Natives to Know: Michigan Oaks (Quercus, sp.) By Joyce Tuharsky, WORC Member A mature oak tree is magnificent organism to behold. With their wide impressive canopy and massive, often gnarled branches, oak trees can live for centuries, reaching heights of 160 feet or more. No wonder oaks have been objects of legends dating back to ancient […]
Posts Categorized: Blog
Program Recap: Supporting Native Bees in Your Backyard!
There was a good crowd that came to Roselle Park on August 21, to hear Jenna Walters speak about native bees. Jenna is a PhD Candidate from the MSU Department of Entomology and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. Jenna started her presentation showing the difference between bees, flies, and wasps. Some defining characteristics of wasps […]
NATIVES TO KNOW: Coreopsis
NATIVES TO KNOW: Coreopsis By Joyce Tuharsky, WORC Member Coreopsis will light up your garden with cheerful, daisy-like flowers that are prized for their long blooming period. These native plants are sun-loving, drought and heat tolerant, low maintenance, deer resistant, happy to grow in relatively poor soil, and make good cut flowers. Bees and butterflies love […]
LOOKING AND LEARNING AT MICHIGAN WILDFLOWER FARM
LOOKING AND LEARNING AT MICHIGAN WILDFLOWER FARM By Ruth Oldenburg, WORC Communication Chair A hearty THANK YOU to Esther Durnwald and her crew at Michigan Wildflower Farm (MWF)! On June 19, over 30 Wild Ones and friends walked through the perfectly planted farm fields in Portland, about 40 minutes from Grand Rapids. What a pleasant […]
NATIVES TO KNOW: American Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
NATIVES TO KNOW American Spicebush, Lindera benzoin By Joyce Tuharsky, WORC Member Consider spicing up your landscape with native American Spicebush, and you can spice up your morning tea as well. A deciduous shrub, Spicebush is a member of the laurel family. It grows 6–12 foot tall, has many trunks, and spreads by roots. The leaves […]