I am a tree scientist and botanist writing about relationships between trees and humans including climate change. A Fulbright Scholar, Author of Venerable Trees and more books in progress. Read about trees here: https://ourtrees.substack.com.
The fruit flies in my kitchen always remind me of the great biologist Tom Morgan, who grew up down the street from where I live. Read about him here.
Here is another tree with a history tied to us. Catalpa is a gorgeous tree, but its native range is tiny. Due to a 19th century craze in planting this tree for railroad ties, it is now everywhere. It made lousy railroad ties, but it sure is nice to have in our landscapes. Read more at Our Trees.
This is Gunung Merapi (Fire Mountain) near Yogyakarta, Indonesia from a live camera tonight. The Special Region of Yogyakarta is one of the most fascinating, beautiful places on Earth. I taught at Universitas Gadjah Madah and had the pleasure of climbing Gunung Merapi. I hope it settles down soon.
A true story of the cobra under my desk.
I have seen many stories on Substack and elswhere claiming that almonds are a good choice for our health. This is true, but there are better choices for our planet, and the best choice is pecans.
Baldcypress is a glorious tree in southeastern wetlands, the longest-lived eastern tree and one of the largest. It is increasingly common in urban landscapes. Do you know this tree? Take a look at Our Trees.
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Sassafras, Sassafras albidum, is a tree that is deeply embedded in our culture not only for its beauty but for its long-term medicinal and culinary uses.
Is there any tree more spectacular than sassa...
Osage-orange, or hedge-apple, is a tree very familiar to those of us in the Bluegrass, where it was widely planted for natural fencing and hedges. Do you find this tree where you live?
Here is the current global warming stripe for the US. We are making progress toward renewable energy, but the fossil fuel oligarchy and its minions in the trump regime are doing everything they can to slow the adoption of renewables. They will fail, but every day of delay makes the crisis worse.
Tom Kimmerer, PhD
This morning, my kitchen was filled with fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster. This is not surprising as I keep a lot of tropical fruit on hand.
Fruit flies always remind me of science. As an underg...
The summer solstice is not just a calendar entry. It is a signal to all the trees in temperate zones in the north to begin preparation to survive the winter cold. Yes, today, the growing season ends for most trees. Have a look at the trees you walk by. Most of them have probably already set buds.
Tom Kimmerer, PhD
Catalpa is another tree that has benefited from its relationships with humans. Originally native to very small areas in the southern US, several enthusiasts began mailing seeds to anyone who wanted t...
The Cobra Under My Desk
The morning I was late to my lab in Borneo was the morning that a king cobra took up residence under my desk. It may well be why I am still alive so I have to thank Deborah, m...
We have been discussing trees that have close relationships with humans. Here is one with an increasingly close association with our landscapes. Baldcypress, Taxodium distichum, is a huge, unusual tre...
Both are nutritious, but pecans are a better choice for our planet
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Here is another tree whose abundance and distribution is due to its close relationship with us. Osage-orange, Maclura pomifera, is certainly one such tree. Once found in a small area of Texas and adja...
Today is the summer solstice. Perhaps it is just a date on your calendar, but it is a signal occasion to temperate trees: the growing season has ended. From now until next spring, most trees are doing...
