It’s mushroom Monday, and this week we have the eye-catching, edible, and ecologically-helpful Flame Trumpet (Craterellus ignicolor). No matter how much or how little interest you have in wild mushrooms, you’ve likely heard of Chanterelles. That common name usually applies to fungi in the genus Cantharellus, but there are other, equally edible, members of the Chanterelle family. I’ve posted about two before: Black Trumpet (Craterellus fallax) and Winter Chanterelle (aka Yel

Fall is peak spider season on PEI, and the most commonly-reported of our nearly 200 different species is the lovely Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia). If you are among the 6% of the population that experiences arachnophobia – fear of spiders – you may not be happy with either today’s photo or my reference to just how many species the Island has. And, if that’s the case, you really won’t like me mentioning that one UK researcher estimated that there are as many as two mi

It’s Mushroom Monday and, as we’ve seen already this season, PEI’s fungi come in a variety of colours and shapes. This week, we have another species that is neither ‘mushroom brown’ nor stereotypically cap-and-stem shaped: meet the lovely Violet Coral (Clavaria amethystina complex). I’m fascinated by colourful fungi. Biologists have long studied colouration in plants and animals, which has given us a pretty good handle on the roles of their various pigments and patterns. Bu

You’re likely familiar with sweet, seedless supermarket grapes, and perhaps you’ve visited one of PEI’s commercial vineyards. But did you know that the Island has wild grapes as well? Meet the Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia). Riverbank Grape is native to Canada, including neighbouring New Brunswick where it’s relatively common. Here on PEI, Riverbank Grape was introduced about a century ago (likely from NB), and I occasionally find it having escaped from old homesteads and gr

It’s Mushroom Monday, and if you’ve never noticed the similarities between the smell of maple syrup and that of curry, today’s species might surprise you. Meet the Curry Milkcap (aka Candy Cap, Lactarius camphoratus). Milkcaps are mushrooms that exude a milky juice (sometimes called ‘latex’) when broken or cut. I’ve written about this group before, including the edible, orange-latex Saffron Milkcaps that are common across PEI. Curry Milkcaps are small, with reddish-brown ca

What comes to mind when you think about wild foods: bitter greens, sweet berries, meaty mushrooms? Spicy may not be at the top of your wild tastes list, but PEI does have some delightfully peppery plants, including this one: Horseweed (Erigeron canadensis). Horseweed is among the Island’s native ruderal species: plants that naturally prefer disturbed habitats. Before European settlement, this member of the Aster Family would have grown mainly along our sandy and rocky shore

It’s Mushroom Monday, and this week we have one of PEI’s most notorious species. Despite its reputation, this mushroom is beautiful, ecologically important, and perfectly harmless if you don’t eat it. Meet a Destroying Angel (Amanita cf. amerivirosa). ‘Destroying Angel’ isn’t a single species, but the name applied to a group of all-white, very toxic mushrooms in the genus Amanita. Research has confirmed three separate species in our region so far, with A. amerivirosa being

I love getting questions about the wild side of PEI and so was thrilled to get this photo from Megan Jones. She found this clump of bright red insects in some old straw near her barn and was curious about their identification and whether they could be invasive. These are the lovely – and native – nymphs of the White-margined Burrowing Bug (Sehirus cinctus). Let’s take a look! You could be forgiven for thinking these are Lady Beetles at first glance, given their similar red-

September on PEI doesn’t just mean shorter days, cooler weather, and back to school. It also means the return of Mushroom Mondays! Let’s kick the season off with a species that reminds us just how strange fungi can be: meet the Stinky Squid (Pseudocolus fusiformis). You could be forgiven for thinking this looks more like an alien than a mushroom. Stinky Squids start out as greyish eggs in the soil (inset photo) and, as they mature, develop three to four orange arms each cov

PEI’s late summer landscape belongs to the Aster Family: yellow Goldenrods, purple Asters, and – one of my personal favourites – pink Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum). There are five Joe Pye species in North America, but Spotted Joe Pye Weed, shown here, is the only one we have on the Island. This plant can be found across the province, though I see it far more commonly in Prince County, where it grows in damp roadside ditches, meadows, and coastal areas. Spotted Joe Pye

