Go Native
Buy native tree and shrub seedlings from MDC’s George O. White State Forest Nursery
Need trees and shrubs for your landscape? Go native with tree and shrub seedlings from MDC’s George O. White State Forest Nursery. Native trees and shrubs can help improve wildlife habitat and soil and water conservation while also improving the appearance and value of private property.
The state nursery offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for sale for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife food and cover, and other purposes.
The nursery provides mainly 1-year-old bare-root seedlings with sizes that vary by species. Seedling varieties include pine, bald cypress, cottonwood, black walnut, hickory, oak, river birch, maple, willow, sycamore, blackberry, buttonbush, redbud, elderberry, sumac, wild plum, witch hazel, and many more. MDC recommends ordering early for the best selection.
Seedlings are available in bundles of 10 or increments of 25 per species. Prices range from 44 cents to $2.57 per seedling. Sales tax will be added to orders unless tax exempt. There is a shipping fee and a $9 handling charge for each order. Receive a 15 percent discount up to $20 off seedling orders with a Conservation ID Number. Orders will be shipped or can be picked up at the nursery, located near Licking, from mid-February through mid-May.
For a copy of the 2026–2027 Seedling Order Form, visit mdc.mo.gov/seedlings or contact the nursery at 573-674-3229. Seedling orders can be placed online through April 15, 2027.
Poosey Conservation Area’s Fall Driving Tour Celebrates 40 Years
Each year, Poosey Conservation Area (CA) in northwest Livingston County draws hundreds of families and groups in October for its fall driving tour. All ages come to the area by car, truck, bicycle, horseback, and in horse-drawn buggies to enjoy the fall color along the winding gravel service roads that are usually closed to the public.
This year’s driving tour — on Sunday, Oct. 18 from noon to 4 p.m. — is extra special. It marks the 40th anniversary of this annual fall event.
Staff will provide tour brochures at the route entrance to help visitors find interpretive stops along the driving route that showcase conservation practices, such as timber stand improvement and native warm-season grasslands.
Visitors will find exhibits on nature, conservation, and Poosey area history along the tour route and can visit with MDC staff about conservation issues.
The tour route begins at Pike’s Lake and includes a few steep grades in places, along with a few creek crossings. A vehicle (or other mode of transport) with high clearance is recommended. Visitors can expect a slow driving pace.
For more information, contact MDC’s Chillicothe Office at 660-646-6122. Find maps and more information about Poosey CA at short.mdc.mo.gov/ZFd.
Japanese Knotweed
Invasive nonnative species destroy habitat and compete with native plants and animals. Please do what you can to control invasive species when you landscape, farm, hunt, fish, camp, or explore nature.
By Angela So
Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is an invasive perennial that spreads aggressively through rootlike rhizomes, allowing even small root fragments to produce new colonies. Plants have tall, hollow stems with reddish speckles, broad heart- to triangular-shaped leaves, and clusters of creamy-white flowers in late summer. Dead canes often remain standing throughout winter.
Why It’s Bad
Japanese knotweed forms dense, bamboolike thickets along streambanks, roadsides, and other disturbed areas, which displaces native vegetation, reduces wildlife habitat, and destabilizes streambanks. Its extensive root system can also damage pavement, foundations, and other infrastructure.
How to Control It
Persistence is essential. Single treatments rarely eliminate established infestations.
Mechanical: Repeated cutting or mowing can weaken plants over time but is generally ineffective unless done frequently and combined with other control methods. Bag all cuttings and dispose in landfill or burn.
Chemical: Herbicide applications in late summer or early fall provide the most reliable control. Apply 8 percent glyphosate or 1.5–2 percent triclopyr product to foliage. Use only aquatically approved products on plants growing near water. Always read and follow the herbicide label.
Title
Answer
Cecropia Moth
Adult cecropia moths are butterflylike but have stout, hairy bodies and feathery antennae. Seen from above, they are dark brown or gray overall, with red-rimmed, white crescent shapes at the center of each of their four wings. This nocturnal species, considered the largest moth native to North America, can be found statewide. As caterpillars, they feed on more than 20 species of Missouri trees and shrubs, sustaining them through their adulthood, which lasts about two weeks.
And More...
This Issue's Staff
Editor – Angie Daly Morfeld
Associate Editor – Larry Archer
Photography Editor – Ben Nickelson
Staff Writer – Kristie Hilgedick
Staff Writer – Joe Jerek
Staff Writer – Dianne Van Dien
Designer – Marci Porter
Designer – Kate Morrow
Photographer – Noppadol Paothong
Photographer – David Stonner
Circulation – Marcia Hale