#boise idaho
Winter Trees and Shrubs: Netleaf Hackberry
Winter Trees and Shrubs: Netleaf Hackberry
Boise, Idaho is frequently referred to as the City of Trees despite being located in a semiarid region of the Intermountain West known as the sagebrush steppe where few trees naturally grow. It earns this moniker partly because the name Boise is derived from the river that runs through it (the Boise River), which was named La Rivere Boisse, or The Wooded River, by early French trappers. Although…
Winter Trees and Shrubs: Eastern Redbud
Winter Trees and Shrubs: Eastern Redbud
Botanizing doesn’t have to end when the leaves fall off the trees and the ground goes frozen. Plants may stop actively growing during this time, but they are still there. Some die back to the soil level and spend the entire winter underground, leaving behind brown, brittle shells of their former selves. Others, particularly those with woody stems, maintain their form (although many of them…
Party Time for Puncture Vine During COVID Times
In spite of a global pandemic, the third annual Boise Goathead Festtook place last Saturday in Boise, Idaho. In order to make it happen, organizers had to think creatively, completely reenvisioning the event in order to keep the community safe and healthy. This, of course, meant no giant bike parade and no large gathering in the park. Instead, members of individual households embarked on their…
Winter Trees and Shrubs: Tulip Tree
Winter Trees and Shrubs: Tulip Tree
At first glance, a tulip and a tulip tree couldn’t be more different. One is a bulb that puts out fleshy, green leaves in the spring, topped with colorful, cup-shaped flowers, barely reaching a foot or so tall. The other is a massive, deciduous tree with a broad, straight trunk that can grow to nearly 200 feet tall. But if you can get a look at the flowers, seed heads, and even the leaves of this…
Weeds of Boise: iNaturalist Observations
Weeds of Boise: iNaturalist Observations
So far, the lists of weeds at each of the Weeds of Boise sites look pretty similar, with several weed species showing up at nearly every site and other species only occasionally making an appearance. This isn’t a surprise really. The flora of any region typically has several species that are dominant, along with species that occur less frequently. Wild urban flora – or in other words, the…
Weeds of Boise: Awkward Botany Headquarters
Weeds of Boise: Awkward Botany Headquarters
Last December, Sierra and I left apartment living behind and embarked on a new journey as homeowners, which you can read about in this January’s Year in Review post. This means that Awkward Botany Headquarters now has a yard, and having a yard means we also have weeds.
For many people living in urban areas, the weeds of most concern to them are the ones found in their yards, especially for those…
