Buckthorn is a nasty plant with a strong name that conjures up images of a 30-point rack, especially this time of year. In fact, you’re likely to see some buckthorn when you hit the woods. If you see a shrub or trees still holding its green leaves, it’s probably buckthorn. The wicked thorns that can [Continue]
I’d be willing to bet that you have one or even many invasive plants on your property. Norway maple: invasive. Lily-of-the-valley: invasive. Orange daylily, burning bush, baby’s breath, European mountain ash, forget-me-not, white mulberry, bishop’s weed, red-twig dogwood, periwinkle, violets, boxelder, honeylocust, bush honeysuckle, creeping bellflower, shasta daisy, amur maple, common privet, Japanese barberry, [Continue]
Winnebago County is being taken over by alien invaders! Invasive alien plants, that is. Take a walk along the Wiouwash Trail. Here you should see native prairies and forests since this land hasn’t been cultivated or disturbed for many years. What do you see instead? Wooded areas have been overgrown by buckthorn, wild grape [Continue]
Some gardeners love moss. Some gardeners hate moss. Some gardeners love moss in some places but hate moss in other places. Moss growing in your lawn is actually a symptom rather than the cause of a poor lawn. Moss grows in shade where soil is compacted and has a low pH. Poor drainage [Continue]
Common buckthorn and glossy buckthorn were introduced to the United States in the 1800s as tough, hardy shrubs for the landscape. That toughness has made buckthorn aggressively invasive to the point where it is crowding out native flowers in woodland areas, forming an impenetrable understory layer, destroying wildlife habitat and causing long-term decline of [Continue]
Good gardeners know that before choosing a plant for a specific location, some research should be done as to what plants grow best in the conditions at the site. You wouldn’t plant shade-loving hosta on the hot, dry south-facing side of the house anymore than you’d plant tulips in the deep shade of an [Continue]
In spring the woodlands are full of beautiful wildflowers – bloodroot, anemone, May apple, trillium and more. Sadly, there are many areas where these beautiful spring ephemerals have been choked out by a rapidly spreading invasive plant called garlic mustard. Garlic mustard is rather pretty itself, with small white flowers and lacy-edged green [Continue]
Dandelions are the enemy of many a lawn perfectionist. This year, think twice before dousing your lawn with weed killer – those dandelions have many health benefits. When the leaves first appear, they are sweet and tender. After the flowers appear, the leaves become more bitter. Dandelion leaves are a healthy addition to [Continue]
Have you seen black and yellow striped beetles crawling around the blossoms of your cucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkins and melons? They are cucumber beetles and along with chewing holes in your plants, they spread disease. The beetles lay small orange eggs at the base of the plants from April to June. The slender [Continue]
Governor Doyle has proclaimed June 2005 as Invasive Species Awareness Month. Why does the governor care about invasive species? Why should we care? Just what is an invasive species? The Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin defines an invasive plant as one that is a non-indigenous species or strain that becomes established in natural [Continue]