IN THE GARDEN

janet art for style-mushrooms
janet art for style-mushrooms

Q I live in Pine Bluff and have a beautiful, taller than 60-foot white oak (beautiful shape) in my front yard that provides substantial shade on the south side of the house. It has mushrooms growing in the soil against the base of the tree, and one or two actually on the base. I would appreciate your opinion as to whether it is too late to save this tree; do you think that the disease, if it is Armillaria fungi, has it already caused root rot and rot on the inside of the tree?

A Mushrooms at the base of the tree, or on the side, usually indicate there is some internal decay or disease in the tree, and yours may be Armillaria. I have seen some large shelf fungus on trees that have continued to grow and thrive. Normally the first above-ground symptoms with Armillaria on an oak tree are undersized, discolored and prematurely dropping leaves. Branches die, often beginning near the tops of plants, and eventually the tree will die. As long as the tree has a full canopy and is growing well, I would leave it and monitor the tree.

Q Can you identify this beauty that just appeared in my flower bed in Maumelle?

A The plant is a canna lily. Cannas are planted from a fleshy, bulblike structure called a rhizome. They are perennials in Arkansas, but some were damaged this past winter, especially in northern counties. Flowers can range from reds and pinks to white, yellow and orange. Some varieties are grown more for their colorful foliage than for their blooms.

Q We planted a Japanese maple tree in our backyard about five years ago. It has been growing well, but in May after a lot of rain and then a stretch without rain, the leaves shriveled up. They are still on the tree. What has happened? Any thoughts?

A There is no way that a week or two of dry weather killed your tree. We have had one of our mildest summers on record. I would investigate the trunk of the tree. Look for holes that could be made by borers or ambrosia beetles. Look for any wounds or bark damage. If the leaves all died and remain attached, it usually indicates the tree has died, but the key now is to figure out what caused it. You can wait and see if it leafs back out next spring, but the chances are slim.

Q I have a vine growing on a trellis at a home on Lake Ouachita. It had blossoms in April, and now it has clusters of small yellow seeds. The leaves are rounded and appear across from each other on the stem. Any idea what it could be?

A It sounds like a trumpet honeysuckle -- Lonicera sempervirens. There are several varieties, with some blooming only in the spring and others off and on all summer. After bloom, small berries appear that are attractive to many birds.

Q We have several vinca in containers. They are doing well. However, some of them are getting yellow leaves. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

A Periwinkle or annual vinca likes it hot and dry. With the milder summer, they were a bit slower to get going this summer, but they should like the current weather. All plants in containers need more fertilizer outdoors since we water more and leach out the nutrition. Try giving it a shot of fertilizer and see if that helps. Don't overwater periwinkle.

Q With the good weather this summer, my azaleas have a lot of new growth and are really too large for the bed. I would like to prune them a good foot or more. Can I prune now and still see flowers next year?

A No, flower buds are set on all spring-blooming plants. If you prune your azaleas now, you are removing potential flowers next year. If you have a few errant tall sprouts, they could be removed to make the plants look better without removing the potential for flowers.

Janet B. Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Write to her at 2301 S. University Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72204 or email her at

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HomeStyle on 08/23/2014

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