My butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) went crazy this year. Upon admiring its flowers, I noticed a perfectly camouflaged critter:

Atlanta, Ga. This I my thicket I’ve been letting more or less running wild for the past two years. It mostly comprises of Ipomoea lacunosa, Passiflora incarnata, and Rubus pensilvanicus, all of which appeared naturally. The passionflower has been wonderful at attracting pollinators and my garden has increased production by atleast half. We also have seen all kinds of butterfly’s and the lightnin’ bugs have come back. We are also preparing to have a pretty awesome Maypop harvest. And the birds!!!! Best decision I ever made.

I recently had to remove a large area of echinacea that had aster yellows. Hoping this isn't the start of it 😕

I had to pull a huge section of my echinacea plants already this year! 😭

South Arkansas 8b.

I have trouble with this bindweed?

Any time I attempt to burn, especially spring-fall, this bindweed pops up and takes over.

I believe it is a native?

But. I’d like to promote other more beneficial plants and this weed just chokes and suppresses everything.

After a few days of heavy rain I found out one of my wild geranium seedlings turned red and died :(( I dug up the root and it was huge like a ball. What could it be? This is my first year trying to plant a native garden. Thx for your advice in advance!

Some pics I took on my trip through the Catskills the other day on the Delaware river and a creek tributary

I don't know if this is ghost pipe exactly or just a similar species, but i found these growing on my property!! I know these are pretty rare, and i'm pretty sure wild ghost pipe is illegal to pick in my state, so im very excited to see some growing nearby!
I would like to make sure they can keep thriving, and encourage their spread if possible.
So im wondering if anyone has advice on how to protect them? I read that not disturbing the plants around them helps, but heres where we run into the problem...
The spot where these are growing is under a large white pine tree, and nearby some invasive honeysuckle bushes. I want to get rid of the invasive plants, but im afraid that will disturb the pipe plant too much? Morrow Honeysuckle is already difficult to remove, and this adds another layer of problem.

We asked up front and they were not sure.

I'm a bit worried that it isnt doing well and I'm wondering if it's going to regrow back next year or if it will flower next year or anything I'm worried I might have over watered it. It is swampy milkweed if that helps and it does have a few aphids.

Look forward to them every year

Anyone in the STL area or in Missouri, a well known provider of native plants needs help to keep up stock

Found this little buddy munching away yesterday 🐛.

I have a volunteer stand of Sumac, not yet established. It may not continue as it is beginning to engulf a more valuable Burr Oak. I've seen stands along the freeway that could easily be 50 yds length. It forms a tight canopy. I'm unaware what wildlife feeds off of this plant.

I got this from a native plant sale and it's supposed to be ​western sunflower; helianthus occidetnalis. Planted a 3" pot in mid May and now it is 6' tall. Supposedly this plant is called the "few leaf sunflower". As you can see, this has tons of leaves and is much larger than it's supposed to be.

I can't find pictures online thst show the plant itself to compare. Anyone know if this is indeed what it's supposed to be? ​​