Welcome back to Mushroom Monday, your weekly look at some of PEI’s fascinating fungi. Not all mushrooms have the cap-and-stem look we tend to expect, and today’s species is a well-named example of a different format: meet Orange Peel Fungus ( Aleuria aurantia ). Orange Peel Fungus is one of the cup fungi, similar to the Scarlet Elfcup we looked at last spring (you can find it here: https://www.pei-untamed.com/post/scarlet-elf-cups ). Orange Peel Fungus’ most eye-catching feat

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. Today we have an insect that people often mistake for a fungus. Meet Woolly Alder Aphids ( Prociphilus tessellatus ).   From a distance, Woolly Aphids do look like some sort of fluffy, fungal mould on the branch of a tree. But take a closer look and you’ll see that those fuzzy clusters are actually dozens – sometimes hundreds – of individual insects crowded together.   The

This fall, we’ve been exploring some of PEI’s least-common trees, including Balsam Poplar, Ironwood, and Jack Pine. Today it’s one many people haven’t even heard of: Bog Birch ( Betula pumila ).   We often think of Birch as among the majestic trees of PEI’s early forests. Nineteenth century writers told of Yellow Birch ( Betula alleghaniensis ) three to four feet in diameter, and it was said that Mi’kmaq people were able to make a six-person canoe from the bark of a single Wh

One of PEI’s most common trees is Poplar, aka Trembling Aspen ( Populus tremuloides ). The ‘trembling’ name comes from the habit of this...

Welcome back to Mushroom Monday, your weekly look at some of PEI’s fascinating fungi. The dry weather has made it a poor year for most...

It may not be majestic, but it’s PEI’s rarest native conifer and has an adaptation unlike any of our other trees. Meet Jack Pine ( Pinus...

Many of PEI’s wild animals are more often heard than seen – none more so than Cicadas. Most of us immediately recognize their...

Some PEI plants are revered while others are reviled, but today’s plant is both. Meet Common Milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca ).   Our Island...

Have you ever run into an acquaintance you haven’t seen in a long, long time? The person looks unfamiliar at first, then something dawns,...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. Apologies to my fellow...

This time of year, beautiful wildflowers are blooming in all of PEI’s habitats. Many people miss out on seeing those that thrive in bogs,...

There are a few PEI plants that I’m always especially happy to find. One of those is the lovely Partridgeberry ( Mitchella repens ).  ...

PEI has showy wild plants that outshine any domestic blooms I can think of. One flowering now is the lovely Blue-flag Iris ( Iris...

On PEI, wild food is everywhere. While walking to a meeting in downtown Charlottetown recently, I spotted some delicious, edible...

This spring, I’ve been introducing you to some of PEI’s early-season fungi. Today’s example hits the trifecta: it’s common, easy to...

Finding snakes is one of my favourite springtime activities. Cooler weather means they spend more time sunning themselves in the open,...

This spring, I’m exploring some of PEI’s early-fruiting fungi, and today’s example sounds more like a pastry than a mushroom. Meet Amber...

The word ‘mushroom’ often conjures up an image of a white or brown cap-and-stem fungus, but mushrooms come in a variety of shapes, sizes,...

Here on PEI, we’re in that brief but magical part of spring when the days are long, it’s pleasantly warm, and the onslaught of blackflies...

Some of PEI’s rarest and most interesting plants are a bit like your favourite seasonal foods: you can only find them for a short time...