Sense of Place

Plants & Fungi

Notes on plants as the structure of place, rooted, seasonal, and often overlooked, along with notes on fungal friends.

  • Silver Birch: A Tree of Disturbance and Renewal

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 13, 2026In the last several posts, I’ve explored the dry woodlands and steppe-edge habitats of Central Europe, where trees grow in bright light and on poor soils impacted by disturbance. After turning to Scots Pine, I arrive at another characteristic species of these transitional places: Silver Birch (Betula pendula).…

  • Scots Pine: The Workhorse of Dry European Soils

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 13, 2026 In the last post, I explored the dry woodlands and steppe-edge habitats of Central Europe, where thin soils, lots of light, and anthropogenic disturbance create a different world from the cool mountain forests, broadleaf lowlands, and floodplains that came before. Here, I turn to one of the…

  • Rock, Loess, and Light: Dry Woodlands and Steppe-Edge Habitats of Central Europe

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 13, 2026 In the last several posts, I’ve been moving through the major forested worlds of Central Europe, from mountain forests of Spruce, Fir, Beech, and Larch, to the Broadleaf Forests of the lowlands and foothills, and most recently to the shifting floodplain forests of the Danube, Morava, and…

  • Pannonian Ash: A Tree of Hardwood Gallery Forests and Lowland Rivers

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 13, 2026 In the last several posts, I’ve been exploring the floodplain forests of Central Europe through some of their characteristic trees, including Black Alder and Black Poplar, both species closely tied to shifting sediments and mercurial river banks. Pannonian Ash belongs to the floodplain as well, but it…

  • Black Poplar: The Fast-Growing Pioneer of Central Europe’s Floodplains

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 13, 2026 In recent posts, I have been exploring the dynamic floodplain forests found along the iconic Danube, Morava, and Tisza Rivers, including the resilient, rooted, and red-hued Black Alder. But Black Alder is not alone in its ability to live with instability. It is joined by Black Poplar,…

  • Black Alder: The Rooted, Red Tree of Central Europe’s Floodplain Forests

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 12, 2026 In the last post, I introduced another forested ecosystem in the Central European tree series: the dynamic floodplain forests found along the iconic Danube, Morava, and Tisza Rivers. These systems are home to survivors, plants that stand firm in shifting sands and along muddy banks, including the…

  • Along the Danube, Morava, and Tisza: Floodplain Trees of Central Europe

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 11, 2026 In the last several posts, I’ve been moving through the major forest types of Central Europe, from mountain forests shaped by Spruce, Fir, Beech, and Larch to the Broadleaf Forests of the lowlands and foothills, where Oaks, Hornbeam, and Linden help define the landscape. Here, I turn…

  • Little-leaf Linden: A Tree of Pollinators and Poetry in Central Europe

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 10, 2026 In the last several posts, I’ve been moving through the characteristic trees of Central Europe’s Broadleaf Forests, beginning with Pedunculate Oak, Sessile Oak, and European Hornbeam. Here, I turn to a tree that provides a different kind of presence in those forests: Little-leaf Linden (Tilia cordata). While…

  • European Hornbeam: Knitting the Broadleaf Forest Across Moisture Regimes and Canopy Layers

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 4, 2026 In the last two posts, I introduced two species that anchor the mesic and upland Broadleaf Forests of Central Europe: Pedunculate Oak and Sessile Oak. Here, I turn to a species that helps knit those forest stands together across moisture regimes and canopy layers: European Hornbeam. If…

  • Sessile Oak: Dry Slopes and the Working Woodlands of Central Europe

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 3, 2026 In the last several posts, I’ve been moving through the major forest types of Central Europe and some of their characteristic trees. Most recently, I turned to Pedunculate Oak, one of the great broadleaf trees of moister lowlands, floodplains, and warmer broadleaf landscapes. Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)…

  • Pedunculate Oak: Strength, Longevity, and the Broadleaf Forests of Central Europe

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 2, 2026 In the last few posts, I’ve been moving through the major forest types of Central Europe, from mountain forests of spruce, fir, beech, and larch to the lower, broader-leaved woods of the foothills and plains. Most recently, I turned to the Broadleaf Forests of Central Europe, where…

