Got Nature? Blog

In this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension Forester Lenny Farlee introduces us to Nannyberry Viburnum, a native shrub found across Indiana woodlands. Learn how to identify Nannyberry by its finely serrated leaves, drooping branches, clustered fruit and seasonal changes from spring blooms to fall color. Lenny also shares where this species commonly grows and how it fits into Indiana’s natural landscapes. This video provides a helpful introduction to identifying Nannyberry Viburnum whether you’re a student, landowner, or just interested in better understanding the trees and shrubs around you.

 

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree – Video Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana, Purdue Extension – FNR
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Habitat University, Episode 12 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
District Forester, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 10+ acres
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

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In this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension Forester Lenny Farlee introduces us to Eastern Swamp Privet, a native Indiana shrub commonly found in wetland and swampy habitats. Unlike the privets around yards, homes and towns, the Eastern Swamp Privet comes from a different genus of plants. Learn how to identify this species by its opposite arrangement, simple leaves, finely toothed margins and spurs. This video provides a helpful introduction to identifying Eastern Swamp Privet whether you’re a student, landowner, or just interested in better understanding the trees and shrubs around you.

 

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree – Video Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana, Purdue Extension – FNR
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Habitat University, Episode 12 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
District Forester, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 10+ acres
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

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Jarred Brooke, Extension wildlife specialist, was honored with a Career Achievement Award at the Fire in Eastern Oak Forests Conference in June.

In addition to his extension work with wildlife, Brooke has been deeply involved in prescribed fire, serving as chair of the Indiana Prescribed Fire Council since 2018, working to implement prescribed fire policy in Indiana, and organizing more than 30 Learn-N-Burn and Prescribed Fire field days and workshops that provide landowners and professionals with practical experience in fire safety, timing, and ecological benefits. Jarred has also co-instructed the undergraduate FNR-333 Applied Fire Ecology course since 2019. He was instrumental in securing funding from the Sam Shine Foundation to hire Danielle Howard, the recently hired Extension prescribed fire specialist.

Brooke also was one of three main instructors and organizers of the Indiana Land Stewardship Leadership Academy, which graduated its first class this spring. He was honored in 2021 with the Early Career Award from the Purdue Cooperative Extension Specialists’ Association and PK-12 Council’s Staff Excellence Award for his work with youth audiences, expanding their interest in and preparation for careers in natural resource sciences.

“It’s an honor to have been given the Career Achievement Award from the Fire in Eastern Oak Forests Conference,” Brooke said. “Since I don’t have enough gray hair for a career achievement award, we’ll just call it an early-career award. I have enjoyed all the prescribed fire work I’ve been able to do through my Extension role at Purdue, but this award would not have been possible without all the partners I work with on fire. From leading Learn-N-Burns and serving on the Indiana Prescribed Fire Council board to working

on prescribed fire policy in the Hoosier state, it’s been a collaborative journey – and I’m looking forward to more in the future! Special thanks to Allen Pursell for presenting me with the award.”

At the awards presentation, Pursell, director of forest programs for the Sam Shine Foundation, Inc., said:

“Jarred served as president of the Indiana Prescribed Fire Council from its inception in 2016 through 2025, and remains active. Jarred was known for great ideas, energy, and leadership skills. One of the board members told me that Jarred really held the council together, especially during Covid, when it would have been easy for it to wither.

“As part of his accomplishments there:

• He spearheaded getting the Indiana Prescribed Fire Council incorporated as a non-profit entity.
• He was the key person shepherding the entire process that resulted in the new Indiana Prescribed Fire Law. Many people were involved in key roles, but Jarred made it come together.
• More recently, Jarred identified funds so that Purdue University could hire a Prescribed Fire Extension Specialist who will help to form and support Prescribed Burn Associations, Support the Certified Prescribed Burn Manager program, and Conduct prescribed fire outreach to local communities.
  

  FNR students conduct a prescribed burn at the Celery Bog for their FNR 33350 class in West Lafayette, Ind. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Purdue University photo/Joshua Clark)

• In addition to these, Jarred has conducted many “learn and burn” courses for students and citizens who are interested in prescribed fire. He is a leader among his peers and an untiring advocate for prescribed fire in Indiana.

“For these accomplishments and many others, we are pleased to present Jarred Brooke with this career award.”

