Broomsedge

March 5, 2021 Broomsedege (Andropogon virginicus), also called broomsedge bluestem, is a warm-season perennial grass that grows on old fields, pastures, and early-successional sites across Virginia. It grows in bunches 2 to 4 feet high, and develops a golden-orange color in the late fall that can make broomsedge an attractive winter ornamental plant. When mature, this golden color and its […]

2021 Webinar | VWL Annual Meeting

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Virtual Annual Meeting. It was wonderful to see so many familiar and new faces and to share updates about our latest programs and research projects. For anyone interested in watching again or for those of you who were not able to join us, you can watch the recording at the link […]

American Mistletoe

American Mistletoe

February 8, 2021 American mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum), also called eastern or oak mistletoe, is a parasitic shrub that grows on the branches and trunks of trees across Virginia. It is most commonly found on oaks, red maples, and gum trees and is most abundant in the swampy forests of Virginia’s Coastal Plain.  Mistletoe is a hemiparasite, meaning the it both produces its own sugars using photosynthesis and […]

Seeking Properties with River Access for Smithsonian Study

VWL partners from the Smithsonian Working Land and Seascapes program are seeking access to properties with a stream or branch that connects to, or is on, the Rappahannock or Rapidan Rivers. They aim to place temperature loggers at various locations throughout the watershed from February to May 2021 in an effort to learn more about how water temperatures are impacting […]

Winterberry Holly

Winterberry Holly

January 11, 2021 Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) and deciduous holly or possumhaw (Ilex decidua) are both shrub holly species that are deciduous (drop their leaves in the winter). Their fruit are ripe now and they will retain the fruit through the winter until birds and small mammals eat them. Winterberry occurs throughout Virginia and the eastern United States from Maine […]