Tree and Plant Biodiversity

In this issue: With warmer weather comes a reminder to stay vigilant about woodland threats, and a look at the importance of pollen. There's an assessment of ghost forests in the region, plus a roundup of news you might have missed. Read about the pawpaw in our "Native Trees of Maryland" feature and about glossy buckthorn in our "Invasives in Your Woodland" feature. And more!

Pawpaws, prized for their tasty fruits, produce the largest native fruit in North America. Their fruits contain high levels of essential amino acids. This small understory tree (10-40’ tall), might be a fun and fitting option for your backyard woods.

In the News and Notes roundup for this issue: A new book from Doug Tallamy provides 400+ answers to the question, "How can I help?"; the Virginia DOF announces a cost-share program to help protect against emerald ash borer; a University of Maryland team tests a drone system to detect and combat wildfires; and the MD Department of Transportation announced state funding to support tree plantings in 12 communities.

In this issue: Check in on AI and its capacity to provide accurate and specific advice. Register for the spring session of our "The Woods in Your Backyard" course. Learn about a new national refuge in southern Maryland and about one couple's work on their natural areas. Read about Sugar Maple in our "Native Trees of Maryland" feature and about incised fumewort in our "Invasives in Your Woodland" feature. And more!

In the News and Notes roundup for this issue: The USDA Forest Service has released its latest tax tips for forest landowners guide; March 21 is the International Day of Forests; Maryland has passed 1 million trees planted during the Five Million Trees Initiative; and learn how to become a Maryland Tree Steward.

The term “Incised fumewort” may not be familiar to many readers of this column, as this plant is a relatively new arrival to North America. It was first identified in the US only in 2005. Since then, new populations have been identified in Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, North Carolina, and as far west as Tennessee and Illinois.

Paula Whyman ʼ87 and her husband bought 200 acres on a peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where she undertook the daunting task of clearing invasive plants and encouraging native plant life on this long gone-to-seed cow pasture and orchard—an experiment she's written about in her new book, “Bad Naturalist: One Woman's Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop.”

In December 2024, US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the creation of Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge. The first donation of 31 acres from The Nature Conservancy is one of several planned over the coming months of more than 300 acres. USFWS officials  will continue to work to secure voluntary conservation of up to 40,000 acres of important wildlife habitat within four watershed-based focus areas in Maryland.

Sugar maples provide delicious maple syrup and quality hardwood used for everything from furniture to bowling alleys. The trees prefer to grow on noncompacted, fertile, moderately moist, well drained, slightly acid soils and is a common sight in the Appalachian Mountains to those in New England and Canada.

American holly, Ilex opaca, is a real show stopper of a tree especially during the winter holidays. Among other benefits, it is extremely valuable to wildlife, particularly, birds and migratory birds overwintering in the region.