Apidae: Long-Horned Bees (Melissodes and Eucera) categories: Apidae Bees Pollinators revision date: 2023-03-24 12:00 Long-horned bee (Melissodes)Photo by: J. Abel Biology Long-horned bees are common with more than 120 species in North America. Males have much longer antennae than females. Robust and hairy, they are moderate-sized bees (0.3-0.8 inches long) with conspicuously hairy rear legs. […]
Weeds: Annual bluegrass – Poa annua categories: Weeds revision date: 2022-12-14 12:00 Annual bluegrassPhoto by: T. Miller Family: Poaceae (Graminae) Cycle: Annual/Perennial Plant type: Grass Biology Annual bluegrass leaves are folded in the bud and have a distinct midvein. The leaves are about 1⁄8 inch wide and cupped at the tip like the prow of […]
Weeds: Barnyardgrass – Echinochloa crus-galli categories: Weeds revision date: 2022-12-14 12:00 BarnyardgrassPhoto by: J.A. Kropf Family: Poaceae (Graminae) Cycle: Summer annual Plant type: Grass Biology Barnyardgrass grows in clumps up to five feet tall. Leaf blades are smooth, flat, and broad (about 1⁄2 inch or more) with a pointed tip. The leaf sheaths are smooth […]
Weeds: Bentgrass, creeping – Agrostis stolonifera categories: Weeds revision date: 2022-12-15 12:00 Creeping bentgrassPhoto by: B.M. Johnson Family: Poaceae (Graminae) Cycle: Perennial Plant type: Grass Biology Creeping bentgrass is a low-growing, perennial grass. Unmowed plants can reach 8 to 20 inches in height. The leafy stolons lie along the ground, rooting in the soil. In […]
Bees: Final Thoughts on Bees as Pollinators categories: Bees Final Thoughts on Bees Pollinators revision date: 2023-03-07 12:00 Biology Bees are the prime pollinators, designed to pollinate. Consequently, they are of prime importance to effective pollination on the landscape. Most of the bees seen in your garden will be solitary native bees, but they are […]
Weeds: Bermudagrass – Cynodon dactylon categories: Weeds revision date: 2022-12-15 12:00 Bermudagrass bladesPhoto by: D.G. Swan Family: Poaceae (Graminae) Cycle: Perennial Plant type: Grass Biology Bermudagrass is a warm-season perennial grass that typically is prostrate and spreads to form dense patches. Spread occurs by both rhizomes and aboveground stems which root at the nodes. The […]
Cantaloupe, Melons: Brown marmorated stink bug categories: Cantaloupe, Melons Cantaloupe, Melons Insects Vegetables revision date: 2023-04-04 12:00 Brown marmorated stink bug adultPhoto by: M. Bush Biology The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an introduced pest species from Asia that is spreading quickly across the United States. Nymphs and adults feed on a wide variety […]
Cantaloupe, Melons: Spider mites categories: Cantaloupe, Melons Cantaloupe, Melons Insects Vegetables revision date: 2023-04-04 12:00 Spider mites under microscopePhoto by: L.K. Tanigoshi Biology Spider mites are tiny, eight-legged mites which may range in color from yellowish to green or red. They typically feed on the underside of leaves, causing a yellowish to bronze stippling or […]
Cantaloupe, Melons: Squash bug categories: Cantaloupe, Melons Cantaloupe, Melons Insects Vegetables revision date: 2023-04-04 12:00 Squash bug adult and nymphsPhoto by: Unknown Biology The squash bug attacks squash, pumpkin, melons, and related crops. Adults are typically dark brown, but may have gray or light brown markings. They are about 3/4″ long at maturity. Brown to […]
Weeds: Birdfoot Trefoil – Lotus corniculatus categories: Weeds revision date: 2022-12-15 12:00 Birdfoot Trefoil flowersPhoto by: Albert Herring CC 2.0 Family: Fabaceae Cycle: Perennial Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Lotus corniculatus can be identified by its unique shaped leaves that alternate on the main stem, are trifoliate (3 terminal leaflets at the apex), and have two […]
Vertebrate: Deer damage categories: Vertebrates revision date: 2022-12-28 12:00 Deer damage on ViburnumPhoto by: P. Rainsberger Biology Deer selectively eat certain types of plants in a landscape, including roses, raspberries, strawberries, fruit trees, and lilies. Damage is usually to new shoots and tender leaves. Often, only leaf petioles (stems) remain after feeding. Characteristic tracks or […]
