Liriodendron tulipifera is showing off its tulip-like flame-based flowers in southwest Ohio. This has long been one of my favorite trees even though I'm never quite sure what to call it or exactly how to spell it. I'm not alone.

Finding large numbers of green leaves littering the ground beneath maple trees wouldn't be a surprise given the recent high winds and heavy rains over much of Ohio. However, you should take a second look at this time of the year for short petioles on the shed leaves and broken petioles remaining attached to the tree. Both are tell-tale symptoms of the maple petiole borer.

The rise of "mud chimneys" produced by burrowing crayfish has long been one of my favorite harbingers of spring. These unusual mud structures are often described as looking like chimneys because of their cylindrical shape and large, round hole in the center. No other animal produces such unique mud structures in Ohio.

Buckeye and horsechestnut tree canopies tend to be remarkably free of insect pest damage except for the depredations of some general defoliators. However, if you're cruising Ohio woodlands this spring, you may run across three types of leaf damage. None of the damage appears to cause serious harm to overall tree health, but the symptoms can be obvious.

Rhododendrons and Azaleas are blooming in Northeast Ohio. They come in almost all the colors of the rainbow! Enjoy the art show!

The dichotomous nature of Cressleaf Groundsel (a.k.a. Butterweed) tests the tolerance of lovers of native wildflowers. On one hand, a sea of golden-yellow flowers carpeting farm fields in Ohio provides welcome relief from highway monotony. On the other hand, upright 2 – 3' tall plants dominating Ohio landscapes presents a weed management challenge.

I came across one of the most striking beetles today that you'll ever find in Ohio. The fittingly named Fiery Searcher Caterpillar Hunter (Calosoma scrutator) are best described as beauty with a bite.

European paper wasps have presented a conundrum over the past several years in Ohio. The literature notes these wasps were first found in North America in the 1970s near Boston, MA. They are now found throughout much of the U.S. and parts of Canada. However, after becoming the dominant paper wasp in Ohio, they've all but disappeared in recent years.

Carolina silverbell in bloom is a sight to behold. Its delicate white bell-shaped flowers hang down from 1/2 to 1 inch stalks in 2 to 5 flower clusters.

My introduction to the wonderful world of plant galls began with observing vibrant red, wart-like galls, known as "bladdergalls," adorning the upper leaf surfaces of a silver maple tree. The galls consist entirely of plant tissue and are produced under the plant gene-manipulating direction of the Maple Bladdergall Mite (family Eriophyidae). I'm probably not alone with this being the first gall ever encountered.