THE EMERALD ASH BORER

The emerald ash borer has been found in northern Illinois

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MAGNOLIA SCALE

Magnolia scale is a serious insect pest of magnolias

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PLANT HEALTH CARE REPORT

Access the latest information on plant diseases and insect pests in our area.

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Featured articles and help

• Magnolia Scale

  MAGNOLIA SCALE(Neolecanium cornuparvum) Magnolia scale is our largest soft scale insect, reaching ½ inch in length. This scale spends the winter on one-to-two-year-old twigs as tiny, dark-colored nymphs. In the spring, the scales begin to feed,...

• What are the Ages of Trees in Your Neighborhood?

  What are the Ages of Trees in Your Neighborhood? By John F. Dwyer, Research AssociateThe Morton Arboretum Trees are often a distinctive feature of the urban landscape. Large trees are especially prominent, have a particularly significant...

• Slugs

  Anyone who has watched their hosta foliage turn “lacy” has experienced the work of slugs. Slugs, a common plant pest in wet weather, are snails without shells. They are mollusks, which means they are related to oysters, octopi, and...

• Scale Insects

  DESCRIPTION There are many species of scale insects that feed on a wide range of host plants. Scale insects are a unique group, that look quite different from other insects. In their juvenile growth stage, they are referred to as "crawlers". As...

• Gypsy Moths

  The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, was introduced into this country in 1869 and has since become a serious pest in the northeastern part of the United States. In some areas it has changed the ecology of native forests, defoliating more than 13...

• Powdery Mildews

  Powdery mildews are caused by over 1,000 species of fungi that affect most landscape plants. Most grow only on the upper leaf surface and stems of plants, and do not invade the leaf tissue of the host plant. In most cases, powdery mildew is not a...

• Canker Diseases

  Canker diseases are common, widespread, and destructive to a wide range of trees and shrubs. A ‘canker’ is really a symptom of an injury often associated with an open wound that has become infected by a fungal or bacterial pathogen. Canker...

• Transplanting Trees and Shrubs

  Trees can be obtained from the nursery in many forms – bare root, container-grown, balled and burlapped, or dug by tree spade. Transplanting can be successful with all forms. Always put extra effort into the planting process to ensure a good start...

• Pruning Evergreens

  Evergreen refers to a group of plants that retain their foliage during winter. Most evergreens have a strong central branch leader, which requires little pruning except to control plant height, increase the density of branching, or to...

• Soil Considerations for Growing Trees and Shrubs

  Soil is a complex part of the living landscape. A natural soil takes centuries or millennia to develop. Precipitation, temperature, plants & animals, land forms, and geologic material (bedrock, glacial deposits, river sediments, etc.) ...