Rhododendron: Armillaria root rot categories: Ornamentals Rhododendron Rhododendron Diseases Shrubs revision date: 2022-12-05 12:00 White fungal mat of Armillaria root rot infecting trunkPhoto by: C.R. Foss Biology Armillaria root rot is a fungal disease transmitted between plants by root contact. Armillaria is often found in newly cleared soils or soils which have been flooded. Symptoms […]
Rhododendron: Botrytis shoot blight categories: Ornamentals Rhododendron Rhododendron Diseases Shrubs revision date: 2022-12-05 12:00 Botrytis shoot blightPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Botrytis shoot blight is a fungal disease found on shoots in early spring. Symptoms of infection include brown, water-soaked spots on the shoots and masses of gray spores which may be formed on infected […]
Rhododendron: Gray blight categories: Ornamentals Rhododendron Rhododendron Diseases Shrubs revision date: 2022-12-05 12:00 Rhododendron gray blightPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Gray blight is a fungal infection of the leaves. It usually becomes established after an injury to the leaf, such as sunscald, frost damage, or some mechanical injury. White spots or blotches with dark margins […]
Rhododendron: Leaf spot categories: Ornamentals Rhododendron Rhododendron Diseases Shrubs revision date: 2022-12-05 12:00 Rhododendron fungal leaf spotPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Several fungi cause leaf spots on rhododendron. They often infect through wounds. Infected leaves display dark brown spots which may cover up to half of the leaf surface. These spots may feel bumpy on […]
Rhododendron: Lime-induced chlorosis categories: Ornamentals Rhododendron Rhododendron Diseases Shrubs revision date: 2022-12-05 12:00 Lime-induced chlorosis on rhododendronPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Lime-induced chlorosis, or leaf yellowing, is caused by alkaline soil conditions. High alkalinity of soils can make iron or manganese unavailable to plants, causing leaf chlorosis. Pale to bright yellow leaves, particularly on the […]
Rhododendron: Marginal leaf necrosis categories: Ornamentals Rhododendron Rhododendron Diseases Shrubs revision date: 2022-12-05 12:00 Rhododendron marginal leaf necrosisPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Leaf scorch on rhododendrons is a response to stress. Symptoms include browning of tips or margins of leaves, with the damage sometimes spreading to the center of the leaf. Water stress (too much […]
Rhododendron: Physiological leaf spot categories: Ornamentals Rhododendron Rhododendron Diseases Shrubs revision date: 2022-12-05 12:00 Rhododendron physiological leaf spotPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Rhododendron leaves sometimes develop variously-sized and -shaped spots. These are usually dark purple in color. The exact cause is unknown, but cultural or environmental stress may result in physiological leaf spot. One particularly […]
Rhododendron: Phytophthora blight categories: Ornamentals Rhododendron Rhododendron Diseases Shrubs revision date: 2022-12-05 12:00 Rhododendron Phytophthora blightPhoto by: J.W. Pscheidt Biology Phytophthora blight is a fungal disease whose symptoms are often confused with chemical or mechanical injury or leaf scorch. Irregular dead spots on the tips or margins of leaves, shiny black cankers on shoots, and […]
Rhododendron: Phytophthora root rot categories: Ornamentals Rhododendron Rhododendron Diseases Shrubs revision date: 2022-12-05 12:00 Phytophthora root rot on rhododendronPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology The symptoms produced by Phytophthora root rot are often confused with those caused by environmental or cultural problems. Above ground, infected plants may show stunting, yellowish-green leaves, branch dieback, wilt, and even […]