Falling in Love with Plants in Winter
We’re quick to admire a cheeky squirrel or a handsome cedar waxwing, but we often overlook the plants and trees that surround us. And yet, there is so much to see and appreciate, from the fire engine red stems of a dogwood to bright white snowberries. Having shed their leaves, the trees reveal their skeletons, some tall and skinny, others wide and spreading.
Winter shouldn’t stop us from admiring the plant life that surrounds us. In fact, it may be the perfect occasion when life is stripped back to the basics.
Look
How many bird nests can you spot as you walk through a wooded area? What are they made of – sticks or grass? Other birds make their home in tree cavities – can you spot any possible locations?
Conifers keep their leaves all winter. See which ones you can identify by their needles, cones, and/or bark.
Some bushes retain their berries all winter long. Which ones can you spot? Does observing a bush and its berries provide you with enough information to identify it?
Keep your eye out for lichens and mosses growing on rocks, trees, fences, or buildings.
Resources:
Identification Guide: Medium- to Large-sized Stick Nests [PDF, Tolko, BCTS]
The Peterson Field Guide to Bird Nests [HarperCollins]
Avian Architecture: How Birds Design, Engineer and Build, Peter Goodfellow [Princeton University Press]
Tree Book: Learning to Recognize Trees of British Columbia [PDF, BC/Canada]
Common Lichens of Edmonton, Alberta [PDF, Nature Alberta]
What’s That Stuff on my Tree? A Guide to Manitoba’s Lichens [Manitoba Museum]
A Look Into Lichens [Nature Trust British Columbia]
Getting to Know Saskatchewan Lichens [Nature Saskatchewan]
The Secret World of Lichens: A Young Naturalist’s Guide, Troy McMullin [Firefly Books]
Feel
Examine the bark on the trees when you go for a walk. Birch bark is white and peels in paper-like strips. The bark on an elm tree is light to dark gray with deep, irregular grooves. Lindens have a thick, straight trunk with dark bark that becomes furrowed as the tree matures.
Resources:
8 Ways to Identify a Tree by Its Bark [Treehugger]
Common Tree Species Guide for Greater Toronto Area and Niagara Region [PDF, Association for Canadian Educational Resources]
Grow & Eat
It may be winter, but you can still grow some plants. Start in the kitchen by growing sprouts for your lunch sandwich. Or save some kitchen waste from the compost bin and try regrowing sweet potato, carrot, celery, or basil.
If you’re feeling adventurous, why not add some sea vegetables to your salad or stew?
Resources:
How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar in 8 Simple Steps [Better Homes & Gardens]
Don’t Toss It, Plant It! 12 Vegetables You Can Regrow From Scraps [Farmers Almanac]
Getting to Know Canada’s Sea Vegetables [Canadian Food Focus]
Edible Seaweed [Wikipedia]
Just for Fun
Who needs science fiction and horror movies when you can watch a venus flytrap capturing its prey or a giant water lily achieving total domination?
Resources:
Hungry Venus flytraps snap shut on a host of unfortunate flies [video, BBC]
The Giant Water Lily [video, BBC]
Further Information
Lichens: Tough and Sensitive [EcoFriendly West]
Western Canada’s Urban Forests [EcoFriendly West]
Nature Companion, a free app/website introducing many of the plants and animals found in Canada’s four western provinces [EcoFriendly West]
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/33244059082
EcoFriendly West informs and encourages initiatives that support Western Canada’s natural environment through its online publication and the Nature Companion website/app. Like us on Facebook, follow us on BlueSky, X, and Mastodon, or subscribe by email.