Trees

SDSU Extension to host emerald ash borer meetings

June 25, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension will host public meetings about the emerald ash borer in Watertown and Milbank following the insect’s discovery in those communities.

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.

Brookings Master Gardener donating apple trees to local youth

March 26, 2025

A Brookings-area Master Gardener is donating apple trees to local youth for the sixth annual Fruitful Children Project.

Removing Young Trees From Grasslands Will Save Money and Effort

Volunteer trees can hinder the development of desirable wildlife habitat and livestock resources. Early control of volunteer woody species is the simplest and most cost-effective option for maintaining open grassland habitats.

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.

Insecticides for Protecting Pine Trees from Mountain Pine Beetle

There are no effective systemic pesticide treatments that will kill mountain pine beetle larvae inside the tree or adults as they emerge from an infested tree. Pesticide treatments are limited to protecting trees from becoming infested. These treatments are applied to the bark to kill the adult beetles as they land on the trunk and begin to burrow into the tree. This method of protection is highly effective and if the pesticides are applied at right time, losses may be as few as one or two trees for every hundred trees treated. However, only trees that are not infested should be treated. If a tree is already infested, pesticide application will not prevent the beetles from emerging and infested other trees.

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!