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Sand Ripples
Few things say PEI more than the expanses of red, ripple-marked sand on our shores at low tide. One of my favourite things about those...
katemacquarrie22
Aug 21, 20242 min read


Swamp Dodder
The beautiful shades of green in PEI’s landscape are thanks to the 99.5% of our plants that photosynthesize – they make their own food...
katemacquarrie22
Aug 18, 20242 min read


Japanese Beetles
Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI. Summer is peak season for...
katemacquarrie22
Aug 14, 20243 min read


Soapwort
No soap? No problem! This PEI plant has you covered. Meet Soapwort (aka Bouncing Bet, Saponaria officinalis ). I learn new things about...
katemacquarrie22
Aug 11, 20242 min read


Fall Caterpillars
Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI. I’ve been getting lots of...
katemacquarrie22
Aug 7, 20243 min read


Spotted Water-Hemlock
I’ve been introducing you to members of the Carrot Family (Apiaceae) including the edible Wild Carrot (aka Queen Anne’s Lace, Daucus...
katemacquarrie22
Aug 4, 20242 min read


Serviceberry
What’s not to like about early August on PEI? There’s sandy beaches and warm water, new potatoes and garden vegetables, and wild fruit...
katemacquarrie22
Jul 31, 20242 min read


Wild Parsnip
The Carrot Family (Apiaceae) is among the most interesting groups of plants on PEI. It includes commercially important vegetables and...
katemacquarrie22
Jul 28, 20243 min read


Pinesap
Every group has its oddballs and plants are no exception. Most are content to follow the crowd and make food from sunlight, but a few...
katemacquarrie22
Jul 24, 20242 min read


Spreading Dogbane
You can probably think of examples where a famous and showy family member outshines their equally talented kin. If you’ve heard of...
katemacquarrie22
Jul 21, 20242 min read


Beach Wormwood
If you’ve been enjoying PEI’s famous beaches during this hot weather, you may have noticed a distinctive silvery-green plant standing out...
katemacquarrie22
Jul 17, 20242 min read


Sweet Fern
Picking my favourite PEI plant would be a near-impossible task, but picking the most aromatic one is easy: that honour goes to Sweet Fern...
katemacquarrie22
Jul 14, 20242 min read


Fern Leaf Rollers
Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI. I’ve been getting quite a few...
katemacquarrie22
Jul 10, 20242 min read


Pineapple Weed
Summer on PEI is short and it’s important to take time to stop and smell the flowers. This month I’ll be profiling some Island plants...
katemacquarrie22
Jul 7, 20242 min read


Sea Milkwort
Fields and forests may come to mind when you think about PEI’s wildflowers, but our coastlines have beautiful flowering plants you may...
katemacquarrie22
Jul 3, 20242 min read


Black Locust
There’s a line in E.B. White’s book Stuart Little that I love “…orchards so old they have forgotten where the farmhouse is”. I often...
katemacquarrie22
Jun 30, 20243 min read


Chanterelles
The fantastic rain PEI has had over the past week has encouraged our wild fungi to start fruiting, and Chanterelles (Cantharellus spp.)...
katemacquarrie22
Jun 28, 20242 min read


Twinflower
Imagine a plant so lovely that the person who created the global system for naming living things – a person dubbed ‘Princeps botanicorum’...
katemacquarrie22
Jun 26, 20242 min read


Oyster Mushrooms
I’m always on the lookout for new-to-me PEI fungi and so was pleased to spot a choice edible species during one of my recent plant...
katemacquarrie22
Jun 23, 20242 min read


Jack-in-the-Pulpit
This month we’re looking at some of PEI’s native wildflowers. So far, we’ve seen showy (Trilliums and Cherries), subtle (Blue-eyed...
katemacquarrie22
Jun 19, 20242 min read
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