Month: December 2024

Tips from the Yard: Holidays, Pets, and Toxic Plants

As the holidays approach let’s review pet safety with plants in this Tip from the Yard.  Plants you have in your home may be safe for your pets or they may not be.  If the pet is accustomed to them toxicity this may not be an issue but new holiday plants could be different story.  Let’s check out some known toxic holiday plants and review a few of the more common year-round house plants.

Christmas Plants:

Holly:  leaves and berries are toxic to cats and dogs.  Common symptoms are blood in the mouth, excessive drooling, and digestive issues.

Christmas Cactus: are not toxic but can cause diarrhea in cats and dogs.

Poinsettias: this is the big misconception, or not.  Some articles say it is mildly toxic some articles say it is not. The confusion is based on the plants family and known issues with other plants in the family.  It would be safe to assume the sticky sap can cause diarrhea and vomiting cats and dogs. Check with your veterinarian to confirm. Continue reading Tips from the Yard: Holidays, Pets, and Toxic Plants →

Don’t Forget About the Spotted Lanternfly

Even with summer in the rearview mirror and cold temperatures settling in, there are still signs of Spotted Lanternflies in Lorain County.

Many people in Northeast Ohio have likely heard of and now have seen the Spotted Lanternfly but in case some folks haven’t I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you about this newer, invasive species.

The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive species of planthopper. They are originally from the more Southeast parts of Asia, primarily China and Vietnam. Likely a hitchhiker on imported goods, it was first found in 2014. It eventually reached Ohio by 2020 and was first reported in Lorain in 2022. The Spotted Lanternfly’s primary host plant, Tree of Heaven, is another invasive species from a similar region of Asia. While that is the primary host plant, they feed on various other woody plants including grapes, hops, fruit trees, and other hardwood trees, vines, and shrubs. They feed on these plants using a piercing, sucking mouthparts called a proboscis to feed on plant sap. This feeding has the potential to cause plant stress that can impact the overall health of a plant over time. Grapes are considered to be one of the more vulnerable crops to Spotted Lanternfly feeding. Continue reading Don’t Forget About the Spotted Lanternfly →