  • Oak, Hornbeam, and Linden: The Broadleaf Forests of Central Europe

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., April 1, 2026 Recently, I’ve been exploring the mountain forests of Central Europe and some of their characteristic trees — among them Sycamore Maple, European Beech, Silver Fir, Norway Spruce, and European Larch. But much of everyday life in Central Europe takes place below those cooler, steeper uplands. Mihály Munkácsy’s…

  • European Larch: The Deciduous Conifer of Central Europe’s Mountains

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., March 31, 2026 In the last several posts, I’ve been moving through the trees that help define the mountain forests of Central Europe. I began with the broader upland landscape, then turned to species such as Sycamore Maple, European Beech, Silver Fir, and Norway Spruce, each of which helps shape…

  • Norway Spruce: The Dark Spire of Central Europe’s Mountain Forests

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., March 30, 2026 In the last few posts, I’ve been moving through the trees that help define the mountain forests of Central Europe. I began with the larger upland landscape, then turned to species such as Sycamore Maple, European Beech, and Silver Fir, each of which helps shape the structure…

  • Silver Fir: A Tall, Shade-Bearing Conifer of Central Europe’s Mountain Forests

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., March 30, 2026In the last few posts, I’ve been moving deeper into the trees that shape the mountain forests of Central Europe. I began with the broader upland landscape, then turned to species such as Sycamore Maple and European Beech, both of which help define the structure and atmosphere of…

  • European Beech: The Tree That Shapes the Atmosphere of Central Europe’s Uplands

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., March 29, 2026In the last few posts, I introduced this Central Europe tree series by reflecting on why trees are such a powerful way into sense of place, then by sketching the mountain forests of Central Europe, and most recently by looking more closely at Sycamore Maple, one of the…

  • Sycamore Maple: A Broad-Leaved Companion of Central Europe’s Uplands

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., March 29, 2026 In the last two posts, I introduced this new Central Europe tree series by looking first at why trees are such a powerful way into sense of place, and then at the mountain forests of Central Europe, where geology, elevation, snow, and disturbance sort species across the…

  • Mountain Forests of Central Europe

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., March 29, 2026Mountain forests in Central Europe feel layered. Across the Czech uplands and the Western Carpathians, one can move in relatively short distances from foothill broadleaf woods into beech forest, then into colder spruce– and fir-dominated uplands, and finally toward dwarf pine and meadow communities above the tree line.…

  • Why Central Europe Is Such a Good Place to Learn Trees

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    by Nicolette L. Cagle, Ph.D., March 26, 2026Trees are among the clearest expressions of place. They root geology in biotic form, translate climate and water into a visible pattern, and hold the marks of both ecological time and human history. To learn the trees of a region is to do more than learn names; it…

  • Common Trees of the Sierra Norte, Estado de Oaxaca, Mexico

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    Overview of the Sierra Norte. The Sierra Norte of Oaxaca is located about 40 miles north of Oaxaca de Juárez, in the eponymous state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The region extends across nearly 3,300 square miles, and is bordered by the regions of Papaloapam and Cañada to the North, and Valles Centrales, Sierra Sur, and Istmo…

  • Fruiting Fungi & Woody Plants in the Piedmont

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    When we explore the Piedmont woods, our attention sometimes shifts away from the showy flowers, stately trees, and singing birds to the diminutive mushrooms around us. Many of these mushrooms have key and important associations with the woody plants that so often structure our definitions of ecosystems.  Fungi & Oaks. In the Piedmont, there are…

  • When Spring Comes Early: Shifting Bloom Times of Piedmont Ephemerals

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    Spring ephemerals are woodland plants that bloom early in Spring, capturing sunlight that hits the forest floor before the trees leaf out. Some of these ephemerals, like Trout Lilies (Erythronium sp.) have colonies that are over 100 years old! We see spring ephemerals, their delicate leaves and incandescent flowers, during their epigeous or above ground…

  • Whitebark Pine Ecology

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    The Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) is a keystone species in the sub-alpine forests from western Wyoming north to central British Columbia and Alberta. It can also be found at the timberline in the Cascades (think: BC down to the Sierra Nevada) and some mountains between the Cascades and the Rockies. The Whitebark Pine has been…

