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Red columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, is this week’s native perennial to know. Also known as wild columbine, this plant has striking red flowers that droop from the ends of tall stalks.  The 2 inch long flowers are comprised of 5 backwards-pointing fused tubes with yellow stamens. These plants are visited by insects with long mouthparts, like butterflies and some moths (hawk moths in particular) as well as hummingbirds.

Each year the SDSU Chapter of Sigma Xi (The Honor Society of Scientists and Engineers) hosts a graduate student contest in 6 categories for Master’s and Doctoral students. This contest is sponsored by several colleges and departments across the SDSU campus, including, but not limited to: The Graduate School, College of Agricultural & Biological Sciences, and the Dairy Science Department.

Dating is an important rite of passage during adolescence. By age 17, 70% of teens report participating in a romantic relationship in the past 18 months (Carver, Joyner, & Udry, 2003). Thus, dating is a common experience among adolescents. Dating is associated with both benefits and potential risks, and understanding these risks and benefits can assist parents in supporting their teen’s development.

Have you ever wished you could insulate children from all the heartbreak of the world? Shield them from life’s’ bumps and bruises? But, even if we could, would we really be helping? Would they grow from trials or develop empathy for others going through a similar situation? What type of an adult would they turn out to be?

Spring is a great time to be planting trees and shrubs. Check with your local nursery or garden center for bare root trees and shrubs, which are usually just available in the early spring. Bare root trees are usually less expensive than balled and burlapped or containerized trees and they are not as heavy to move around when you are planting them. However, you do have to keep some important planting guidelines in mind.

While budding leaves and flowering branches are a sign that your trees are ready for spring, there are also a number of pests and diseases to keep a close watch for as your trees complete their spring transition this May. The following are some tips for treating trees for common pests that could hamper your trees' spring development.

If you have every felt guilty about skipping out on the gym, wait until you meet Lyle Sonnenschein of Fall River, SD! Lyle works out two to four times a week. He also runs a 5k every week. Are you tired yet? At 80 years young, Mr. Sonnenschein is an impressive fellow.

Puzzling Placements: Last Friday, USDA released its May Cattle on Feed report. And, like the previous month’s report, placements last month were much higher than a year ago. USDA estimated April placements at 1.75 million head, 15% higher than in April 2012. Interestingly, this was only slightly higher than the average pre-release expectation, but those expectations varied widely.

Did you recently graduate from college, or are you planning to soon? If so, you are probably worrying about having to pay back your student loans. Depending on your situation, you may want to consider consolidating them to lower monthly payments.