Ongoing research

Sherida Phibbs, UC Master Gardener Recently, my quiet neighborhood became an unintended classroom in what not to do with trees. In a short time, several neighbors made choices that seriously harmed mature trees—whether by topping, removing, or poorly pruning them. Watching these beautiful shade trees…

Constance Starner, UC Master Gardener When you see leaves shriveling and turning black after a freeze, the plant is obviously damaged, but you may wonder exactly how that damage occurs. With a freeze, it’s the ice that forms in the plant cells when temperatures fall to 32°F or less, making water…

Blog by Nancy Forrest One plant that grows in abundance in my yard is the Calla (Zantedeschia aethiopica). This morning, after the rain, I noticed the first bloom and beginning of the Calla plants “patch” that comes up every year in my side yard. The Calla is from the Zantedeschia genus and belongs to…