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Recently Updated Plant Articles

Hollow Joe Pye Weed

Hollow Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)

Updated December 2nd, 2024

A tall perennial of moist, rich, disturbed sites, native to the eastern U.S.; the tallest Eutrochium.

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Coastal Plain Joe Pye Weed

Coastal Plain Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium dubium)

Updated September 12th, 2024

A perennial of moist, sandy, acidic soils native to the coastal plain from New England south through South Carolina.

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Persian Silktree

Persian Silktree (Albizia julibrissin)

Updated August 28th, 2024

A small nitrogen-fixing tree native to the warmer parts of Asia. and planted as an ornamental in the US, where it has become invasive.

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Recently Updated Ecoregion Articles

snowy, rocky mountains in the background, some small conifers in the foreground, and a pond with low vegetation around it
North America » Northwestern Forested Mountains »

Boreal Cordillera

Updated November 7th, 2024

An assemblage of mountains in interior northwestern Canada and Alaska, spanning the transition between forests and open tundra.

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a landscape with scattered rocks and thin, green vegetation cover, steep-walled mountains in the distance
North America » Tundra » Alaska Tundra »

Seward Peninsula

Updated November 6th, 2024

The peninsula of western Alaska closest to Asia, with varied topography and sparse, but diverse vegetation cover.

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a flat yellow-green landscape with large branching bodies of water, slightly meandering, surrounded by numerous small ponds
North America » Tundra » Alaska Tundra »

Subarctic Coastal Plains

Updated November 4th, 2024

A poorly-drained region of open tundra with numerous small ponds, on the coast of western Alaska along the Bering Sea.

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Recently Updated ID / Comparison Guides (See All)

collage of Northern Red Oak and Black Oak

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) vs. Black Oak (Quercus velutina)

Updated October 13th, 2024

Although these species sometimes look blatantly different, significant variation in individual leaf shape and other characteristics can make them challenging to tell apart. Both trees have broad habitat preferences, with considerable overlap. Black oak ranges farther south and prefers slightly warmer, drier sites, and is more tolerant of nutrient-poor sites, whereas northern red oak ranges farther north, prefers slightly cooler, moister sites, and is more shade-tolerant. The two species can also hybridize and form intergrades, so it may not be possible to identify all individuals.

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collage of White Snakeroot and Late Boneset

White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) vs. Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum)

Updated October 13th, 2024

These closely-related plants can be tricky to distinguish, especially early in the season, before they bloom. Although they have some overlap in habitat, late boneset ranges farther south and prefers sunnier, wetter habitats, and is more tolerant of acidic soil, whereas white snakeroot ranges farther north and prefers shadier, drier conditions but requires more neutral soils.

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collage of Partridge Pea and Persian Silktree

Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) vs. Persian Silktree (Albizia julibrissin)

Updated September 16th, 2024

These two nitrogen-fixing legumes are frequently confused as seedlings. Both have compound leaves with leaflets of similar size and shape, and both are earlier colonizers of sunny, disturbed habitats. The robust, often reddish-colored stalk of partridge pea can lead it to be confused with a woody plant. Mature plants are wildly dissimilar, and young plants are easily distinguished by close examination of leaf structure.

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