Month

February 2017
Common burdock is a mean one, folks! It loves to shove other plants out of its way and take over. At this very moment, the seed-laden cockleburs of this plant are lying in wait to catch a tangled ride on your dog’s fur. This wily weed is a stubborn, invasive biennial that spreads rapidly. It...
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Seen here sipping nectar from wild bergamot, the great spangled fritillary butterfly is a welcome visitor to our gardens. Great spangled fritillary caterpillars hatch in the fall and immediately go dormant without eating. When they awaken hungry in the spring, these offspring search for violets to eat. Without violets, the great spangled fritillary caterpillar will...
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After World War II, suburbs sprang up across America. These new landscapes often included Chinese and European ornamental flowers, trees, and shrubs that were (and still are) available at local garden centers. Unfortunately, because these plants came from afar, they contributed very little to local foodwebs. The backbone of all foodwebs is native plants. Think...
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