The imperial fritillary or crown imperial (Fritillary imperialis) is blooming in gardens in northwest Ohio now. The plant comes in various shades of yellows, oranges and reds. The pendulous flowers are about 2" long and are found clustered at the terminal end of stout and leafless stem that towers above the leaves below. Above the flowers are a sheaf of smaller leaves that form a tuft of green as shown in the photo below.

From my perspective, one of the most rewarding things about plant problem diagnostics is not just about achieving a successful diagnosis; it's what we learn from the instructive twists and turns along the way. Arthur Ashe captured it nicely, "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome."

The multi-state bulletin, Insecticide Options for Protecting Ash Trees from Emerald Ash Borer, has recently been updated and the Third Edition is available on the emeraldashborer.info website as a PDF. 

Has anyone every asked you, "what's your GDD?" While many of you may have responded "yes," or may have even thought, "I ask others all the time"; I know there are some that probably yelled out their current GDD when simply reading the title of this alert. If you are still wondering what the heck is GDD - keep on reading, you won't be disappointed and will hopefully click on the link below to find out your GDD to date. 

  

GDD stands for growing degree days. GDD are a measurement of the growth and development of plants and insects during the...

Boxwoods with yellow to brown leaves are common this spring in a number of locations in Ohio. Some of the leaf browning is due to winter injury; some was caused by salt damage. However, a close examination may also reveal the telltale blister-like leaf symptoms caused by the boxwood leafminer.

Ohio State University Extension's Home Yard and Garden FactSheet HYG-1032 has been update and is available online. The OSU FactSheet includes tips for selecting an arborist and resources available to help find an arborist.  

I spotted one of my favorite insect predators darting about on a forest trail yesterday: six-spotted tiger beetles. Their common name is well justified as these tiny "tigers" hunt, kill, and eat other insects. They are equipped with huge eyes for excellent eyesight, long legs for agile speed, and huge mandibles for grabbing prey.

Spring has sprung and one of the first flowering trees and shrubs in Northeastern Ohio are Magnolias.

Overwintered eastern tent caterpillar (ETC) (Malacosoma americanum) moth eggs are hatching in southwest Ohio; a sure sign that spring has sprung. As their common name implies, the caterpillars are accomplished tent-makers displaying their silk handiwork in branch forks.

Dalton Westerbeck with Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum e-mailed me Wednesday to report that soil "mining bees" are waking from their winter naps. Dalton is an ISA Certified Arborist and an Ohio State Beekeepers Association, Master Beekeeper. He is locating and marking all of the mining bee "colonies" in the Grove so he can document their population densities and seasonal development.