One of the most common questions I’m asked this time of year is: what are these berries on my tree? In many cases, the answer is Crab Apples (Malus spp.)! On PEI (and probably elsewhere), it’s common to call any wild Apple a Crab Apple. But technically, a Crab Apple tree consistently produces fruit less than five centimetres (two inches) in diameter at maturity. That means most or all of the fruit is that size, every year. A tree sporting Apples in a variety of sizes, or la

The Mi’kmaq have a name for each full moon of the celestial calendar, with August’s being the Berry Ripening Moon (Kisikewiku’s, pronounced gis-ig-ay-we-goos). This is indeed peak berry season on PEI, with SO many wild fruits on offer right now. But there’s one you may have overlooked: Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina). Staghorn Sumac is native to the Island, and was also used as an ornamental, meaning it can be found around towns, cities, and rural homesteads. It’s a beautiful

PEI has many interesting wild animals, but some of the most beautiful – and unusual – are Sea Stars, often called Starfish. The waters around PEI are home to at least five species, including the Common Sea Star (Asterias rubens) and Forbes Sea Star (A. forbesi). It’s not hard to see where these invertebrates get their name: ask any kindergartener to draw a star, and you’ll get something that resembles this five-pointed shape. While our most common Sea Stars do have five arm

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. My inbox is overflowing with the question “why are so many Maple trees losing their leaves early this year”? In the trees I’ve seen, it’s due to Tar Spot fungus (Rhytisma acerinum). Tar Spot is the common name for several species of fungi in our region. There are a couple of native versions that infect native maples and willows, but the type that’s most prevalent now is

I would have liked a better-composed and more in-focus photo of today’s PEI animal, but I was under attack by a hoard of these fierce creatures. If you’ve met them, you know what I mean: these are Horse Flies (Tabanus nigrovittatus or similar). The names Horse Fly and Deer Fly are often used interchangeably for any large, biting fly, but they are two different, albeit related, beasts. Horse Flies and Deer Flies are in the same family (Tabanidae), but Deer Flies (Chrysops sp

I get lots of questions about where to find certain PEI plants, but three species top the list: Common Elderberry, Serviceberry, and today’s subject: Mugwort (aka Common Wormwood Artemisia vulgaris). Unlike Elderberry and Serviceberry, Mugwort is not native to PEI. It was brought to North America as a culinary and medicinal plant in the 1600s and has been well-established on the Island since at least the mid-1800s. Mugwort is a perennial that spreads primarily by rhizomes

Today’s PEI plant epitomizes the saying ‘big things come in small packages’. Meet Goldthread (Coptis trifolia). Goldthread is a member of the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and is common, though often overlooked, in mossy woodlands across the Island. Its delicate white flower (inset photo) – just a centimetre across and appearing for short time in May – is easily missed. Even the small, three-parted leaves usually go unnoticed unless you’re specifically looking for them,

One of PEI’s most common woodland plants is often overlooked, occasionally misidentified, and fruiting now. Meet Sarsaparilla (pronounced ‘sass-parilla’, Aralia nudicaulis). Sarsaparilla is about 30 to 45 centimetres (a foot to 1.5 feet) tall and is divided into three branches, each with three to five leaflets (main photo). Those leaflets are often reddish when they first appear in spring, and they turn red again in fall. This, coupled with the old saying “leaves of three,

As fields of grain ripen across PEI, you may have noticed a similar, though smaller, plant growing along roadsides, coastlines, and trails. Although this plant hangs out in human habitats and looks like it may have escaped from farms or gardens, it’s actually a native species: meet Foxtail Barley (Hordeum jubatum). Like our agricultural grains, Foxtail Barley is a member of the grass family (Poaceae). It’s in the same genus as the commercial Barley you may enjoy in breakfas

Today’s PEI plant is one that I’ve received many questions about, along with a request to do a post on it. So, meet Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamera)! If these flowers remind you of tomato or potato blossoms, give yourself a gold star. Bittersweet Nightshade is in the same family (and the same genus) as those domestic crops, and is related to other familiar species including eggplant, peppers (both sweet and hot), gogi berries, and tobacco. Bittersweet Nightshade