Welcome Back to Lyrae’s Nature Blog!
My name is Lyrae Willis. I am an Environmental Scientist and Plant Ecologist specializing in native plant education. I created this site to share my passion for plants and help educate those who want to learn more!
I am excited to announce my plant family project is back on track, and I am currently posting at least one new plant family each week.
I am focusing right now on plant families because I think everyone should learn basic plant family information to start identifying things in the field. The more we learn, the more we appreciate, and the more we want to protect it. The Plant Families link in the bar above will bring you to all the newest families as that gets updated automatically, while this page is done manually.
I will need additional funding to expand this site as I get all of my information and photos posted (I have A LOT!), so I am currently seeking funding. Every bit helps, and if you can, please click on my new Go FundMe link or scan the QR code below.
Help Support Native Plant Education
I have looked at my hosting capabilities, and before I get all of my plant families online, I will need to expand my website capabilities. I also need to invest in a macro lens, as I plan to start adding more close-up morphology photos, flower dissections, and more!
Every penny donated will go directly to expanding this site!
New Plant Families Added
This is a list of my newest plant families I have added to my website, and I will change it out every month or two since I will be adding a LOT of families in 2026. Of course, you can always check out all the plant families by clicking on the link in the header!
Campanulaceae
Learn all about the Campanulaceae, or Bellflower family, with a focus on North American species.
Boraginaceae
Learn all about the Boraginaceae, or Borage family under the newer definition of the family after taxonomists separated several small families.
Ehretiaceae
Learn about this new small family recently split out of the broader Boraginaceae; perhaps you’ve seen some of the southwestern species before!
Hydrophyllaceae
Learn about this unique family native to the western Americas from the northern Arctic to southwestern South America.
Heliotropiaceae
Another recent split from the Boraginaceae, the Heliotropiaceae is again its own family. Learn all about it!
Aquifoliaceae
Learn about this beautiful family of mostly evergreen shrubs and learn about native alternatives to English Holly in North America!
Potamogetonaceae
Learn about this small but widespread and incredibly apart family of aquatic plants.
Tofieldiaceae
The Tofieldiaceae is a small family of mostly northern bog plants – a fascinating world to explore!
Arecaceae
The Arecaceae or palm family is such a fun group of plants, and they are not all tropical!
Asparagaceae
Learn about the Asparagaceae family, and the Agavoideae subfamily like this lovely Yucca!
The Art of Ethical Wildcrafting
What is ethical wildcrafting? How do you go about harvesting from the wild in an ethical manner that does the least amount of damage and preserves the most for future generations or plants and people? Check out this blog to learn more!
Complete with specific tips on how to harvest and dry flowers, herbs, leaves, roots, berries, lichens, mushrooms, bark, and more!
