In the sunlight, heat and moisture of July, roadside plants abound. During wet years, they become especially thick and tall. It is easy for the passerby to see purple of fireweed and milkweed, yellow ...

While out exploring, Evie came across Cow Parsnip—a towering wildflower that’s a magnet for pollinators. Learn how this native plant draws in bees, flies, and other insects, all searching for pollen ...

Of all the people I know, I suspect Joe Derek is the only one who would reach out to tell me he has 50 cow parsnip plants growing in his yard. I did not initially share his excitement for them, at ...

Cow parsnip is known in our field guides as Heracleum lanatum, although it sometimes has other names. The flowers are typically displayed in big, flattish inflorescences called “umbels,” each umbel ...

A hazardous, invasive plant that can cause severe burns is spreading rapidly across North America, threatening native ecosystems and human safety. Wild parsnip (and its cousin, cow parsnip) form dense ...

Of all the people I know, I suspect Joe Derek is the only one who would reach out to tell me he has 50 cow parsnip plants growing in his backyard. I did not initially share his excitement for them, at ...

During the first six months of 2011, no one recorded a temperature higher than normal. Both February and April were about usual while the other four were all colder than normal. May and June were ...

From time to time, I venture out on the wetlands. I have to prepare myself to endure the racket from aircraft. In addition to the occasional roar of the big planes, there’s the somewhat lesser roar ...