  • Eastern Cottonwood

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    The Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) is an uncommon tree occupying well-drained, moist soils in the Piedmont and Mountains of North Carolina, but stretching north to Canada, west to Montana, and south past Monterrey, Mexico. The Eastern Cottonwood is dioecious, with a single tree dangling catkins in green (female) or red (male), but not both, in…

  • Sugarberry Review

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    Even in January, one might still find ripe red-brown drupes hanging off the sugarberry (Celtis laevigata). This uncommon tree species of the American Southeast can be found in bottomland forests or in areas with more basic soil. It’s best identified by its warty bark and leaves with a mostly smooth margin. The Lumbee people, an…

  • Maple-leaf Viburnum

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    This week’s plant feature is the Maple-leaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium). The Maple-leaf Viburnum or Dockmackie, is found across eastern North America, ranging from Quebec to Texas. In the Piedmont, the Maple-leaf Viburnum is a small shade-tolerant shrub, found in bottomland and upland forests. This shrub typically grows in forests that have been growing for at…

  • Weevil Pests of North Carolina Trees

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    Weevils are beetles (order Coleoptera) in a superfamily (Cuculionoidea) of beetles with long snouts that host chewing mouthparts. These species tend to be quite small – less than a quarter inch in length, and they notable as economically significant insect pests. In North Carolina, Conotrachelus nenuphar is most commonly seen in April and May, with…

  • Tree of Heaven

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    The Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is a non-native, invasive tree species found throughout the United States and North Carolina. Originally introduced from Central China in the 1780s, this invasive species most often occupies woodland borders and edge communities near logged oak and loblolly pine stands locally. The Tree-of-Heaven can be identified by its large pinnately-compound leaves,…

  • Fringetree

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    This week’s plant feature is the fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), also known as old man’s beard because of the way its pretty, white petals droop when it blooms in April. According to Donald Culross Peattie, the fringetree “contributes to the higher things of life: it is a raving beauty when in mid-spring it is loaded from…

  • Grapes

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    This week we investigate the Piedmont’s native grapes, some of which are fruiting now. While this profile focuses on those plants that we commonly call “grapes” in English or “ᏖᎸᎳᏗ” (pronounced te-lv-la-di) in Cherokee, it’s important to know that the common Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is closely related! The most well-known local grape species is…

  • Origins of the Word “Haw”

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    Today, the term “haw” refers specifically to the red pome (i.e., the indehiscent fruit containing multiple seeds) of the hawthorn (Crataegus species). However, the common name “hawthorn” is derived from the Old English word “haga,” meaning hedge. The common names of possumhaw (Ilex decidua), blackhaw (Viburnum rafinesquianum), rusty blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum), and possumhaw viburnum (Viburnum…

  • Beech Drops

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    Plant Profile.− This month’s plant profile in a parasitic plant called Beech Drops (Epifagus virginiana). Beech Drops clump around beech trees, grow about six inches high, and look dead. They look dead because they lack leaves and chlorophyll, but luckily for Beech Drops, they do not need to make their own food because they can get…

  • Paean to a Walnut Tree

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    In a North Carolina neighborhood, constituting one small portion of a corpulent suburban empire, a young walnut tree bows to the wind. The rain pelts its leaves, but those leaves hardly quiver. The rain is not the walnut’s king. The walnut kneels like a courtier only for the wind, and when the wind decamps, the…

  • American Beech

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    “[The] Beech is identifiable by the gleam of its wondrously smooth bark, not furrowed even by extreme old age. Here it will be free of branches for full half its height, the sturdy boughs then gracefully down-sweeping. The gray bole has a further beauty in the way it flutes out at the base into strong…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: September in the Piedmont

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    BirdsSeptember brings an early pulse of winter residents back to the Piedmont, including Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, occasional Red-breasted Nuthatches, and a suite of wrens (Winter, Sedge, and Marsh) and sparrows (Swamp and White-throated). Ruby-crowned Kinglets—tiny olive-gray birds with a bright red crown patch (usually hidden)—also return this month after spending the summer in conifer forests of…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: April in the Piedmont

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    BirdsApril launches spring migration in earnest, and the next couple of months can bring a steady stream of northbound travelers. Watch for wood-warblers (including Golden-winged, Nashville, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Bay-breasted, and Blackpoll), along with herons (such as Little Blue Herons, Black-crowned Night-Herons, and Cattle Egrets), thrushes (Veery, Gray-cheeked, and Swainson’s), and sandpipers…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: February in the Piedmont

