Flower

All Flower Content

A large orange butterfly with white spots feeding on a pale pink flower in a green grassy area.

Planting for Specialist Butterflies

Monarchs are not the only specialist pollinators in South Dakota. Many other butterflies also require a specific plant or family of plants to lay eggs on. Learn about some important host plants to help specialist butterflies in your yard!

Orange and yellow zinnia flowers.

Beneficial Flowers for Organic Vegetable Production Systems

Learn about a wide variety of flowers that can be planted in guard rows among vegetables to attract beneficial insects and reduce pest pressure in organic vegetable gardens.

Tulips blooming near the entrance to McCrory Gardens.

McCrory Gardens Trial Report aids in flower selection

June 20, 2023

The 2022 McCrory Gardens Trial Report, issued this spring by South Dakota State University Extension and McCrory Gardens, helps South Dakotans choose flower varieties that do well in local conditions.

Patch of phlox with white, speckles throughout the leaves due to spider mite feeding.

Spider Mites on Garden Phlox

During warm, dry weather, spider mites are a common pest of phlox, causing speckling, bronzing, and yellowing on leaves due to feeding behavior. Learn how to identify and manage infestations before they impact your garden.

Squash planted in several carefully spaced holes in strip of landscape fabric.

How to Prepare Landscape Fabric for In-row Weed Control for Flower and Vegetable Production

Farmers and gardeners have taken an interest in landscape fabric due to its durability, weed suppression and reusability. Learn some tips for preparing it and installing it for a variety of plants this growing season!

Many small, thin insects on a yellow background with a mechanical pencil tip for scale.

Invasion of the Western Flower Thrips

Recent southerly winds brought large numbers of western flower thrips to the eastern third of South Dakota. Learn how to identify and manage this pest before they become a problem in your yard and garden.

Three perennial trial plants: Sedum 'Rock 'N Grow® Back in Black', Ornamental Oregano (Origanum) ‘Drops of Jupiter’, and Russian Sage (Perovskia) 'Sage Advice.’

A Look Back at Top-Performing Perennials From the 2022 McCrory Gardens Trial

Are you looking for new ideas of what to grow in your garden? Take a look at six of the top-performing perennials as judged during the 2022 growing season at McCrory Gardens.

Four top-performing perennial plants: Phlox ‘Opening Act Pink-a-Dot,’ Ornamental Onion ‘Serendipity,’ False Sunflower ‘Tuscan Sun,’ and Coral bells ‘Dolce® Wildberry.’

2021 McCrory Gardens Trials: A Look Back at Top-Performing Perennials

Are you looking for new ideas of what to grow in your garden? Let’s take a look at the six top-performing perennials as judged during the 2021 growing season at McCrory Gardens!

Four Top-performing annnuals: Sunflower ‘Suncredible® Saturn™, Verbena ‘Superbena® Imperial Blue™’, Sweet Alyssum ‘Violet Knight™’ and Coleus ‘ColorBlaze® El Brighto.'

2021 McCrory Gardens Trials: A Look Back at Top-Performing Garden and Container Annuals

Let’s take a look at the ten top-performing annuals during the 2021 McCrory Gardens Trials! Results feature the top six in-ground annuals and the top four container grown annuals.

Bucket of cut Zinnia and Snapdragon flowers.

Cut Flowers on Campus: 2022 Zinnia and Snapdragon Trial Overview

The Lang Lab at South Dakota State University is currently working to increase research and support for South Dakota's cut flower farmers. Learn about their recent trial that examined popular cultivars of zinnias and snapdragons.