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

This is a great time of year to spot a PEI fungust that's best known as a disease of Cherry trees: Black Knot ( Apiosporina morbosa ). Black Knot fungus forms distinctive, black galls on stems and branches of our native Pin Cherry and Chokecherry, as well as ornamental Cherries and Plums. While it’s unattractive, reduces fruit production, and may kill the infected branch, Black Knot doesn’t usually kill the entire tree unless the infection is very severe. Within those black

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. Winter is great time to spot...

When you hear the words ‘endangered species’, I’m betting animals like Piping Plover and Monarch Butterflies – or maybe Elephants and...