As spring arrives, use these apps and other tools to identify birds, trees and plants in your backyard and on local trails.

Crape myrtle The "lilac of the South" gets its name from its crinkly, crepelike flowers and from foliage that resembles the true myrtle. Although native to China and Japan, crapes carry on here as if ...

It may seem like fast-growing trees can be the answer to most of your landscaping problems. Who wouldn't want extra shade, colorful blooms, and a wildlife hot spot that doesn't take decades to mature?

That line of pear trees in the Palomar neighborhood in south Lexington is gorgeous, fluffy and decked out like clouds descended to suburban Earth. The problem is that pear trees are also invasive. And ...

In the midst of blooming flowers, several trees are blossoming across the region. Missouri Department of Conservation is encouraging people to get outside to see the flowering trees and shrubs that ...

Over the past several weeks I have been enjoying going out into my yard and see­ing the various trees not only offering welcoming shade, but also beautiful flowers, which began blooming in the early ...

The snarl of a chainsaw never sounds sweeter than when slicing through the trunk of a nasty Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana). I have railed against the spring-blooming, white-flowering tree for years.

If you want to attract pretty hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden, growing shrubs and trees with beautiful flowers that are also highly scented will certainly do the trick. It's even better if ...

The last weekend of March, metro Atlanta was subjected to the highest pollen count in nearly 35 years, with it surging to more than 14,000! Despite the sneezing, itchy eyes and yellow vehicles, I do ...

Flowering trees are one of the best signs that spring is here, and, fortunately for homeowners in the Phoenix area, our climate allows us to plant a wide range of flowering trees from all over the ...

As far as the plant scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis know, the tiny purple-and-white flower that recently grew in their greenhouse has never before been seen, at least by ...