What are nurse trees?  Nurse trees are fallen trees and branches that support wildlife through their own degradation and breakdown. If left as is in the forest, nurse logs or trees continually support a large variety of wildlife for many years and eventually recycle all their nut

Time to take an in-depth look at tall sedum. Many homeowners and professionals alike call it Autumn Joy Sedum after the popular variety. While this variety does tend to stand out, there are many more varieties of Sedum spectabile (Tall Sedum).  While it is now classified at Hylot

The Eastern Kingbird is a mighty songbird in the presence of American prairies. This migrating songbird can be seen in open fields, along streambanks, and on the edges of wooded areas, perched on fence posts and power lines. They are waiting for insects to pass by for their meals. The

This year brought a new look at some insects I had seen little of in the past, and some outbreaks of major pests. I love insects almost as much as I love plants and I love photographing them-though it can be difficult with just smartphone! I will not show the over 1000 photos of insec

Wasps are one of the most under-appreciated insects in the garden. There is likely to be more species of wasps in the home landscape than that of beetles or other insects. What most people see are the paper wasps, which make large colonies in papery nests under eaves, in shrubs, or ha

That first sweet bite of peach in the hot July sun, off of your own tree in your own yard, makes you wonder about the truly good things in life. For my family and I it was about a move 3 years ago to where we are now, bringing a plethora of landscape plants and trees with us. The peac

It is that time of year again when we start seeing all the insects popping up in the gardens. From bees to butterflies, caterpillars to beetles, I see a wide range of insects as I check landscapes and plants during the summer maintenance season. Many insects I prefer to leave alone, k

The common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is a commonly mistreated tree. When I was in younger I disliked this tree greatly,, partly due to its readiness to produce hundreds of seedlings in our garden. While at Kansas State University, a hackberry tree seemingly fell down on its own

This morning, Doug Grimm brought in the wings of a large moth that he found in the arboretum on one of his walks. With the eyes spots and lines it was not difficult to identify as a Polyphemus moth. After seeing that, my mind began to seek out and find insects hiding in plain sight th

I know that many people are grossed out by little creepy insects and spiders, but they are essential for maintaining our environment. There are insects that eat the rotting wood and roots of dead and dying trees; insects that eat other insects; and insects that pollinate our fruits an

There are several common diseases that attack Pine trees in the Mid-West.  Perhaps the most well-known is Pine Wilt; however there are a few others that are more common but less severe.  In this article, we will cover the basic signs and symptoms of these problems and give some ideas

Each year I become more and more aware of the need to plant host plants for our native butterflies, moths, and pollinators. As a maintenance supervisor, I am one of the lucky few in our area that get to see landscapes transform through the year, as well as being able to evaluate lands

Almost every day in our amazing world, I come across an insect I have not seen before. Usually, this is followed by excitement and the snapping of multiple photos with my camera. When I first started into horticulture, years ago, I had no idea the impact insects would have on my work

Check Your Shrubs and Trees for Bagworms! We have had many customers begin to see bagworms.  Bagworms are usually found on evergreen trees but will feed on just about anything (We noticed some on a sycamore tree).  If you look closely, you may see the small bags on your trees.  They m