I love PEI’s fall colours. Not only the changing leaves and vibrant fungi, but also late-season flowering plants like Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). When people ask me about planting native species for pollinators, my thoughts always go immediately to very early and very late flowering plants. Any pollinator worth its salt can making a living from the Island’s landscape in peak summer, but resources are much scarcer in early spring and now, as our native bees, butterfl

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

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-

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

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

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

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

There are certain, shared experiences that unite those of us who grew up on PEI. For example, getting storm-stayed in winter, going to the beach in summer, and having annual run-ins with Jellyfish! There are at least three species of Jellyfish in the waters around PEI: the Lion’s Mane (Cyanea capillata), shown here, the smaller and more cinnamon-coloured Atlantic Lion’s Mane (Cyanea fulva), and the white Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita). Of the three, the Lion’s Mane is the most

PEI has wildflowers that are beautiful, edible, and ecologically important. Today we have an example that’s all three, and flowering now: Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)! Fireweed can be found across the Island, blooming in vacant urban lots, along rural roads and fields, and among forests impacted by 2022’s Hurricane Fiona. While it gets its name from an ability to recolonize land following wildfire, it doesn’t need fire to appear: any disturbance will do. Fireweed i

We humans tend to divide insects into two camps. There are those we don’t like (Earwigs, I’m looking at you!), and those we do, with no better example than Fireflies. I captured this lone Firefly’s flash at my home in central PEI recently and thought it’s time we took a closer look at these interesting insects! Fireflies are beetles, not flies, and not all have ‘fire’ – many species are daytime-fliers that use pheromones, rather than light, to communicate. The night-flying,

When we think about wildflowers, coastal areas often get overlooked in favour of fields, forests, and roadsides. But that means missing some of PEI’s loveliest native plants, including Starry False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum stellatum). Starry False Solomon’s Seal is a relative of Wild Lily-of-the-Valley, which I introduced you to earlier this spring. If you guessed these plants are members of the Lily Family (Liliaceae), you’d be sensible, but wrong! The genus Maianthemum

It’s great to see landscaping with native plants becoming mainstream. Many nurseries now carry at least some native species and seed mixes, while PEI’s Rural Beautification Society has added a Native Planting & Biodiversity category to its popular annual competition. The Island has many common, native plants that make beautiful additions to backyard gardens. One example: Alternate-leaved Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia). PEI has four native Dogwoods, which are all easy to spot

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. I’ve been receiving photos of deformed Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) flowers from around the Maritimes, including this one from Tara Matheson here on PEI. The cause is a fungus, Taphrina confusa. Let’s take a look! Normal Chokecherry flowers have five white petals and grow in finger-like groups, called ‘racemes’ (inset photo). Once pollinated, each flower will form an