What is less lovely than a summer blossom? The sight of a Japanese beetle on that blossom, shiny as an oil slick. “We’re hearing quite a few reports about the beetles this year,” according to Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. The iridescent bugs feed on […]
Landmarks: Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, a habitat virtually untouched since the ice age, gets an $8 million Army Corps boost.
A big old tree speaks of history. Somehow, as cities rise, roads are paved and widened, buildings are torn down and replaced, as the very atmosphere of the earth is changing, a few majestic green giants survive. Kris Bachtell loves big old trees and he knows many of them. As vice president for collections and horticulture […]
When summer heat waves hit, most people can seek out air conditioning. Plants can’t. “They’re rooted in place, so they have to deal with whatever comes along,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. “Stretches of severe heat can be hard on them.” How well a plant handles hot weather depends largely on the climate in the place it originally came from. Many of the annual flowers we use in gardens and containers, such as petunias, zinnias and begonias, as well as vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, come from […]
It looks like an animal is eating my perennial plants this spring, and some plants seem to be completely gone. What could this be and how can I protect my plants? — Beth Jackson, Evanston I understand the desire to protect your plants, but as with any pest problem in the garden, it is important […]
We planted a river birch tree in our backyard three years ago and I noticed that the leaves have a strange looking yellow cast to them. When we looked more closely, there were some leaves turning brown too. What can we do to help our tree? — Burt Davison, North Chicago From your description, it’s […]
If you have a peach tree, this may not be your year for peach ice cream. After an especially wet spring, many trees are afflicted with peach leaf curl, a fungal disease. “It’s mostly a leaf disease, but it can also affect fruit production,” said Spencer Campbell, Plant Clinic manager at The Morton Arboretum near […]
When your camping trip comes to an end and you have some firewood left over, you may be tempted to bring it home to use in the fireplace or a backyard fire pit. “Please don’t,” said Spencer Campbell, manager of the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. “Leave the firewood where you got it, so that you don’t give destructive tree pests a ride into your neighborhood.” Firewood carried from one location to another is a major way that new insects and diseases are spread. Insect eggs and larvae or disease-causing fungus spores and bacteria can lurk in […]
You can’t dance to it, and there is no melody nor any lyrics. But the sounds of cicadas are music — music that buzzes, whines, thrums and fizzes.
The leaves of a few of my arrowwood viburnums look like they have been shredded. Some of the remaining small pieces of leaves have turned completely brown. This has not happened in previous years. What is this problem and what should I do? — Jennifer Baker, Morton Grove Unfortunately, your description sounds like your viburnums […]