The woods are quiet. An overnight snow covers the fallen leaves and highlights the occasional green. This is a favorite time of mine to wander the Berkshire woods with the evergreens to cheer me along before the snow piles too deeply.
The killing frosts have put to rest most of the forest greenery, except for the resilient plants that keep colorful leaves throughout the year. In moister woods, some ground vegetation is still vigorous and ignores the freeze. Christmas, polypody and evergreen wood ferns, shining club moss, princess pine and the diminutive creeping vines we call partridgeberry and checkerberry resist winter’s advance. At higher altitudes, mountain laurel often forms thickets of shiny green leaves.
American yew, also called ground hemlock, is another low growing evergreen that caught my attention during a recent walk. Many of these evergreen plants grow beneath open stands of pine, hemlock and spruce trees, the commonest sources for one of the more popular traditions at this season – the Christmas Tree.
Another tradition for many at this season is to decorate with wreaths and garlands made of different evergreens — as long as we give thought to the future.
Club moss, a small upright growing woodland plant, has no flower but retains its cheerful green through the winter months. It grows so slowly it should only be harvested prudently, if at all; it was once harvested to excess for wreathmaking.
A few pieces of partridge berry and some moss for a berry bowl do little harm to the plant or the woods, but the quantity of slow-growing ground pine needed to fashion a wreath or garland may damage or destroy the entire plant colony. we can find more gracious ways to celebrate the season.
Pine, fir, and spruce make robust wreaths, especially when adorned with rhododendron and holly, perhaps from shrubs in our own yards.
Evergreen Wood Fern are unlike most other ferns that are sensitive to frost. These two remain green throughout the winter and along with shrubs like holly and rhododendron make attractive landscape additions when planted in shady places. Photo by Thom Smith
Christmas Fern another evergreen that received its name from being green at Christmastime and once was used in holiday decorations, and common in moist, shady woods. Photo by Thom Smith
Partridgeberry or squawberry is a common woodland plant that grows vine-like close to the ground and seems to especially enjoy the company of white pine and moist woods. In summer, it grows twin flowers that make one bright red fruit favored by grouse and mice. If not eaten the fruit may last a year on the vine making it an ideal choice for a small “berry bowl.” Photo by Thom Smith
Partridgeberry or squawberry is a common woodland plant that grows vine-like close to the ground and seems to especially enjoy the company of white pine and moist woods. In summer, it grows twin flowers that make one bright red fruit favored by grouse and mice. If not eaten the fruit may last a year on the vine making it an ideal choice for a small “berry bowl.” Photo by Thom Smith
Shining Club Moss, a small upright growing woodland plant, has no flower but retains its cheerful green through the snowy winter months. It grows so slowly it should only be harvested prudently, if at all. Photo by Thom Smith
Princess Pine, running ground pine, club moss or Christmas green are all common names for this slow growing woodland groundcover, once harvested to excess for wreath making. A better alternative is white-pine boughs with pine cones. Although diminutive today, 300 million years ago, club mosses attained the size of trees and contributed to the formation of coal deposits. Photo by Thom Smith
Thom Smith wrote columns like this one for me for many years when I was the editor of Berkshires Week. He has generously offered to share some of what he loves about the Berkshire outdoors with this website.
