Bark

Northern Red Oak

You may think that the only way to identify a tree is by its leaves, however, Michael Mojtech shows you how to identify trees based on the structure of the bark in his field guide, "Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast". This guide makes it possible for the novice tree enthusiast to identify trees in the dead of Winter when the leaves have long since detached and are buried under feet of snow. From studying Mojtech's guide I learned that the bark we see reveals how the tree is responding to its expanding girth. It can be smooth, cracked, fissured, scaly, stripped, shaggy, curled, woven, furrowed. Awareness of the diversity of bark structure can result in a Winter hike that is aesthetically pleasing. Below are just some of the trees I came across during a recent snowshoe. Take notice of each tree's individual characteristics.

American Elm-bark is spongy, layered like that of a wafer, develops intersecting vertical strips that build in thickness  

Striped Maple-smooth bark, forming green/black/white vertical lines, with visible diamond-shaped lenticels

American Hornbeam-smooth/unbroken bark that is muscular-looking 

Black Cherry-bark that breaks into scales that curl away around the edges

Black Birch-smooth bark-break off into thick sections, with clearly visible horizontal lenticels

American Beech-smooth bark often with algae eating slug tracks

Yellow Birch-bark peels horizontally into thin fringe

White Oak- forms vertical cracks that build in thickness and break horizontally into blocks with maturity

White Pine- forms scaly ridges with horizontal hairline cracks

Chestnut Oak- forms smooth/ dense ridges with characteristic rust pigment lining the furrows

Northern Red Oak- smooth surface that cracks into intersecting ridges with rust colored fissures

Shagbark Hickory-bark forms sheets of bark that peels away from the trunk at both ends

Hophornbeam - vertical strips with square edges that can detach at both ends

Pignut Hickory-woven appearance with horizontal hairline cracks

Red Pine-large scaly plates forming ridges

Red Maple-bark forms long cracks which build in thickness and wing away from the trunk-this one with characteristic target canker

Winter Trail Nibble: Rose Hips

Rose Hips in January

You have been snowshoeing for the past 2 1/2 hours, trudging through the deep fluff and the whipping wind, armored with wool and fleece. Your muscles burn and sweat accumulates but you are fueled by Mother Nature's extreme conditions. Through your ski goggles you catch a glimpse of something red against the stark white background. You stand there with your multiple layers of synthetic insulation enamored by this tiny sphere with its shiny red skin exposed and clinging to its woody anchor in the middle of January. You notice the thorns and the fine dark hairs atop the crimson ball resembling that of a toupee. You reach down, pluck the little fruit from its stem and taste its pulpy flesh for the first time. You savor its mildly sweet and tart flavor. A surge of excitement runs through your body as you realize you have discovered the rose hip.

Rose Hip Cross Section

A rose hip is packed with vitamin C so it makes for a nutritious trail nibble in the dead of winter if you are lucky enough to come across one. The cross section above shows the seeds and the fine fibers that are encapsulated by the pulpy flesh.

Harvesting the Groundnut-Walking on Potatoes

String of Groundnuts

The first time I learned that there were wild edible potatoes in the ground was on a walk with, Russ Cohen on July 26, 2012 at the organic farm in Carlisle, MA. We were following this wild edibles enthusiast like a swarm of bees when mid-stride as if he were a magician he swiped a plant up off the ground and introduced it to the group as Groundnut. It was a vine with what looked like a mini wrecking ball dangling from it.

He explained that the groundnut was what the Native Americans first introduced the settlers to and it is the food source that facilitated their first winter survival.

Two years later I found out that harvesting the groundnut involves a bit of digging so the magic trick was solved. Mr. Cohen had obviously already staked out his wild edible exhibits with trowel and elbow grease.

Since that day on the farm it had been my goal to find this illusive ground potato for myself. It finally happened on August 14, 2014 while I was walking the power lines at a local wildlife sanctuary. Because I had studied my trusty Peterson's field guide there was no doubt that I had come across the groundnut when I spotted clusters of maroon pea-like flowers winding themselves around the stalks of weeds that bordered the path. I was ecstatic and I shouted a big "thank you" up to the sky. I was shaking with excitement as I started at the flower cluster and quickly followed the vine down the stalk of the weed it was wound around and once at the base started tugging lightly while loosening the earth just ahead with my car key (I did not come prepared) until I dislodged a string of three grape-sized tubers. I took these tubers home, presented them to Slack like Russ Cohen had presented the plant to the group and explained that that night we were going to eat potatoes. As it turns out the groundnuts have a very thick consistency and are starchy. They are very satisfying!

Groundnut Blossoms

Groundnut winding around stalk of host plant