Resources for landscapes and gardens in the Midwest
Most people these days have, at the very least, heard of Callery and Bradford pear trees and know something about the invasiveness of this ornamental street tree. But I still get questions about what it is and why it’s so bad. So, I’d like to offer a little history of[Read More…]
Read MoreDon’t give invasives species a ride during the fall camping and foliage season. This beautiful waterfall in Clifty Falls State Park is located only 20 miles from where spotted lanternfly has been found in Indiana. (Photo by M. Ruby)
Read MoreThis year has been a rollercoaster of good (e.g. continued progress on the long term fight against emerald ash borer) and bad (e.g. sudden oak death potentially being introduced into the Midwest) news about invasive species. There’s been a lot to keep track of, but don’t worry if you’ve missed[Read More…]
Read MoreOn July 17th, at the Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis, the Natural Resources Commission passed the preliminary adoption of the Terrestrial Plant Rule (TPR) (https://www.in.gov/nrc/files/lsa18316_proposed.pdf). This rule restricts the sale, distribution, and transport of 44 invasive plants, which were determined invasive based on scientific literature by the Indiana Invasive[Read More…]
Read MoreDespite the sublime name, tree-of-heaven, Ailanthus altissima, is a particularly bad actor when it comes to trees encountered in the Midwest. This native of Asia was introduced to North America more than 150 years ago and has since become a widespread invasive pest. Rapid growth, extremely high seed production (hundreds[Read More…]
Read MoreIt’s that time of year when we remind everyone to watch for spotted lanternfly (SLF) infestations. Spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has since spread throughout the eastern USA. Its preferred host is the invasive Tree-of-Heaven, but it also feeds on a wide[Read More…]
Read MoreThe hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) continues its eastward spread across the US. In 2022, seven new counties were added to the distribution map of this invasive insect. While it is not present in Indiana yet, it is confirmed throughout the eastern USA from northern Georgia to Maine, extending west[Read More…]
Read MoreFor some, the term “shade garden” may be an oxymoron. When imagining a garden, most will think of a sunny area filled with flowering plants. So, it’s not surprising that gardeners would often fill shady areas with a hardy, evergreen ground cover and never look back. However, ornamental shade gardens[Read More…]
Read MoreSign-up to receive email news and alerts from Purdue Landscape Working Group: