>>2729753When I was younger I was really into plants. State champion FFA on nursery landscape, state champion on Plant ID FFA, state champion on timber stand improvement etc. Went to undergrad and didn't pursue something related to plants (a decision I regret every day). But I have a good job now- it's just not what I love.
Anyways, I moved back home about 10 years ago, blessed with property and woods.. it's a very rural place so I got back into plants. Stopped getting cable and all that, not many other people living around so I just spend all my time in the woods.
Spending that time just out there seeing the plants every day season after season year after year made me understand them in a way no book or key ever did. If you dont have a fascination with them they will never stick. Almost a form of autism. Like you see people's face in a crowd and you'd never recognize them but if you have some interest in them it might stick and be familiar. Opposite/alternate is always useful but when it really comes to ID'ing young or out of season plants there is no replacement for just "knowing" them. Each one has certain qualities aside from obvious characteristics... they like to grow in certain places, slight variations in color, do different things at different times of year etc. and I never made a list to ID these plants it's like recognizing a person's face. Every day for like a decade if I'd go in the woods and come across something I didn't know I'd take pics and go home and figure it out and after about the five year point I sort of got to where I can get 90% at first blush, and can put the other 10% in the right family for the most part. Every now and then I get stumped though and this area is sort of hard mode I mean there are a ton of species here.
But tbqh I miss the days of going in the woods and every day it was one I didn't know.. like sort of an adventure to figure them all out. Makes me a bit sad now that it's no longer that way. Sorry for TLDR