The Eastern Oak Forests Conference achievement awards are meant to recognize any significant contributions ranging from science, management, education and outreach, or training. Awards for the conference began during the 2019 conference playing and have ranged from one to six awardees per conference. Awardees are nominated by conference steering committee members.

To view this article along with other news and stories posted on the Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources website view: Jarred Brooke Receives Early Career Award for Prescribed Fire Work.

Resources:
Nature of Teaching, Purdue Agriculture
Natural of Teaching YouTube Channel
College of Agriculture PK-12 Council Outreach and Engagement Awards, Purdue Agriculture
National Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP), Teaching Youth Valuable Skills
Learn How to Control Reed Canarygrass, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
FNR Ask The Expert: Prescribed Fire with Jarred Brooke and Mike Saunders, Purdue Extension – FNR Video
Brooke’s Prescribed Fire Videos Utilized in Global USFS Efforts, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Prescribed fire: 6 things to consider before you ignite, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – 4Forestry and Natural Resources
Wildlife Habitat Hint: Prescribed Fire Techniques – Backing Fire, Video, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube channel
Indiana Prescribed Fire Council (IPFC)
Subscribe – Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel, find natural resources, forestry, wildlife, urban forestry and much more.

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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In this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension Forester Lenny Farlee introduces us to Carolina Buckthorn. This native Indiana shrub features smooth gray bark, glossy leaves and colorful berries that shift from green to red to black. Learn how Carolina buckthorn differs from invasive buckthorn species, where it commonly grows in Indiana woodlands and tips for recognizing it throughout the seasons. This video provides a helpful introduction to identifying Carolina Buckthorn whether you’re a student, landowner or just interested in better understanding of the trees and shrubs around you.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree – Video Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana, Purdue Extension – FNR
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Habitat University, Episode 12 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
District Forester, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 10+ acres
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

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Purdue Landscape Report: Espalier is a pruning and training technique that shapes a tree or shrub to grow in a flat, usually two-dimensional form, often against a wall, fence, or trellis. Rather than allowing branches to grow in every direction, espalier uses careful cutting and tying to guide stems into a planned pattern. The result can be both practical and beautiful, turning a fruit tree or ornamental plant into a living architectural feature.

This method has been used for centuries, especially in places where gardeners wanted to maximize growing space or use walls to create a

warmer microclimate. Espalier is especially popular with fruit trees such as apples, pears, and sometimes figs or stone fruits, because the open structure can improve light penetration and make harvesting easier. It is also valued in formal gardens and small urban spaces where a full-sized tree would be too large or unruly.

One of the biggest advantages of espalier is efficient use of space. A tree trained flat can fit into narrow courtyards, along property lines, or against sunny walls where space is limited. It can also make maintenance easier, since pruning, spraying, thinning, and harvesting are often more accessible than in a dense, free-growing tree. In fruit production, better sunlight and air circulation can improve fruit quality and reduce some disease problems. For many gardeners, espalier is also appealing because it adds a strong visual design element to the landscape.

Espalier does have challenges. It requires patience, regular attention, and a willingness to prune frequently during the training phase. The technique is not ideal for every species, and success depends on choosing a plant that responds well to bending and cutting. If neglected, an espaliered tree can lose its shape quickly and become difficult to correct. It also demands a level of planning that is greater than ordinary pruning, since the final form must be imagined and maintained over time.

The technique is most commonly associated with Europe, especially France, Italy, and England, where it has long been used in formal gardens, orchards, and along estate walls. Today it is also popular in North America among home gardeners, landscape designers, and urban fruit growers who want to combine productivity with ornament. While espalier is less about a single geographic region than pollarding, it remains especially visible in European garden traditions and in places where intensive use of limited space matters.

Espalier is both practical and artistic. It can help gardeners grow more in less space while creating a distinctive look that feels deliberate and refined. For the right plant and the right site, it is a pruning style that blends horticulture with design.

