Shrub

All Shrub Content

A medium orange and black butterfly resting with its wings open on small green leaves in a grassy area.

Generalist Host Plants in South Dakota

Many butterflies and moths are generalists, meaning that their larva can use a variety of host plants as food. Learn about some of the best host plants you can grow in your yard to support butterflies, moths, and everything that relies on them!

tall trees in the Black Hills

Trees & Shrubs

The United States is the world’s leading producer and consumer of forest products and accounts for about one-fourth of the world’s production and consumption.

a shrub-like plant green leaves and dark purple, grape-like fruit

Fruit Variety Recommendations for South Dakota

Fruit variety recommendations for home fruit growers in South Dakota

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.

Tulips blooming near the entrance to McCrory Gardens.

McCrory Gardens Trial Report 2022

Trial report for McCrory Gardens

Three woody plants. From left: Ponderosa pine tree, chokecherry bush and greasewood.

Poisonous Plants on Rangelands: Woody Species

Several woody plant species that are poisonous to livestock are found throughout South Dakota rangelands, including ponderosa pine, chokecherry, greasewood and broom snakeweed.

Green and brown grasshopper with two yellow lines that originate on the head and meet on the abdomen.

Grasshoppers in Gardens

Due to large populations and dry conditions, grasshoppers are moving into gardens and feeding on whatever they can find. In a normal year, grasshoppers can be a nuisance in a garden, but during an outbreak year, they can present a real threat to gardens, shrubs and small trees.

Color-coded map illustrating South Dakota’s plant hardiness zones. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone website: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

Plant Hardiness Zones

Spring is the season for planting new garden and yard landscapes. When selecting perennial varieties that will survive winters in South Dakota, use the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones to identify the best candidates for your landscape.

grove of trees with noticable yellowing and browning on leaves

Trees & Drought Stress

Trees require a lot of water to meet their functional needs and long-term shortages can influence their growth and survival.

Maple leaf branch with green to yellow leaves

Why Are The Tree Leaves Turning Yellow?

Chlorosis, a condition where the leaf veins remain green but the surrounding foliage turns pale green or yellow, is a common occurrence on certain tree species in South Dakota.