Month: July 2026
The Surprising Rise Of A Native Tree
In my neck of the woods, there’s a particular tree that grows in the understory.
It’s not a very big tree, but it’s doing something that has recently caught my attention: It’s becoming much more abundant.
On the surface, this looks like a wonderful thing.
Known as pawpaw (Asimina triloba), this native tree produces a highly prized edible fruit. It also serves as a host plant for the zebra swallowtail.
But looks can be deceiving.
The recent increase in pawpaw numbers may actually reflect broader, deeper changes within eastern forests.
What are these changes, and why exactly is pawpaw winning in the 21st century?
In a brand-new video, I visit a humid, buggy bottomland forest to explore these questions.
Thanks for reading and watching!
— Adam Haritan
I Never Expected To See This Oak
Imagine spending over a decade with the same group of friends, only to discover a stranger had been among you the entire time.
This recently happened to me, but it didn’t involve humans.
It involved oaks.
For more than a decade, I’d been visiting the same patch of woods near my home. I thought I knew all the trees there, but I guess I was wrong.
One day, I came across an oak I’d never noticed before. It didn’t look like the other oaks, and it left me with many more questions than answers.
Of course, I filmed the experience to show you this unusual tree.
Do you have any idea what kind of oak this is?
You can watch the brand-new video here.
Thanks for reading and watching (and thanks for any input you can provide)!
— Adam Haritan
Paths I Walk 