Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a common plant, but so rarely appreciated for just how ridiculous it is.  Its flowers, straight and intricately geometric, could have been drawn with a ruler and protractor; It’s branches and stems, by our three year old.  Its an extremely amusing plant. Mountain laurel grows throughout the forests here, both…

This week we have a very special plant, Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium Acaule)!  This was the first time I have actually found this plant in the wild.  Now that I have found it flowering I realize of course that I have passed by it many times and wondered what those strange leaves were.   Pink…

This week we will explore Indian Cucumber (Medeola Virginiana).  Indian Cucumber grows in the forest usually on slopes or near creeks in small colonies.  When mature it has two levels of circularly arranged leaves, and stands about 12 inches at most, often flowering when only 6 inches tall During some times of the year you…

Southeast Kentucky has some of the most diversified forests in the country.  We have been blessed with an extensive variety of habits just on our farm.  So we’re going to try each week featuring one of our favorite plants.   This week we have the Wild Iris.  It grows a short walk, or longer 4-wheeler…

As many of you may know, it’s morel season.  For those of you who didn’t, morels are small, well camouflaged mushrooms that come up generally in hardwood forests approximately after the red buds have bloomed and the mayapples are up (according to Grandpa).  Like last year, and at least for me, all the years before…