hamilton Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is a native, annual wetland plant that favors marshes, stream banks and low woods, although it will grow well in the garden with moist conditions and mulch. The stunning red flowers bloom late July through early October and open gradually on two- […]