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The infamous chestnut blight of the early 20th Century not only wiped out the majestic American chestnut tree, but also the cultural and economic values it bestowed on countless generations. We have mostly forgotten how versatile and nutritious chestnuts are, not to mention how to eat them. Fortunately,

The historic loss of the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) tree is well-documented, here and elsewhere. A quick summary of what happened: at the start of the 20th Century, a fungus accidentally brought over from Asia caused a blight that wiped out over four billion American chestnut trees over

In the early 20th century the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) dominated the forests of the eastern U.S. It was a tree so magnificent, honorable, and invaluable that it was considered an ecological keystone up and down the Appalachian range. American chestnuts were magnets of life, “fundamental to the livelihood

Arthur’s Point Farm is hiring an Agroforestry Manager to expand our orchards and other agroforestry systems, and to manage ecological restoration areas (forests, riparian zones, and pollinator habitats) around the farm. A rapidly changing climate and broad ecological degradation call for new approaches to agriculture and land stewardship. Integrating

Should You Plant in Late Summer or Early Fall? Spring is often considered the ideal planting season for native perennials, as it provides the plants with the longest period to establish, root, and grow within a single season. But, it’s also possible to plant successfully throughout the summer

How to Remove Invasives Naturally Eliminating invasive plants without the use of harmful herbicides is a perpetual challenge for gardeners and landscapers. Invasive species are defined as “not native to a particular ecosystem and whose introduction causes, or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm

Orange Coneflower, Rudbeckia fulgida Spotted Bee Balm, Monarda puntata Anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum Did you ever wonder about all of the plastic pots we use to green the world around us? Not only are we creating a huge waste stream, but plastic nursery pots also harm the plants

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What’s a Hedgerow? Hedgerows are having a moment due to growing interest in sustainable farming and ecological stewardship. They simultaneously serve many different purposes and have existed in agricultural landscapes for millennia. The USDA defines a hedgerow  as the “establishment of dense vegetation in a linear design to achieve a

Most Americans are familiar with the delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-crack nut of the Northern Pecan tree (Carya illinoinensis). It’s an integral part of our diet and the most common commercial native nut tree in the U.S.  Pecan nuts ripening on the tree Shelled pecan ready to eat But many people don’t

Ecological shifts from climate change are occurring more rapidly and significantly than forests can adapt. The unnatural speed of change demands active, large-scale planting of a biodiverse selection of climate-resilient tree species capable of adapting to the changing environment. The U.S. Forest Service’s Climate Change Tree Atlas is a great

Climate change is shifting ecological plant hardiness zones. The USDA has updated its Plant Hardiness Zone Map for the first time since 2012. Most of New York’s Hudson Valley has shifted from Zone 5b to Zone 6a (see map below). This means the lowest winter temperature recorded over

Every autumn, when we dig up our spicebush seedlings, we are struck by the strong pleasant aroma of the fibrous root systems (as well as all other parts of the plant). Spicebush has many favorable qualities which explain its growing popularity as a native ornamental shrub in cultivated gardens.

How to plant a tree or wildflower from a fabric root-prune pouch is different than planting from a plastic pot. The fabric pot allows for the roots to grow into the fabric where the fine roots are pruned rather than forced into unhealthy circling that occurs in an impermeable plastic

Propagating trees from cuttings is an easy and economical way to grow lots of native trees. You can grow hundreds of trees from foot-long branches of willow, elderberry, dogwood, currants, and more. Pretty amazing, when you stop and think about it! We sell cuttings for spring planting if

Demonstrating how to graft a fruit tree with Alderman on Prunus Americana rootstock. Alderman plum is extremely cold hardy and produces big, dark red, sweet, juicy fruit that ripens in July. Visit Our Nursery Store Shop Trees

Whatever you think of climate change projections, the impacts of extreme weather are evident: tropical cyclones in Alaska, arctic blasts, killer heat waves, extreme droughts, 500-year floods, mega wildfires, and life-threatening blizzards. The number of natural disasters has increased fivefold over the last 50 years, with economic losses increasing sevenfold. The costs to our health and safety,

We sat down recently with our friends at the Nature Calls podcast at Cornell Cooperative Extension to talk about the use of agroforestry and biochar for ecological restoration and climate resilience. Have a listen and check out more than four dozen other timely conversations below: Agroforestry Agroforestry integrates trees and other perennial plants

The Latin name for Persimmon, Diospyros, literally means “divine fruit.” So it’s no surprise that it was a staple of Native American orchards for centuries. Yet many of us have never tasted this delicious native fruit! Why isn’t American Persimmon more common today? And what makes it so

The recently introduced Biochar Research Network Act would establish a national network of up to 20 research centers to expand the production and use of biochar to improve soils and accelerate natural climate solutions. The work of the proposed research centers would focus on improving crop yields and