Staff \u2014 May 13, 2016
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\nAll Photos: iStock unless stated otherwise.<\/p>\n

View last month\u2019s 5 fun horticultural facts.<\/p>\n

Did you know:<\/strong> that moss growing on urban trees is a useful bio-indicator of cadmium air pollution in Portland? A study by the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station is said to be the first to use moss to generate a detailed map of air pollution in a U.S. city. What\u2019s unusually sad about this story, at least to some of us, is that it\u2019s believed the pollution may be coming from two producers of stained glass: Uroboros and Bullseye. Stained glass manufacturers often use heavy metals (including cadmium, arsenic and cobalt) to achieve the richest colors, and both Uroboros and Bullseye are known internationally for the exquisite tones they produce. Both production facilities have voluntarily ceased the use of cadmium and arsenic.<\/p>\n

For more, visit www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2016\/04\/160407111826.htm<\/p>\n

Did you know:<\/strong> that the emerald ash borer is actually good for something? Pshaw, you say. But it\u2019s true. The wicked little pest has been given credit, at least in part, for drawing the normally elusive pileated woodpecker back to the Chicagoland area. Preferred habitat for the distinctive bird is large dead and\/or dying trees\u2014and Illinois has thousands of standing dead ash\u2014and it is lured to the larvae lurking beneath the stressed bark. \u201cThese dead and dying trees are going to provide great habitat for the pileated woodpecker,\u201d says Rob Rohrbaugh, assistant director of conservation science at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the go-to resource for bird fans. Rare in northern Illinois for a number of decades, the pileated woodpecker has been spotted \u201cfairly regularly on the east side of the Morton Arboretum in Lisle for the past month or so,\u201d according to an experienced local birder. See? We\u2019re making lemonade out of dead ash.<\/p>\n

For more, visit www.chicagotribune.com\/suburbs\/naperville-sun\/news\/ct-nvs-woodpecker-emerald-ash-borer-trees-st-0324-20160324-story.html<\/p>\n

Did you know:<\/strong> that slugs have teeth? And that the teeth are located on their tongues? Okay, that\u2019s another \u201ceeewww \u2026 \u201d fact you probably could have done without. However, it\u2019s true, and it\u2019s one of the reasons they can be damaging to plants. Tender young, spring foliage is no match for these horrific beasts, so experts recommend keeping the garden neat and tidy to prevent them from conducting their reign of terror. That, and get a duck.<\/p>\n

For more, visit http:\/\/bit.ly\/OSU_Gardening2451<\/p>\n

Orchid photo \u00a9Tammy Spratt, San Diego Zoo.<\/p>\n

Did you know:<\/strong> that the San Diego Zoo features more than just pandas? A critically endangered lady slipper named Paphiopedilum vietnamense\u2014a variety found in only one location in northern Vietnam\u2014bloomed for the first time in the zoo\u2019s Orchid House at the end of March. The orchid was legally grown from seed obtained from a commercial orchid grower; there are thought to be only about 50 plants remaining in the wild.<\/p>\n

For more, visit http:\/\/zoonooz.sandiegozoo.org\/2016\/04\/01\/critically-endangered-lady-slipper-orchid-blooms\/<\/p>\n

Did you know:<\/strong> that winter in Scandinavian countries can be long \u2026 and, well, long? With a bit of time on their hands, some Finnish farmers came up with a way to help with chores, including tree trimming and building maintenance\u2014among a few other tasks. They attached a chainsaw to a drone and set it loose on evergreens, icicles and\u2014spoiler alert!\u2014snowmen. For those considering innovative ways to mechanize a few landscape jobs, you might want to keep thinking. And watch out for pink balloons.<\/p>\n

For more, visit www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6Viwwetf0gU<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Staff \u2014 May 13, 2016 All Photos: iStock unless stated otherwise. View last month\u2019s 5 fun horticultural facts. Did you know: that moss growing on urban trees is a useful bio-indicator of cadmium air pollution in Portland? A study by the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station is said to be the first to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nursery"],"yoast_head":"\n