Ticks and bush honeysuckle

Editor’s note:  Looking for more motivation to get rid of bush honeysuckle?  Or perhaps you’d like to tell your neighbors about the importance of removing invasive species?  Judy Ward shared this article about a study done at Washington University. WUSTL scientists says suburban influx of deer, invasive plants are affecting…

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Frost flowers

Kathy Bildner shared these photos of frost flowers on White Crownbeard (Verbesina virginica) in her backyard. Click an image for a larger version.

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Early prairies of St. Louis

Editor’s note: You may not wish to read all of this, but just read the part about the area in which you live.  Click map images for a larger version, or email me at brighoff@charter.net for copies of the map you can scale. At Laclede’s Landing, the foot of Market Street, the…

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Grandfather knows best

by Erin Scottberg A grandpa’s sage advice may be the biggest breakthrough in bug repellent since DEET. Scientists with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have isolated two insect‑repelling compounds from leaves of the American beautyberry plant (Callicarpa americana), a shrub native to much of the southeastern United States.

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A few interesting websites

The meaning of Latin plant names: http://theseedsite.co.uk/latin.html Flora of the upper Mississippi: http://www.arrasimages.com/a‑z.html Native Plant List for Illinois, Iowa & Missouri: http://www.plantnative.org/rpl‑iailmo.htm How to Naturescape: http://www.plantnative.org/how_intro.htm

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Thank you to Forest Park volunteers

We received this thank you from Forest Park Forever for our help with the honeysuckle removal project.  With six members and three potential members, St. Louis Wild Ones were well-represented!  See more photos on our Shutterfly site.

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Fall gardening tips

Shaw Nature Reserve offers these autumn gardening tips. Remove autumn leaves from tree, shrub, and flower beds. November 15 to March 15 is the best time to prune most trees and shrubs. Remove conflicting and crowded branches, dead limbs, double-leaders and unsightly branches. Drain gasoline from power equipment or use…

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Nov. 5th – Wild Ones honeysuckle removal at Forest Park

Join St. Louis Wild Ones at the 13th annual honeysuckle removal project in Forest Park, Saturday, November 5th from 9AM to noon. Forest Park Forever sponsors this project, typically with over 100 volunteers. They’ve made tremendous strides in removing large blocks of honeysuckle throughout Forest Park. In fact, there aren’t many remaining areas…

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Weeds

By Bill Brighoff Last spring, a lawn care salesman came to my door and told me I had weeds in my yard, particularly white clover. I told him that I had planted the white clover in my yard, and how could it be a weed if I had purchased the seeds at a feed…

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Glades, Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands

From the Missouri Prairie Journal, Spring 2011, Volume 12, Number 1 (copied with permission) The amount of canopy cover and degree of soil development are key to determining the plant composition of each of these distinct natural communities. Glades, prairies, savannas, and woodlands are distinct natural communities, but share a great deal of the same ground flora. Differences…

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