The Best Tree Species to Support Bees and Other Pollinators in Chicagoland
This week, we are going to take a break from talking about pests that can cause damage to your trees and talk about an insect that benefits our ecosystems and your trees: honey bees. More specifically, we are going to talk about the importance of planting trees in your yard that support bees and other pollinators and the types of trees that attract and benefit pollinators. Some people see bees as pests because of their ability to sting and wonder why plant trees that are going to attract more of them? Bees and other pollinators such as...
read moreTent Caterpillars: Identification and Control
The beginning of the summer is a great time in the Chicago area. The warm weather is back, and the trees are in full bloom for the growing season. However, the return of warm weather and freshly grown foliage also means that those annoying pests that can damage your plants are back. With the return of the growing season and the pests that come with it, we have returned with our series on tree diseases and insect pests of the Chicago area to take a closer look at a pest that defoliates trees, tent caterpillars. Tent caterpillars (Mamacosoma...
read moreTree Blight: Identification, Symptoms, and Control
We have returned this week with our series on the common tree diseases and insect pests in Illinois to investigate a set of tree diseases that can attack the leaves, branches, and fruit of many different types of trees: tree blight. Tree blight refers to several similar contagious tree diseases that can attack hundreds of different trees that are native to Illinois from fruit trees to pines. These diseases can be caused by bacteria or fungi and they generally cause discoloration and wilting of leaves and fruit. Extreme cases of tree...
read moreMagnolia Trees of the Chicago, IL Area
We have returned again this month with a new installment of our serious of the native trees of the Chicago area with a closer look at magnolia trees. Magnolia trees (Magnolia sp.) are flowering trees and plants that are believed to have appeared for the first time as far back as 95 million years ago. There are just over 200 species of magnolia plants classified within the Magnolia genus, most of which can be found throughout southeast Asia in countries including China, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Various species of magnolia are also...
read moreEastern Redbud Trees in the Chicago Area
Our series on the native trees of the Chicago area is back this month with a closer look at the eastern redbud tree. Eastern redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) are small trees mostly found in the eastern half of the United States from southern Michigan and northern Illinois down to Florida and from Virginia and North Carolina west to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. These trees are mostly planted for ornamental purposes as their smaller size and showy purplish-pink flowers make them easy to work into a landscape design. The eastern redbud tree,...
read moreVerticillium Wilt: Identification, Symptoms, and Control
We are back with our series on the common tree diseases and insect pests in Illinois with a closer look at a dangerous fungal disease, verticillium wilt. Verticillium wilt is known to affect more than 350 species of flowering plants including shrubs, trees, fruits, and vegetables. This disease affects the xylem, or tissue responsible for the movement of water within the tree, which makes it difficult for water to get to the branches. As a result, branches, leaves, and flowers, fruit, and vegetables will begin to wilt and die. In many...
read moreTips to Effectively Water Your Trees
Just about every living thing on Earth from animals to plants needs water to survive. When it comes to plants, the water they receive typically comes from rain and humidity. However, mother nature does not always provide enough water for plants and trees as droughts can leave areas dry for weeks or even months. If your area does not receive enough rain, especially during the hot months of the summer, you will need to water your plants and trees to keep them in good health. People always remember to water houseplants, flowers, and vegetable...
read moreJapanese Beetles: Identification, Control, and Prevention
Today we continue with our series on the common tree diseases and insect pests in the Chicago area to discuss an invasive pest, the Japanese beetle. Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) are native to Japan but considered an invasive species in the U.S. as they are known to feed on the leaves of more than 300 species of plants including bushes and trees. Adult Japanese beetles skeletonize leaves, destroying the foliage of affected plants and leaving them in a weakened state. The Japanese beetle grubs are also a problem as they feed on grass...
read moreHow to Make my Chicagoland Backyard a Staycation Oasis
This summer in the Chicago area is going to be different than previous summers. Sure, Illinois is in Phase 4 of the re-opening plan, but the threat of COVID-19 is not gone. This will likely motivate people to continue to stay at home and ride out the pandemic safely. As you spend more time at home this summer, you can transform your yard into an oasis that makes your time at home more enjoyable. A great place to start is in your own backyard. Your backyard is your slice of the outdoors that you can landscape and decorate anyway you want. ...
read moreGypsy Moth: Identification and Prevention
We return this week with our series on the common tree diseases and insect pests in the Chicago area with a closer look at a pest responsible for widespread defoliation, the gypsy moth. The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar dispar), also known as the European gypsy moth, is an invasive species from Europe. It is known to devour the foliage of hundreds of species of trees and shrubs and can destroy millions of acres of trees in a single season. Trees attacked by the gypsy moths are not usually killed unless they are already weakened, but...
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