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June Tree of the Month-Washington Hawthorn
The name is deceiving; Washington hawthorns, Crataegus phaenopyrum, are not native to the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Their native range runs from Virginia to Missouri, Arkansas, and Alabama. (The common name is attributed to…
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June Perennial of the Month-Butterfly Weed
My husband loves orange. I knew this going in, but married him anyway. We’re not just talking about the random orange shirt or fun socks… we are talking everything from his car down…
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May Tree of the Month-American Chestnut
The American chestnut, Castanea dentata, is a tree with incredible stories to tell. Tales of diverse forests full of their ancestors soaring 75-100’ high. Tales full of Native Americans who coexisted with those…
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May Perennial of the Month-Foxglove Beardtongue
“Elegant” is seldom a word you hear used to describe a native prairie plant. When it comes to Penstemon digitalis, commonly called foxglove beardtongue, I don’t think there is a more elegant perennial…
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Highlights from the St. Louis Native Plant Tour
Sunday, May 17th, 2026 The Wild Ones St. Louis chapter and Bring Conservation Home partnered to present the annual St. Louis Native Plant Garden Tour once again last Sunday. The self-guided tour featured…
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March Perennial of the Month-Celandine Poppy
My neighbor’s two granddaughters used to come around this time every year to sell us Girl Scout Cookies. There would be lots of little-girl giggles and squeals of excitement during the brief visits.…
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February Perennial of the Month-Crinkled Hair Grass
How many Missouri native plants can also be found on four other continents? Crinkled hair grass, Deschampsia flexuosa, can brag about calling Europe, Asia, Africa, and North & South America home. So, what…
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December Tree of the Month-Shortleaf Pine
The pines have held an esteemed place throughout history, especially in the US, where they were-and still are-valued for lumber. We only have one native pine in Missouri, Pinus echinata, commonly known as…
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December Vine of the Month-American Bittersweet
For floral designers searching for natural materials to make wreaths, bittersweet is a great find. The cheery red berries look great in both fall and winter holiday décor, and the vines can be…
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December Perennial of the Month-Texas Sedge
We keep hearing about new lawn alternatives that require less maintenance and are better for the environment. Most native alternatives for the St. Louis area seem to belong to the Cyperaceae family, also…
