This Week In Gardening & Nature

Photo of American Beautyberry in Fall/Winter splendor- hot pink berries on leafless stems waiting for birds and wildlife to enjoy.

Plant of the Week: American Beautyberry

Walk off your Thanksgiving dinner. Take a drive and hike at one of Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Prairies.

Want a front yard native landscape makeover? Enter Grow Native! and Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter 2024 Landscape Challenge

January 15th Deadline for Missouri community gardens, conservation groups, parks, schools to apply for Missouri Prairie Foundation Prairie Garden Grants

February 28th Deadline to apply for Missouri Coalition for the Environment High School Student Environmental Action Award

The perfect holiday or birthday gift for the person who has everything: Adopt a Regal Fritillary Butterfly via Missouri Prairie Foundation

It’s never too early to start planning your 2024 Garden: Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

Good Reads & Views—

November Gardening Tips: Outdoor Flowing Plants & Ornamentals, Vegetable Gardening, Fruits & Nuts, Indoor Plants, Turfgrass (University of Missouri Extension)

10 Fall Gardening Tips & Recipes video (P. Allen Smith)

Fall Leaves for the Garden (Seed St. Louis)

Pecans: A Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On (University of Missouri Extension)

Donation to Missouri AG riles plaintiffs in lead-poisoning suit against St. Louis company. The parent company for Doe Run cut at $50,000 check to a PAC supporting Andrew Bailey three months after he filed a brief in support of the lead smelter in federal court (Missouri Independent)

2023 Plants of Merit – Annuals, Bulbs, Edibles, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees, Vines (Missouri Botanical Garden)

2023 Plants of Demerit – Bamboo, Big Leaf Hydrangea, Blueberry, Burning Bush, Chameleon Plant, Lavender, Pin Oak, Wintercreeper (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Gardening and Nature Events —

5:30 pm Monday, November 13th, St. Louis Public Library In Person Class at Central Library: DIY Worm Bins and Vermicomposting. Register

10 am Tuesday, November 14th, Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register.

6:30 pm Tuesday, November 14th, Sierra Club Piasa Speaker Series: Great Camps of the Adirondacks @ Old Bakery Beer, Alton IL. Register

10 am Wednesday, November 15th, Seed St. Louis & St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Edible Landscaping. Register

For Kids 0-7 years. 10 am Thursday, November 16th, Missouri Conservation Department Conservation Kids event at Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center: You and me under the Canopy: Talkin’ Turkeys. Learn about some common backyard birds, then create felt ornaments to take home. Must be at least age 16. Only 1 Seat remaining. Register

1:30 pm Thursday, November 16th, Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

4 pm Thursday, November 16th, Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Backyard Bird Feeding. Register

10 am Saturday, November 18th, Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register.

2 pm Saturday, November 18th, St. Louis Public Library In Person Class at Buder Library: Introduction to Chickens with Second-Hen’d. Learn the benefits of adopting “spent” hens.

Saturday, November 18th, thru January 6th Garden Glow at Missouri Botanical Garden. Tickets

10 am Sunday, November 19th, Missouri Conservation Department In Person Class at Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center: The Science & Art of Soapmaking. Class is full but Register for Waiting List

1:30 pm November 22nd Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

4 pm November 22nd Missouri Prairie Foundation Webinar: Ecology & Management of Missouri’s Woodland Communities. Register

November 24th to December 31st Sachs Butterfly House event: Winter Jewels- An Enchanted Celebration, Chesterfield, St. Louis County. Tickets

1 pm November 24th Missouri Conservation Department Walk off the Turkey and Pumpkin Pie Hike at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, St. Louis County. 9 Tickets remaining. Register

Volunteers Wanted. 10 am November 25th Missouri Coalition for the Environment Honeysuckle Removal Day @ historic Greenwood Cemetery, Hillsdale, St. Louis County. Register

10 am November 28th Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register.

6 pm November 29th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Whacky Woodpeckers. Register

1 pm November 30th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Black Bears of Missouri. Register

1:30 pm November 30th Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

6 pm November 30th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Tree Saps & Syrups. Register

6:30 November 30th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Attracting Backyard Birds. Register

8 am December 2nd St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Forest Park. Register

9 am December 2nd Forest ReLeaf Christy Greenway Tree Planting, Old St. Marcus Cemetery Park. Register

10 am December 7th Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Tree Saps & Syrups. Register

6-8:30 pm December 7th Missouri Coalition for the Environment Holiday Party, University City, St. Louis County. Register

1 pm December 9th St. Louis Public Library In Person Event @ Carpenter Library: All About Eagles with World Bird Sanctuary. Register.

