Schutter Diagnostic Lab

10/15/2026

Want to see some cool plants? Join the Montana Native Plant Society on Zoom for a look back at some highlights from the 2026 season!

Look here to find more information and register for this FREE program:
mtnativeplants.org/mnps-presents-online-programs

Mark your calendars...MNPS Presents is BACK!
We're kicking off another season of our wildly popular, monthly online presentation series with a look back at all the fund we had this summer! Citizen Botany Coordinator Grace Hoelscher will lead us through the highlights of 2026, featuring the best rare plant finds and other moments of Montana magic from all corners of the state.
Oct 20th, 7pm Mountain Time. This program is FREE and open to the public; find Zoom registration details and more info at mtnativeplants.org/mnps-presents-online-programs

10/15/2026

Snapdragons are hiding a spooky secret!

Snapdragon (𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘶𝘴) is commonly grown in gardens around the world for its bright, showy flowers that come in a wide range of colors, including red, white, pink, yellow and purple. However, its beautiful summer appearance hides an eerie secret. After flowering, seeds develop inside a capsule, which takes on a skull-like appearance as the fruit matures.

Snapdragons are easy to grow if you want some of these spooky seed capsules in your garden. Snapdragon seeds should be started indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost and transplanted outside in early spring, once the danger of frost has passed. Snapdragons are also widely available from greenhouses and garden stores. They love full sun and will flower throughout the summer if spent blooms are removed.

10/14/2026

Are you feeling sad that the growing season is over? Craving a way to enjoy plants over the winter months? 🪴🍃

Join Abi Saeed, MSU Extension Horticulture Specialist for the upcoming MSU After Hours program: Thriving Houseplants! There will be an engaging presentation, demonstrations and hands-on activities. Participants will learn essential houseplant care techniques, propagation methods and troubleshooting tips that you can immediately apply at home!

• Date/Time: Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 6:15 - 8:15 p.m.
• Location: MSU Bozeman; free parking available
• Cost: $25 - participants will receive a houseplant!
• Instructor: Abi Saeed, state Extension Horticulture Specialist at MSU
• Learn more and register on the MSU Academic Outreach website: https://learn.montana.edu/catalog/course/2256/after-hours-thriving-houseplants

10/14/2026

Witch’s Hair (𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘴𝘢) is a lichen, a mutually beneficial relationship between fungi and green algae. It is native to Montana and can be found in older forests as solitary clumps or growing along branches, drooping down like spooky hair.

This lichen doesn’t have roots because it is an epiphyte, which means it gets moisture and nutrients from the air, rain and accumulated organic matter. Witch’s hair generally reproduces asexually when pieces are blown off by the wind, but it can also produce cup-like fruiting bodies called apothecia.

More info about witch's hair and lichens can be found here:

Montana Field Guide - Witch's Hair Lichen:
https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=NLT0001231

USDA Forest Service - About Lichens:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/lichens/about.shtml

10/13/2026

Most of us like to eat plants, but what if the plant wants to eat you?

Whether they’re ready to drown and digest you like pitcher plants, capture you with sticky hairs like sundews, or spring a trap like Venus fly traps, carnivorous plants are pretty scary, but only if you’re an insect.

Pitcher plants (Nepenthaceae and Sarraceniaceae families) have modified leaves which create “pitfall traps”, pitchers filled with digestive juices. Insects fall into the trap after slipping on the slick rim of the pitcher and are then digested.

Sundews (𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘢 spp.) have leaves that are covered in sticky tentacles which trap insects. The plant then coils around them with nearby tentacles, and releases digestive enzymes before absorbing nutrients from their decaying bodies.

Venus fly traps (𝘋𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘦𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢) have modified leaves that form a mouth-like trap. Once insects touch the tiny trigger hairs inside, the “jaws” snap shut and the plant releases enzymes, creating a kind of stomach where the prey is digested.

Check out this blog post from our very own Extension Horticulture Specialist Abi Saeed for more info on carnivorous plants and growing them yourself:
https://gardenprofessors.com/carnivorous-plants/

10/13/2026

Urban alert! Your trees and shrubs might need some extra care after some heavy snow over the weekend!

Read more here:

https://www.montana.edu/cope/email-format/admin/view.php?draft=14546&uid=6acd1b22c2fd45.66533202&fbclid=IwdGRjcAU7CQFjbGNrBTsI-GV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHBkb2YFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEe-JIqxoamg4r1D8yz3C9HShxPvC_W6cpC-UKiKoVgEU2goWzn0zDoWc60Kuc_aem_2CCu-IennQoI6F7lEGo9RQ

The recent snowfall across Montana arrived before many trees and shrubs had fully dropped their leaves. This can create conditions that can lead to significant branch bending, splitting, and breakage. While snow is a welcome source of moisture, heavy, wet snow can quickly accumulate on leaves and br...

10/12/2026

Did you grow a pumpkin this year 🎃?

Share your best (or worst) pumpkin pictures with the Schutter Diagnostic Lab and your pumpkin will be featured on our pumpkin post at the end of the month!

Send pumpkin photos to us at [email protected]

10/12/2026

“Zombie ants” 🧟‍♀️ 🐜 are created by some species of fungus in the genus 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘺𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘴.

These fungi alter their hosts behavior to optimize their chances at reproduction. Ants are infected by spores on the ground, and their body is colonized by the fungus. This changes the ant’s behavior, causing them to leave the nest and find a humid, warm location that is ideal for fungal spores.

Shortly before death, the ants climb nearby vegetation and bite down to attach themselves to the plant. After this “death grip” is performed, the infected ants die and are consumed by the fungus. The fungus then produces a large stalk which releases spores to the ground where they are available to infect new hosts.

10/11/2026

Blood dripping down your tree is definitely cause for a closer look!

Bleeding cankers can be caused by the fungus-like organism 𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘢 or bacteria such as 𝘗𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴 and can affect a wide range of species.

The most obvious symptom is a dark brown or reddish sap oozing from stems or trunk of a tree or shrub, but infected trees may also show discoloration of the outer bark or sapwood. Cultural controls to prevent establishment of these diseases include preventing wounds and providing proper irrigation with good drainage.

Identifying the cause of bleeding canker is critical for possible treatment so if you notice that your tree or shrub is “bleeding” consider sending photos and samples to the Schutter Diagnostic lab for an accurate diagnosis.

https://www.montana.edu/extension/diagnostics/submissions.html

10/10/2026

Do you think the developing seedheads resemble a witch's broom or do the mature seedheads look like wild witch hair? The origin of the common name witchgrass (𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘮 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦) isn’t clear, but this warm season grass can be seen almost everywhere in late summer and early fall.

Witchgrass is native to North America and is a common weedy species in disturbed areas. It can be identified by its open airy seedhead, and fuzzy leaf sheaths, nodes and ligules. Once mature, the seedhead breaks off and spreads seed as it tumbles.

More information about witchgrass can be found here:

MSU Extension May 2024 Monthly W**d Post:
https://www.montana.edu/extension/invasiveplants/extension/monthly-weed-posts/2024-may-witchgrass.html

Montana Field Guide – Witchgrass:
https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=PMPOA4K0D0