Honeysuckle leaf blight is a common, sometimes heavier than other times, non-killing fungal disease of crabapples. Many are noticing it this season.

I'm interested in observations about cicada killer wasps this season [see "No Killers in Sight as Dog-Day Cicadas Sing," July 6, 2018]. So, when Jeff Webeler (White Oak Gardens, Cincinnati) e-mailed this past Friday about a large numbers of wasps digging in sand backfill behind a retaining wall, I drove at more or less the speed limit to visit the site.

I marveled at the incredible display of blooms and colors on the patch of lilies that I could see as I looked out from the deck over the Drapescape.  Because of the intense colors, I just had to go get my camera and take some pictures.  As I started reflecting on the names of these plants, I realized that I had to label the pictures and two names started to flip back and forth in my mind; namely, Asiatic or Oriental or are these colloquial terms or are these actually one in the same for one plant or were the plants different?  What scary thoughts for a woody plant...

Annual Dog-Day Cicadas are singing throughout much of Ohio. Normally this means their nemesis, Cicada Killer Wasps would be seen cruising woodlands and landscapes in search of their exclusive prey. However, I have yet to see a wasp. Could wet spring soil conditions have reduced their numbers?

Clusters of fluffy, white flatid planthopper nymphs are appearing on the stems and leaves of low growing plants in southwest Ohio. The planthoppers are most commonly found in woodlands, but will occasionally creep up the stems of plants in landscapes as well as vegetable gardens.

I received an e-mail Tuesday from a homeowner asking why there are a large number of flies buzzing around their magnolia. I sent them a picture of Magnolia Scale and told them to look for this insect on the twigs and branches. They responded that they had seen the scale, but thought it was a normal part of the tree. Sneaky scales!

Back in the spring, I wrote a BYGL alert about winter injury to roses.  THANKS to everyone for their feedback and response as to what's being seen around the state.  It seems that the general consensus is that all types of roses experienced major dieback with damage clear down to around four to six inches above the graft.  Some lost a few roses completely but the majority of the roses have recovered nicely according to most.  Winter injury reports came from all around Ohio as well as from Detroit.

 

It still drives me crazy to drive around town and see the old dead wood...

It's often impossible to identify the insect culprit responsible for causing holes or jagged margins on tree leaves if the perpetrator has left the scene. Unless there is a clear association between the tree species and a pest, we rely on dubious "it could be" speculation to solve a bit-and-run.

I posted a BYGL Alert this past Tuesday about an unidentified flea beetle attacking sedum in Ohio [see "Sedum Conundrum and Passionate Plea," June 26]. I called the beetle the "Sedum Flea Beetle" in my report.

American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) is one of my favorite native wildflowers. In my opinion, there is nothing else that rises from our waters to rival the allure of this aquatic beauty; except perhaps for walleye and largemouth bass.