Resources:
Tree Pruning Essentials Video, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Tree Selection for the “Un-natural” Environment, The Education Store, Purdue Education’s resource center
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store
Why Is My Tree Dying?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Tree Risk Management, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Tree Wound and Healing, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Pruning Highlight-Pollarding Trees, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Urban Tree Spotlight: Planting Deciduous Shade Trees, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Southwest Damage, Scalding or Frost Cracking, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Surface Root Syndrome, The Education Store
Find an Arborist video, Trees are Good-International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
Report INvasive, Purdue Extension
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Subscribe – Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel

Ben McAllister, Urban Forestry Specialist
Forestry & Natural Resources

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Purdue Landscape Report: Many homeowners have evergreens in their home landscape. Evergreens provide a landscape service that other plants cannot – they add color to our landscapes in the winter, and provide some thermal protection for animals and birds. However, if you are researching potential evergreens for your landscape, you may be confused about species names and the botanical differences between them.

Identifying evergreens is a difficult task for most people, which is why many interchange the terms “evergreen” and “pine tree,” but we can also think of spruces, firs, hemlocks, and other species. Although I encourage planting native trees, I’ll cover several native and non-native evergreen species that may be planted or encountered in Indiana.

Let’s start with the basic aspects of pine trees. Pines have needles that are wrapped together in bundles (called fascicles) of 2, 3, or 5 needles, and their cones hang down from branches. Common 2-needled pines include (from shorter to longer needles) Jack pine, Virginia pine, Scots (or Scotch) pine, Austrian pine, and Red pine. 3-needled pines are somewhat rare in Indiana. Loblolly pine is one, and has very long needles, 6-9 inches long. We have one common 5-needled pine tree, the Eastern white pine.

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In recognition of Pollinator Week June 22-28, 2026, let’s see what is blooming at Purdue FNR Tippecanoe County property, Martell Forest.

More about Pollinator Week: this is an annual celebration in support of pollinator health that was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership. It is a time to raise awareness for pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, beetles, moths, wasps, hummingbirds, bats, flies, beetles, lizards, rodents and more.

Resources:
Ask an Expert: What’s Buzzing or Not Buzzing About Pollinators, Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Pollinator Conservation Education, Purdue Extension – Entomology
What’s buzzing in your backyard? Learn about protecting pollinators, beekeeping with Purdue Extension, Purdue Extension News
Indiana Monarch and Pollinator Conservation website
Protecting Pollinators: Protecting Pollinators in Home Lawns and Landscapes, publication, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Pollinator Conservation Education, Purdue Entomology
Recommended Indiana-Native Plants for Attracting Pollinators (pdf), Purdue Extension – Entomology
Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Protecting Pollinators: Biology and Control of Varroa Mites in Bee Hives, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Gardening for Pollinators, Purdue Garden Articles
Subscribe Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

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Purdue Landscape Report: Pollarding is a tree pruning method in which the upper branches of a tree are cut back to the same points on a regular schedule, creating a framework of knobby growth points from which new shoots emerge. The practice has been used for centuries and is especially common in landscapes where trees must be kept at a controlled height or width. Pollarding is not the same as topping, which is generally considered harmful because it removes branches without a long-term management plan. Instead, pollarding is a deliberate, repeated technique that can shape a tree into a compact, manageable form.

One of the main advantages of pollarding is size control. In urban areas, along streets, and near buildings or utility lines, trees often need to fit within tight spaces. Pollarding can reduce conflicts with overhead wires, streetlights, sidewalks, and traffic while still allowing a tree to remain in place. It can also reduce shade, which may be useful in courtyards, parking areas, and other sites where too much canopy cover is a problem. Some trees also respond by producing dense, attractive new growth, which can give them a distinctive architectural look.

Pollarding may also extend the usable life of certain trees when it is started early and maintained properly. Because the tree is kept smaller and more compact, it may be less likely to fail under wind or storm stress than a large tree with heavy limbs. In some settings, the regular cutting of new shoots can even provide a source of small-diameter wood or fodder, which helps explain why pollarding developed historically as a practical land-management method.

That said, pollarding has real drawbacks. It must be done correctly and consistently; if a tree is pollarded at the wrong age, on the wrong species, or after long neglect, the result can be stress, decay, weak regrowth, or structural problems. Not all trees tolerate the practice well, and some may decline if pollarded too aggressively. Pollarding also creates a very artificial appearance, which some people dislike. A freshly pollarded tree can look bare or severe for a time, and the repeated cuts require ongoing maintenance.

