Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.
Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).
Blueberries? In the dead of winter? What plant is this?
Blue cohosh.
These blue berries belong to the plant blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides). If no berries are present, other telltale signs of this plant in winter are the somewhat hourglass-shaped flower stalks and a shiny, tan stem that bulges at the nodes (where the stem branches).
This week’s contest winner was Jared Clark of Brattleboro, VT