Ask the Botanist
Our ace botanists are here to help you identify wild New England plants and to answer questions about their ecology and conservation. When posting a question, please provide the location, habitat (e.g. river, mountain, woodland), and photographs of the plant.
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All Questions and Answers
Recently Answered Questions
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- According to all the web sites, Helesia Carolina is not found in Maine. I beg to differ. I live in Greenbush Maine and this sure looks like that plant. Could it be?
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- Dear ckozerow, the websites that state Halesia carolina doesn't occur in ME aren't making an assertion to that fact. What they are stating is that this woody plant has never been found before. Hopefully I'm making clear the distinction between these two points of view. The plant you have posted a picture of is a species of Malus (apple), though I can't tell you which one based on the image you uploaded. If you ever do find Halesia carolina growing outside of cultivation (i.e., wild) in ME, don't hesitate to contact me directly (ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org). Best wishes. (Monday, 26 May 2025)
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- I and others have some confusion regarding the native presence of tradescantia in New England. In brief BONAP indicates a scattered presence of both ohiensis and virginiana, ( actually more than scattered depending which species) in contrast to GoBotany The Flora indicates a very limited presence of ohiensis confined to MA and CT, but the maps on the same GoBotany species page picture its complete absence from New England. And no virginiensis. Could you clarify? thank you lawrence
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- Dear ethnobotanist. Continued research on these species suggests that none of the species of Tradescantia are native to New England. It is most likely that they are all introduced from points further west and south. The issue with maps on Go Botany may be something on your end. When I view the maps on Safari, everything seems to be working normally. I hope this is helpful. (Monday, 26 May 2025)
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- Bluntseed sweetroot?
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- Dear Tiannamamma90, there are no images associated with your question. Without them, I won't be able to assist. If you are having trouble uploading images, feel free to attach them to an email and send them to ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org and I will try to assist. (Monday, 26 May 2025)
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- I saw this volunteer along a neighbor’s fence. I wondered if it was a native plant, but it’s not.
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- Dear jginley0214@gmail.com, good morning. I would need to know where this is growing (which state). Location is a really important part of the identification process. If you have additional images of the plant (or can get them), including the leaves, that would also be helpful. Feel free to email me (and images) to continue the conversation at ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org and I will try to assist. (Monday, 26 May 2025)
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- Found in Hollis NH
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- Dear Plants12345ABCDEFG, there are no images associated with your question. Without them, I won't be able to assist. If you are having trouble uploading images, feel free to attach them to an email and send them to ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org and I will try to assist. (Monday, 26 May 2025)
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- What is this? It looks similar to spicebush but the bark is different and it doesn’t smell. Found in Hollis NH
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- Dear Plants12345ABCDEFG, good morning. The plant you have photographed is an ash seedling (genus Fraxinus). It appears to be white ash, but I can't see details well enough in the images to be certain. I hope this is helpful nonetheless. (Monday, 26 May 2025)
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- Hello again Ace Botanist Sir... Sent some photos of a native rose yesterday for identification. Have been looking at the desrctpitions for clues but still condfounded so here are some addtional pictures with greater detail that might help if more detail is required... The excessive pricklyness of the stems is leaning me towards Rosa acicularis — bristly rose Cheers
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- Dear pmhood, good morning to you. What I can write to you is that this is not Rosa palustris. That species would have stalked glands on the hypanthium surface (below the sepals), similar to other members of the Rosa virginiana complex. It does not look Rosa acicularis (that species is quite glandular on vegetative surfaces, such as the stipules, which I cannot observe in your images). The leaflet blade shape reminds me of Rosa blanda, but I would expect fewer prickles on the stems/branches for that species (though some specimens do show prickles like what you have photographed here). I would like to help you further with this, but it might require a conservation. Contact me at ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org and we will determine what species you have photographed. Best wishes. (Monday, 26 May 2025)
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- What is this please
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- Dear dmdow923, good morning. I can't tell you with confidence what species you have photographed. I would need a closer image of the leaves and the branchlet surface. It resembles a species of Vaccinium (blueberry), but I need additional images to confirm that and tell you which species of blueberry it is (assuming I have the correct genus). If you have additional images or can send me some, feel free to use my email (ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org) and I'll try to assist you further. (Monday, 26 May 2025)
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- Hi! I have a spot that I have been visiting for several years. (Central VT by the white river) There was the largest jack in the pulpit ever. Its leaves were bigger than my hands. It made berries the past two years . This year- no sight of it! I was devastated. There are tiny ones but I guess I want to know if it was just old and died? What happens to old plants? Do they get smaller? Do they disappear? I’d expect to see some leaves of a comparable size by now since many are blooming.
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- Dear monsoonkid, the variety of life spans and strategies used to perennate by plants is extensive. Further, many plants can remain dormant in some seasons, persisting as underground storage organs. The plant you observed may not have died, but simply is "resting", if you will. I would encourage you to look for it again over the coming growing seasons. It may well return. (Monday, 26 May 2025)
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- Viburnum in full bloom 5-14-2025 in woods adjacent to Flume Pond along Buzzards Bay in Falmouth, MA. Long silky hairs along veins on back of leaves. Keys to V. dentatum or rafinesquianum but not clearly to one or the other. Surface of flower (around ovary under scope) shows no cilia. Other Viburnums here right now are only in early flower bud - a week at least away from flowering (like the Dentatum with round leaves).
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- Dear cknox, good morning. You appear to have photographed Viburnum dilatatum or V. wrightii, two non-native species from Asia that have minute, unstalked glands on the leaf blade surfaces. I can't tell you which one for certainty without additional images or a collection that I could inspect. Feel free to reach out to me directly (ahaines@nativeplanttrust.org) and we can get this plant identified for you (note: if it has passed flowering, that is acceptable, many of the characters that identify these two species are present throughout the growing season). (Monday, 26 May 2025)