Noon December 13th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Winter Woodpeckers. Register

10 am December 16th Missouri Conservation Department event at Tower Grove Park: Nature Art- Felt Bird Ornaments. Registration Opens November 1st. Register

2 pm December 19th Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Creature Feature- River Otter. Register

10 am December 20-29th Missouri Botanical Garden holiday break fun for kids: Budding Scientist- Celebrate Urban Birds. $3 each child. Register

1 pm December 20-29th Missouri Botanical Garden holiday break fun for kids: Budding Scientist- Celebrate Urban Birds. $3 each child. Register

2 pm January 13th St. Louis Public Library In Person Class @ Carpenter Library: Intro to Plant-spotting- Common St. Louis Flowers & Weeds.

1 pm February 10th St. Louis Public Library Class @ Central Library: Top 10 Orchids for Home. Register.

January 27th thru February 25th Orchid Show at Missouri Botanical Garden. Garden Admission is free to residents of St. Louis City and St. Louis County on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

1 pm March 6th St. Louis Public Library In Person Class @ Central Library: Alien Invasion! Plants with Betsy Alexander, Master Gardener from the Missouri Botanical Gardens Master Gardener Program. Register.

March 8th-9th Midwestern Herb & Garden Show in Mount Vernon, Illinois (little over an hour drive from St. Louis City)

Join us Sundays on Bluesky or Twitter for #GardenSunday to interact with other outdoor and indoor gardeners and nature enthusiasts, ask questions, give answers, share photos.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Photo of Aromatic Aster with Common Checkered Skipper on a flower.

Plant of the Week: Aromatic Aster

Fall Tree Color Reports: Missouri (Peak color in SE Mo Bootheel, past peak elsewhere) and Illinois

Missouri Prairie Foundation is selling “Leave The Leaves” signs for $20 each

It’s never too early to start planning your 2024 Garden: Seed St. Louis Planting Calendar

Good Reads —

Gardening by Month: November Tips & Tasks, Pests & Problems (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Garden Tasks for Fall video (Seed St. Louis)

These American birds and dozens more will be renamed, to remove human monikers: “the American Ornithological Society has vowed to change the English names of all bird species currently named after people, along with any other bird names deemed offensive or exclusionary. (NPR Morning Edition)

Leave the leaves! Missouri Department of Conservation says to leave behind some of the leaves on your lawn this autumn (KY3)

(paywall) Agricultural weedkillers are slowly killing trees across Missouri and Illinois, scientists, state workers and landowners say (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

2023 Plants of Merit – Annuals, Bulbs, Edibles, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees, Vines (Missouri Botanical Garden)

2023 Plants of Demerit – Bamboo, Big Leaf Hydrangea, Blueberry, Burning Bush, Chameleon Plant, Lavender, Pin Oak, Wintercreeper (Missouri Botanical Garden)

Order Tree Seedlings now for shipping in February from Missouri Conservation Department

Gardening and Nature Events —

3:30 pm Tuesday, November 7th, Missouri Conservation Department Zoom Class: Backyard Birds, Project FeederWatch. Register

9 am to 3:30 pm Wednesday, November 8th, Grow Native! Professionals Conference @ University of Missouri- Columbia. $20 per person for Grow Native! professional members (and their staff). Zoom option: $30 for non-members. Register

1:30 pm Wednesday, November 8th, Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

6:30 pm Wednesday, Nov 8th, St. Louis County Library, Grant’s View Branch, In Person Class: Beginner Food Preservation. Covers Canning, Dehydrating, Fermentation, Pickling. Register

4 pm Friday, November 10th, Missouri Botanical Garden In Person Event at Visitor Center: Dr. Shahina Ghazanfar will present the 2023 John Dwyer Lecture in Biology on her book “Plants of the Quran: History and Culture.”

Noon to 3 pm Sunday, November 12th, Missouri Prairie Foundation Friends of Cuivre River State Park Grasslands Work Day, Lincoln County Mo. Register

10 am November 14th Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register.

10 am November 15th Seed St. Louis & St. Louis County Library Zoom Class: Edible Landscaping. Register

For Kids 0-7 years. 10 am November 16th Missouri Conservation Department Conservation Kids event at Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center: You and me under the Canopy: Talkin’ Turkeys. Learn about some common backyard birds, then create felt ornaments to take home. Must be at least age 16. 15 Seats remaining. Register

Noon November 16th Deep Roots Kansas City Native Plants at Noon Zoom event. Register

1:30 pm November 16th Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

4 pm November 16th Missouri Conservation Department Virtual Class: Backyard Bird Feeding. Register

10 am November 18th Bellefontaine Cemetery Trolley Tour: 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. $5. Register.

November 18th thru January 6th Garden Glow at Missouri Botanical Garden. Tickets

10 am November 19th Missouri Conservation Department In Person Class at Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center: The Science & Art of Soapmaking. Class is full but Register for Waiting List

1:30 pm November 22nd Bellefontaine Cemetery Leaf Walk. 2 Hour Horticulture & History guided tour. Register

4 pm November 22nd Missouri Prairie Foundation Webinar: Ecology & Management of Missouri’s Woodland Communities. Register

1 pm November 24th Missouri Conservation Department Walk off the Turkey and Pumpkin Pie Hike at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, St. Louis County. 11 Tickets remaining. Register