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Native Plants Blogs

This purple coneflower is infected with aster yellows, which produces odd and deformed flowers that can actually be interestingly attractive at times.

Aster yellows in central Illinois

The Garden Scoop
It is always interesting to observe plant diseases, unravel the mystery of how a particular plant became infected, and look toward solutions.  So many of these ailments have an incredibly fascinating path to infection, often including multiple species when you consider the pathogen, host and...
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A group of pinecones hanging from a branch

A look at Illinois’ native conifers

The Garden Scoop
I have always marveled at pinecones and the seeds of other conifers. Whether I was picking them up for a “collection” as a kid or watching them dangle in the treetops more recently, these exotic-looking, seed-housing structures are often a point of interest for native Illinoisians like me. ...
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Garden Scoop logo with Meserve hybrid hollies (Ilex x meserveae).

Holly for the holidays

The Garden Scoop
Evergreen holly species have long been a symbol of Christmas and other winter holidays and traditions. The dark green, prickly foliage, combined with contrasting bright red berries, can really be a showstopper in the winter landscape, providing both ornamental beauty and food for wildlife as...
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Green PawPaw fruit on tree

Pawpaw fruit ripening

The Garden Scoop
North America’s largest native tree fruit is ripening in forest understories and home landscapes across central Illinois this week. Pawpaws (Asimina triloba) are an often-unknown fruit tree to many folks, but they offer a delicious, exotic taste that seems more like a tropical fruit...
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Blooming yucca with tall flower stalks and shorter foliage.

Yucca's Exotic Appeal

In the last few weeks, a peculiar plant has begun to draw attention as it reaches full bloom across central Illinois. While its towering flower stalks are certainly the main draw, closer inspection reveals unique and foreign-looking growth habit that seems like something right out of the desert....
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Honeybees are covering this honeycomb which was pulled from a managed hive for inspection.

Honeybees aren't as sweet as they may seem

When most people think about pollinators, they envision the honeybee (Apis mellifera) buzzing from flower to flower collecting nectar and pollen.  These non-native bees have become somewhat of a poster child for pollinators but the story of their interaction in the world of insects is...
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