Pollarding is most strongly associated with Europe, especially Britain, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and parts of Spain, where it has a long history in both rural and urban landscapes. Today, it is still widely seen in European cities and towns, particularly on street trees and in managed public spaces. It also appears in some parts of North America, but it remains much more culturally visible and historically rooted in Europe. In many places, it is valued both for its practical function and for the distinctive form it creates over time.

Used thoughtfully, pollarding is a useful tool rather than a universal solution. It works best when matched to the right species, the right site, and a long-term maintenance plan. For the right tree in the right place, it can be both functional and visually striking.

Resources:
Tree Pruning Essentials Video, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Surface Root Syndrome, The Education Store, Purdue Education’s resource center
Find an Arborist video, Trees are Good-International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
Report INvasive, Purdue Extension
Indiana Invasive Species Council
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel (Invasive White Mulberry, Siberian Elm, Tree of Heaven)
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Tree Planting Part 2: Planting a Tree, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Tree Selection for the “Un-natural” Environment, The Education Store
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store
Tree Defect Identification, The Education Store
Why Is My Tree Dying?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Tree Wound and Healing, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Subscribe – Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel

Ben McAllister, Urban Forestry Specialist
Forestry & Natural Resources

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Danielle Howard has been hired as an Extension prescribed fire specialist housed with the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue

The prescribed fire specialist position, funded by the Sam Shine Foundation, aims to increase prescribed fire capacity in Indiana by coordinating, conducting, and leading prescribed fires and prescribed fire training and outreach statewide.

In this role, Howard also will support the formation of prescribed burn associations (PBAs) and the Indiana Prescribed Fire Council (INPFC). She will work closely with Indiana conservation partners to develop prescribed fire training and outreach that builds capacity and support for prescribed fire on public and private land in Indiana.

“Prescribed fire is key to maintaining healthy ecosystems in Indiana, and I’m very excited to be at the forefront of increasing its use across the state,” Howard said.

Co-PIs on the supporting grant titled “Building Capacity for Prescribed Fire in Indiana” are Extension wildlife specialists Jarred Brooke and Brian MacGowan, Extension forester Lenny Farlee, natural resources training specialist Jessica Outcalt and Dr. Zhao Ma.

Howard, who previously worked in FNR as the field coordinator for the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment from 2020 to 2023, comes to her new role after spending the last three years as the central region ecologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish, Wildlife and Nature Preserves. In that role, she managed 71 state-dedicated nature preserves and multiple privately-owned conservation easements across 26 counties in central Indiana. She also planned, prepared and implemented prescribed fire, invasive species control measures, native plantings, forest stand management and other restoration activities. She also established and sampled research plots for post-fire vegetation monitoring in Brown County State Park.

Howard also has taught Applied Ecology as an adjunct professor at Indiana University since January 2025.

In her previous stint in FNR as part of the HEE project, Howard coordinated forest management research activities, including bird surveys, overstory plots, small mammal trapping and more, conducted by various universities and partners at sites in Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood State Forests.

Previously, she acted as an intermittent bird biologist for the Indiana DNR, the whooping crane outreach program assistant in Indiana for the International Crane Foundation and as a farm bill wildlife biologist for Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever.

Howard is a type II certified wildland firefighter and has certifications in prescribed fire for managers, wildlife fire chainsaws (S-212), wildlife fire pumps (S-211) and a pesticide applicator’s license for core and forests.

Howard began her new role on May 18. She will be based remotely in Bloomington, Indiana.

To view this article along with other news and stories posted on the Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources website view: Danielle Howard Hired as FNR Extension Prescribed Fire Specialist.

Resources:
Wildlife Habitat Hint: Prescribed Fire Techniques – Backing Fire, Video, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube channel
Wildlife Habitat Hint: Prescribed Fire Techniques – Flanking Fire, Purdue Extension – FNR Video
Wildlife Habitat Hint: Late Growing Season Prescribed Fire, Purdue Extension – FNR Video
FNR Ask The Expert: Prescribed Fire with Jarred Brooke and Mike Saunders, Purdue Extension – FNR Video
Prescribed fire: 6 things to consider before you ignite, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Indiana Prescribed Fire Council (IPFC)
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE)
Finding help from a professional forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA)
Wildlife Management & Grassland Management, Pond and Wildlife Management, Purdue Extension
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR
Woodland Management Moment YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR
Subscribe – Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel, find natural resources, forestry, wildlife, urban forestry and much more.

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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