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Photosynthesis definition

How plants eat: A history lesson on photosynthesis

Fertilizer does not actually “feed” your plants. Let’s be clear, plants get their food from sunlight. I know we may have heard about photosynthesis and not paid much mind to this process. I was the same way. I remember sitting in high school biology learning about animal cells and plant cells and...
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black beetle on cut surface of wood with holes in it

Invasive Asian longhorned beetle threatens forests

The Asian longhorned beetle is a non-native pest that threatens a number of hardwood trees in North America. The larva damage living trees as they tunnel through. History of Asian Longhorned Beetle The Asian longhorned beetle was first identified in New York City...
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low burning fire goes through forested area

A legacy of stewardship at Allerton Park

In 1946 Robert Allerton transferred the ownership of a large parcel of his estate near Monticello to the University of Illinois. The Allerton legacy gift is now used as a public park, a conference and retreat center, and a 4-H youth camp.  Now, 75 years later, nearly all of its...
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oak tree affected by Phytophthora ramorum pathogen

Pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death found in Illinois

In 2019, the pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death, a plant disease that has killed large tracts of oaks and affected many native plant species in California, Oregon, and Europe, was found in Illinois.  Phytophthora ramorum, the causal agent of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) was...
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palmer amaranth

Invasive Palmer amaranth threatens Illinois crops

Palmer amaranth is an invasive weed species we have been hearing a lot about in agriculture over the last 10 years, and it continues to be a threat after its first documented appearance in Illinois in 2012. Native to southwestern US states, palmer amaranth has made its way to 39 of the states....
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removal of infected boxwoods

Boxwood Blight look-alikes

With the recent detections of boxwood blight, which is a regulated plant disease, in Illinois, the importance of scouting landscapes and new plants for the disease is greater than ever. Boxwood blight can be a challenging disease to identify outside a plant diagnostic laboratory. Many of the...
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winged euonymus fall color leaves

Three common landscape shrubs you didn’t know were invasive

When we look at the current lists of plants that are deemed legally invasive by state and federal governments, we see species that were quite popular in the landscape in generations past. As we battle the current invasive species in our natural areas, there is a new generation of non-native shrubs...
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Buffalo gnats and how to avoid being bitten. buffalo gnat on ground.

Buffalo gnats and how to avoid being bitten

They’re baaaack. If you’ve spent much time outdoors recently, there’s a chance you’ve had an encounter with buffalo gnats. What do they look like, and what do they do? Buffalo gnats (Simuliidae), also known as black flies, are small, 1/16- to 1/8-inch-long, ...
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