Wild turkeys found some ash tree seed nourishment after the heavy winter snows. Even in winter, keeping up with Emerald Ash borer information is worthwhile. More than four years ago, Yankton heard the alert when an Emerald ash borer was identified in Omaha and Sioux Falls ash trees. With highway travel and rivers linking the cities, … Continue reading
Regional Plant-Related Event
Loess Hills Wild OnesSioux City area Join Sarah Nizzi from Xerces & Loess Hills Wild Ones for our Second Program of 2023 Zoom! February 12th at 2PM Sarah will present: “Site Prep, Plant Selection, and The Needs of Pollinators” Learn about the steps YOU can take in YOUR OWN SPACE– Conserving and Supporting Pollinators. Big or small, every conservation effort counts! Sarah will cover:The … Continue reading
Dibbles and Bits
Of course, it is easy to leave climate change concerns to others. Today’s post is a thumbnail about how climate change can impact plant growth and then a possible step we can take toward sustaining ourselves and our gardens. The photos are from a time to think at Lewis & Clark Recreation Area, a state … Continue reading
Citrus Winter Treat
Where’s the fun on this snowy winter day? For local turkeys, the birdfeeders are empty, so they keep on looking for something new. At Plant Exchange blog in the dead of winter, we crave the stored sunshine and Vitamin C of citrus fruits and like discovering more about them. Sumo Mandarin is a special treat, … Continue reading
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day—January 15th
Welcome to Plant Exchange Blog on the Northern Plains, USDA Hardiness Zone 4-5a. Snow, cold, and fluctuating temperatures outside result in plants wintering in dormancy or adapting antifreeze features. Blooming plants are uncommon until at least near spring. While blooms are hard to find outdoors now, indoors, some enjoy the challenge of continuing care for … Continue reading
Try Strawflowers Again
Strawflowers (Xerocurysum bracteatum), also called Paper Daisies or Golden Everlasting, are a commonly found summer annual that blooms from summer to frost in this region. Colors include red, orange, pink, purple, yellow, white, and others. The herb is rather avoided by chewing mammals. Native to Australia and a perennial there in about USDA Hardiness 8-11, strawflowers … Continue reading
Palms From the Land of Milk and Honey
Palms are trees that grow in the full sun of warm and dry or humid climates, such as the Middle East, northern Africa, the European Mediterranean, Mexico, California, Florida, and Arizona. Not here on the Northern Plains. Waving palm fronds at a Palm Sunday church service and eating dates in a Christmas fruitcake is a … Continue reading
Blue Spruce Defends Itself
You may find a green tree like this nearby. The Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pugens) is found in many yards and in public spaces in the region. This one is about 30 ft. tall and nearly twenty years old. Evergreen trees add green to the winter landscape, while deciduous trees have lost leaves and are dormant … Continue reading
Regional Plant-Related Event
Loess Hills Wild OnesHealing the Earth one yard at a time.Join Wild Ones!Your membership supports our missionto promote the use of native plants and natural landscapes. The Loess Hills chapter of Wild Ones serves the Siouxland area of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Roots of the Past; Rooting for the Future With Barry Mateer Sunday, January 8th 2:00pm To register … Continue reading
Eastern Redcedar—Prized and Despised
Trees are highly regarded in this region of the Northern Plains. Yankton proudly introduces travelers to a “Tree City USA” with signage at the edge of town. But Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-1806) and the earliest photos before statehood portray the land as a sea of waving grasses, except for trees in river valleys and … Continue reading
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