December 5, 2017 - by Area Forester Lisa Deaton Baby Longleaf Last week was finally time to plant a longleaf pine project. The landowner had spent over a year preparing a 17-acre cutover site for these seedlings. Longleaf pine is known for its very long needles, huge pine cones, very strong “heart pine” lumber, and the naval stores it can produce. The longleaf seedlings are in the planters’ bags. As you can see, the... Read More
November 28, 2017 - by Area Forester Lisa Deaton ‘Tis the Season! Trees provide us with a colorful show every autumn, and then reveal yet more “decorations” once the leaves are gone. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows in the tops of trees. The American holly berries are ripe. Partridgeberry is one of my favorites for its fall berries and white flowers in the spring. Running cedar can form quite a carpet,... Read More
November 21, 2017 - by Area Forester Lisa Deaton A Day of Double Takes It is still close enough to Halloween that I thought I saw a ghost in the woods last week. Upon looking closer, it was just a tarp, but it was hanging very high in this tree. It protected a hunter’s tree stand at one time. Then a bright red dot on a yellow-poplar caught my eye. I think it... Read More
November 14, 2017 - by Area Forester Lisa Deaton Mushrooms! When you work in the woods every day, it can be joyful to see something new. After the rain last week, quite a variety of mushrooms sprouted. The most unusual one I saw was hairy on top. These mushrooms were so tiny I almost missed them. This mushroom is keeping company with a small army of lichens, and perhaps fungi, on the decaying log... Read More
November 8, 2017 - Snack Time by DOF Area Forester Lisa Deaton Last week I was asked to see if a 16-year-old loblolly pine plantation had grown large enough for a commercial thinning. I was perplexed to find what looked like pieces of honeycomb on the ground. There were no large hollow trees nearby, just young, solid pine trees. Then I noticed that there were several pieces of it scattered around a nearby hole... Read More
October 30, 2017 - by Lisa Deaton, DOF Area Forester It’s Deer Time! Last week I walked around a forested property to prepare a Stewardship Plan for a private landowner. It felt like I had entered the kingdom of deer. With new food sources ripening every day and the excitement of mating season, the white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, are on the move. Many people are familiar with the sight of buck rubs on small trees... Read More
October 25, 2017 - Each week during the fall foliage season DOF shares information about leaf color around the state. Tree color is influenced by precipitation and temperature, so there could be big differences in color and peaks from one region to another and from year to year. Below is our report for the weekend of Nov. 11 More information is available here. Although winter is fast approaching the higher mountains, most areas below 3000... Read More
September 28, 2017 - The Virginia Department of Forestry needs your help to continue producing quality seedlings for Virginia landowners. Virginia-grown seed generally produces trees that will grow well in our state. Every year, homeowners from all over the state donate acorns and other seed to help us produce the next season’s crop. Seed collection is a great activity for children and adults. It’s also a wonderful way to learn more about Virginia trees.... Read More
September 28, 2017 - “They look so pretty!” That’s what I said the first time I saw an adult emerald ash borer (EAB). But I soon learned from our DOF Forest Health team that this green insect’s destruction is anything but pretty. EAB came to the United States from Asia, was first discovered in Northern Virginia in 2008 and is boring its way through ash trees from Michigan to Virginia. “Adult ash borers are... Read More
September 28, 2017 - Have you looked outside lately? The leaves are beginning to change colors and it won’t be long before parts of Virginia are decked out in their finest foliage! Autumn is one of the most beautiful times of year in Virginia. Whether you are traveling along the Blue Ridge, exploring Southside or journeying along the Eastern Shore, you’re bound to enjoy the vibrant colors of the Commonwealth’s fall foliage. Each week... Read More
