FEATURED TREE: Hawthorns (Crataegus sp.) I like to think of myself as skilled at tree identification, but I’m not sure I will ever become a true hawthorn expert beyond recognizing the most common native Crataegus species. Keying out a hawthorn
In case your memory of 2007 and 2011 has faded, you will be able to repeat both years in 2024. This coming year we will see the synchronized emergence of two of the most damaging periodical cicada broods, for the
BLACKJACK OAK There are few Illinois native oaks one might consider small or even medium in size, but blackjack oak fits the bill. Commonly found growing in poor soil, particularly xeric sandy or rocky sites throughout west-central into southern Illinois,
Did you buy a live Christmas tree this year? If you lived in the Menard county area 30-35 years ago, you might have bought one here at Starhill Forest! The Sternbergs planted 16 different species of conifers, beginning not long
You’ve probably heard the Emerson quote, “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” Have you ever planted that acorn? What are you waiting for?! With hurricanes in the southeast, the derecho’s destruction in the Midwest, forest fires