Creating a sustainable and compassionate community
Mort Schmidt, author of the Tree of the Month articles, will co-lead a winter tree ID walk with park ranger Scott Felker at Three Creeks Metro Park on Sunday, January 22nd at 2 PM. We’ll meet at the Confluence Area as shown in the attached map. I’d love to see […]
Baldcypress, Swamp Cypress (Taxodium distichum) by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Not all conifers are evergreens. We often use the terms interchangeably, but in fact some conifers lose their needles in winter, while some broadleaf trees, such as American Holly (Ilex opaca), keep their leaves in winter. As discussed […]
Last week, with my fellow intern, Kenedy, I got to sit down (virtually) and talk with April Hoy, about Stratford Ecological Center. April is the Education Director at Stratford, a working organic farm, state nature preserve, and non-profit organization that was started back in the early 1990s as a family-run […]
White Ash, American Ash Fraxinus americana by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living White Ash is the stuff of baseball bats, and would be a good candidate for the ideal tree, especially when considering its wood. Harder than pine, softer than oak, ash is hard enough to wear well, but […]
Eastern Hop Hornbeam, aka Hop Hornbeam, Ironwood Ostrya virginiana by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Eastern Hop Hornbeam is often overlooked today, but it was once an essential wood due to its considerable hardness. It’s often confused with two other understory trees, American Hornbeam – Ohio’s other “Ironwood”, and […]
Black Cherry wood is prized for its attractive color, but Cherry is surprisingly common in Ohioforests and most of the Eastern US. Black Cherry is not the tree used for pies and pastries, nor isit the cherry widely used in landscaping, known for its spring blossoms. But it does have […]
After Anna Haught interned for Simply Living, her next adventure was Blue Rock Station. Enjoy her blog post describing her experience!
This small tree is the New World’s northernmost member of the Rue (citrus) family. Once widely used for medicine, it’s too small for lumber and is useful only to wildlife and landscapers. But it’s very distinctive and interesting. The Common Hoptree’s compound leaves have alternately-arranged leaves with three leaflets, hence […]
“Mimosa”, Persian Silk TreeAlbizia julibrissinby Martin (Mort) Schmidtfor Simply Living If you’re driving along a city street in July and notice a small tree with pink flowers, take a closer look — it might be a Persian Silk Tree, commonly known as “Mimosa”. As the name suggests, it is native to […]
Learn about the features and many uses of this hardwood tree.
by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Boxelder is the Rodney Dangerfield of Ohio maples; It don’t get no respect. Unlike the October 2021 Tree of the Month, Sugar Maple, Boxelder’s weed-like growth and weak wood make it unloved for landscaping or lumber. Boxelder can be tapped for maple syrup, […]
By Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living One of the most beautiful trees native to Ohio is the Flowering Dogwood. Its lovely flowers withlarge white petals are a welcome harbinger of spring, even if the petals aren’t really petals. But first, another tree with white flowers makes its appearance in […]
By Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Occasionally the Tree of the Month article will feature topics related to, but not strictly about trees. Mistletoe would be an appropriate subject for the December issue, but I wanted to release this article before I lost touch with Daniel and Gigi, who […]
Fascinating information about the great White Oak trees, by Mort Schmidt.
This is a 4 week discussion course based on the 4-part article “The Path to an Ecological Future for Humanity.” The article links here. It is not necessary to read the article but it will be helpful. Week 1: The Cultural Creatives – a Third Force in the Radical MiddleWeek […]
by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Oaks, the trees of the genus Quercus, are among the most important hardwood trees. There are approximately 500 species of oaks worldwide and a little under 100 in the United States, but they are found primarily in the northern hemisphere. Oaks provide a […]
by Martin (Mort) Schmidt for Simply Living Holly has long been associated with the holiday seasons. In fact, the name “Holly” is derived from the word “holy” because of this association. Holly is primarily a southeastern tree, but its natural range does extend into the southernmost counties of Ohio. Left […]
This is Part 1 of a longer essay by Chuck Lynd published in 4 parts on Medium.com. You can read the full essay here. Part 1. The Path to an Ecological Future for Humanity As Yogi Berra observed, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” We chuckle, but […]
By Martin (Mort) Schmidt, for Simply Living The Ohio State University’s famous football coach, Woody Hayes, described the Buckeye as “a worthless nut”. And so it is. Nor does the wood have much value. But in November, as we’re winding up the football season, what better tree to honor than […]
Thanks to Mort Schmidt for this wonderful description of the Sugar Maple tree and its many uses.