katemacquarrie22

It’s that time of year when many people are anticipating the first flowers of spring, without realizing that some are already here! We’ve looked at two of my favorite precocious plants – Willow and Beaked Hazelnut – but I also have a soft spot for Red Maple ( Acer rubrum ), flowering now.   When we think of flowering trees, it’s often Apples, Cherries, and Serviceberries that come to mind. These showy species follow the usual order of things: leaf out first, then flower. But Red Maple is...

Some of PEI’s early spring wildflowers are showy, in-your-face sorts. Others are tiny, delicate, and go unnoticed to all except to those specifically looking for them. Today’s plant is in the latter category, and one of my favourites: Beaked Hazelnut ( Corylus cornuta ), flowering now.   Hazelnut is a common, native understorey shrub found in mixed forests and along streams and trails across the Island. It stands out in the landscape this time of year, with finger-like male catkins...

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 galls are fungal...