Garden & Yard Issues

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A sample of green leaves with noticable bumps at their bases.

Cottonwood Galls

Just about every year I receive samples of fallen cottonwood leaves with a “bump” at the base and the first one for this year was from Winner. This is the cottonwood petiole gall formed by the feed activity of a very small green aphid.

A tree with leaves containing small specks expanding to larger blotches.

Leaf Blotches On Trees

I am receiving pictures and samples of basswood and linden leaves. This is a common occurrence at this time of year, and there are several possible reasons for the discoloration and premature falling of these leaves.

A medium-sized shrub with many upright stems next to a white shed

Woody Weeds: Tatarian Honeysuckle

Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) was brought to North America from Asia in the mid-18th century for ornamental uses. In South Dakota it was also used as a windbreak species until the 1980s.