I have a thing for ironwood trees. Ironwoods are an important understory tree in Wisconsin woodlands and beyond. They grow slowly in the shade of oaks and maples. Also called hophornbeam, the tree’s straight dense wood is good for tool handles and tent stakes. The fruit sacs look much like hop-plant flowers. They’re easy to identify in winter because they stubbornly hang on to their simple alternate and doubly toothed leaves. By December the leaves are just a withered wisp compared to their velvety July splendor.
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Greg Galbraith, a former dairy farmer who owns woodlot property in eastern Marathon County, Wisconsin, writes about the rapidly changing nature of the agricultural landscape. He has built a lifetime connection to the land and those who farm it.
