The peak of fall color in Missouri is usually mid‑October. This is when maples, ashes, oaks and hickories are at the height of their fall display. Normally by late October, the colors have faded and the leaves are beginning to drop from the trees. This progression of color change starts…
I want to share a cautionary tale from my mother, who is a native plant gardener and Wild Ones member in Kentucky. Earlier this week, she cut some tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). Shortly afterwards, her eyes began to burn, and her vision gradually got blurry. By the time she went…
Editor Note: Now, while we are adding to or otherwise improving our garden, here are some ideas on how to improve it for the fauna. From the Southern Wisconsin Butterfly Association (edited) Butterfly gardening adds beauty to your yard and provides habitat for butterflies. Much critical butterfly habitat has been…
From The Xerces Society In such a short fact sheet it is not possible to give detailed lists of suitable plants for all areas of the Upper Midwest. Below are two lists of good bee plants, the first of native plants and the second of garden plants. Both are short lists;…
From The Xerces Society There are 4,000 species of native bees in North America. Together they form the most important group of pollinators. Like all wildlife they are affected by changes in our landscapes, especially the loss of nesting sites. Bees make nests in which they create and provision brood cells…
plants at Forest Park Kennedy Woods
By Betty Struckhoff Sarah Stein’s wonderful book, Noah’s Garden, is a must-read for anyone interested in native landscaping. One of her suggestions for suburban yards is to create hedgerows of native plants near the back property lines. Once neighbors pick up the idea, a connected series of these yards can…
Greg Hass has about 4,000,000 trees to sell. Greg, of course, is the Supervisor of the George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking, Missouri. He is presently trying to retire. The difficulty is finding someone who can replace him. Interested in the job? You would only have to know…
How many birds can you name (common names are fine)? 20? 50? 100? All 350 described in the Birds of Missouri? What about butterflies? There are 324 species of butterflies in Butterflies and Moths of Missouri, but of course that only scratches the surface of butterfly species and only names…