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    BirdsIn 1936, writer and naturalist Donald Culross Peattie opined that “February is a good month in which to make friends with the birds of a great city.” In North Carolina, he may be right: winter still holds steady in February, and the bird community changes more slowly than it will later in spring. Some of…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: January in the Piedmont

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    BirdsIn the depth of winter, as you walk through quiet woods, you may come across a lone thrush standing at attention, its delicately speckled throat exposed. The Hermit Thrush is a gifted songster, but its voice is mostly muted here; it saves its ethereal song for spring, when it returns to its breeding grounds in…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: October in the Piedmont

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    Birds.− October marks the beginning of food-caching — a food storage strategy developed to sustain year-round avian residents throughout the lean winter. Caching strategies vary by species: red-bellied woodpeckers might store acorns in holes high up in the cracks and cavities of trees, while American crows might simply thrust a left-over meal into the loose soil…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: August in the Piedmont

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    BirdsIn August, early migrants—including Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, and Blackburnian Warblers—begin passing through North Carolina as they head toward the Neotropics for the winter. Most will look duller than they did in spring, having molted out of their vibrant breeding plumage and into drabber winter attire. Many insect-eating (“vermivorous”) warblers stop briefly in the Piedmont to refuel,…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: July in the Piedmont

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    BirdsThis month, lucky birdwatchers may catch a glimpse of uncommon visitors such as Common Mergansers, Tricolored Herons, Little Blue Herons, and Snowy Egrets. Sandpipers also begin returning to the Piedmont. As summer deepens, the melodious songs of many birds fade, though Indigo Buntings can still be heard singing from high perches. Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: June in the Piedmont

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    BirdsThis month, watch for sunning birds. Common backyard species—like Northern Cardinals and American Robins—may perch with feathers fluffed and bills agape, soaking in the sun. This behavior may help with molting and may also reduce ticks, lice, and other parasite loads. Fledging season continues, too. Second broods of Eastern Bluebirds often fledge in June, and…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: March in the Piedmont

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    BirdsAs spring arrives in the Piedmont this month, we begin to see profound changes in the composition of our avifauna. Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teal (local breeders), Double-crested Cormorants, and Ospreys become more abundant. Expect to start seeing vireos, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Purple Martins, and other swallows as well. Lucky observers may even spot a Snowy Egret,…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: December in the Piedmont

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    BirdsBy December, fall migration has decidedly ended, and the brief celebration that follows the arrival of winter juncos, kinglets, and creepers has faded. Woods and brush can feel eerily quiet, punctuated by the sharp warning calls of Northern Cardinals and the quick flitting of sparrows. The most common sparrows that visit the Piedmont in winter—often…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: November in the Piedmont

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    BirdsBy November, fall migration has usually ended. Wood Thrushes have disappeared, replaced by the melodic Hermit Thrush, which will remain until spring. November also marks the return of juncos and several sparrow species, including Tree, Fox, White-throated, and White-crowned Sparrows. You can also expect to see a greater diversity of ducks, especially Common Goldeneyes and…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: May in the Piedmont

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    BirdsMigration season continues this month. Many of the brilliantly colored warblers are just passing through, but some migrants stop and stay to breed in North Carolina. Local breeders include Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, Ovenbirds, and Prairie Warblers. May may also be your last good chance (at least for a couple of months) to catch some…

  • Invasive Plants in Winter at Mason Farm (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

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    Non-native and invasive species are rapidly changing the face of our planet. In the United States, our most insidious invaders come from southeast Asia and Europe. These species threaten local plant diversity and the greater community structure of American habitats. When plant composition changes, it can affect all aspects of biological communities, including soil microbes,…

  • Neighborhood Nature: Backyard Bryophytes in October

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    Introduction: The “Neighborhood Nature” segment of my blog is meant to reveal nature in our own neighborhoods and backyards. The natural areas near our homes may not always be pristine, but they often abound with fascinating plants, animals, and natural phenomena. Backyard Bryophytes: Bryophytes—tiny non-vascular, non-flowering plants that first adapted to terrestrial environments about 500…