While I was outside taking pictures of the Red Buckeye, my wife asked if I wanted to see another “gotta’ have it… Beautiful Buckeye”.   Intrigued because I thought I knew every plant in the Drapescape, I said “Sure, show me”.  I was literally stunned when she showed me an incredibly gorgeous, jaw dropping Paeonia officinalis x P. lactiflora ‘Buckeye Belle’ (BB) that she had snuck in amongst her other peonies.  It was truly the “Belle of Buckeyes”… alright, alright, it is not a woody ornamental tree, which is why I claimed that I...

Infectious plant disease may be diagnosed by looking for both “signs” and “symptoms.” A sign is some part of the plant pathogen revealed such as thread-like mycelia. A symptom is the visible consequence of a disease.

European Elm Scale (Eriococcus spurius (formerly Gossyparia spuria)) females are dripping sugary, sticky honeydew in southwest Ohio. This is one of the "felt scales" (Family Eriococcidae) so named because of the white felt-like material encircling the female's flattened body. The white-edge / dark-center effect makes the female's bodies look like tiny eyes.

Last week, Tom deHaas and Ann Channon wrote a great BYGL article titled “Not all Buckeyes are Created Equal. Which is Which??” https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1970.  The writing intent was to help identify the different species of Aesculus; naturally, these trees are all lumped together under the common identifier of “Buckeyes”- because after all, who doesn’t love Ohio or the Ohio State Buckeyes or Brutus Buckeye?  One true “buckeye” that is in my landscape and I absolutely love is Aesculus pavia or Red Buckeye (RB) or as it...

I recently visited a commercial landscape in southwest Ohio that had 5” – 8” DBH oaks (Quercus spp.) with leaves covered in clear, sticky honeydew. A close examination of one of the sticky oaks revealed a moderate infestation of Oak Lecanium Scale (Parthenolecanium quercifex, family Coccidae (Soft Scale Insects)).

They’re here! Spotted Lanternfly nymphs have emerged from an infestation that was discovered last year in Cleveland, Ohio.

If you are not sure what Buckeye or Horsechestnut you have growing in your yard, now is the time to tell. And it makes a difference whether they will retain their leaves or not! Flowers make it easier.

Over the past few days, I’ve received several e-mails about the backsides of pants being stained with red dots after people have sat on concrete park benches or other concrete surfaces. A few messages referenced benches made of wood or recycled plastic.

Fourlined Plant Bugs are one of the sneakiest, quickest hitting spring pests found in Ohio. Hordes of hungry nymphs and adults descend seemingly out of nowhere to cause extensive leaf damage, then they just fade away leaving behind their foliar wreckage.

The holey handiwork of the Oak Shothole Leafminer (Japanagromyza viridula, syn. Agromyza viridula) is appearing on its namesake hosts in southern Ohio. Similar damage may be seen on Chinese chestnuts (Castanea mollissima). The leafminer is a small fly belonging to the family Agromyzidae; the leafminer flies.