Shrub

Vole Damage to Junipers & Small Trees

Vole-damaged junipers can be identified by distinct yellowing and browning shoot tips, as well as unique gnaw marks.

May Showers Bring Spring Flowers

May is the month when our gardens, trees and shrubs really start to take off. It is an exciting time for all of us to see the color green again showing up throughout our yards and gardens.

It's Cold! How Can Our Plants Trees and Shrubs Withstand It?

The Northern Great Plains have experienced colder than normal weather over first few weeks of December. Cold temperatures certainly do affect our plants but there are some important differences.

Spring Flowering Shrubs

Early spring flowering shrubs have a special place in our landscapes as they are the heralds of the warm weather yet to come.

Fall Yard and Garden Cleanup

Before the snow falls, a few tasks can help make for a healthier yard and garden next year.

How to Plant Bare-Root Perennials

Many herbaceous perennial plants are sold as bare-root plants. A bare-root plant is just what it sounds like—a plant with bare roots and not growing in a container. Learn how to select, store, and plant these plants.

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.

Woody Weeds: Common Buckthorn

When considering weed control in tree plantings, the focus is generally placed on the control of herbaceous vegetation (grasses and forbs), particularly during the establishment phase. This focus is appropriate since control of herbaceous weeds is generally critical to establish a successful planting. As these plantings mature, providing perching sites for birds, another weed problem develops – the establishment of competing woody vegetation. These woody weeds are often left unchecked for many years because they look “natural” in a windbreak or other area of trees.

Aronia: Beautiful and Healthy

Aronia melanocarpa, or simply “aronia,” is an attractive shrub that has recently been gaining more attention in the Midwest – its berries are very high in antioxidants thought to be beneficial for human health.