Kip’s Comments - April 28, 2026

Enjoy One, Pull The Other

In our area of Northeast Iowa the early wildflower blooming season has pretty much ended as we transition to the next grouping of blooming wildflowers - wild geraniums, phlox, wild columbine to name a few. At the entrance to the south end of Sweet Marsh I found few wild geraniums soaking in the sun this afternoon.

Wild Geranium - Image 1092132

Wild geraniums are a popular wildflower species native to North America. Their showy blossoms attract pollinators - bees, butterflies, and other pollinating species. Wild Geraniums are a good plant to have around.

Thriving even more than the wild geraniums in the same general area are garlic mustard plants. Garlic mustard plants are non-native, invasive wildflowers that threaten desirable plants (like wild geranium).

Garlic Mustard - Image 1092118

One treatment for garlic mustard is to pull the plant, assuring all of the roots are extracted. Herbicides also take care of garlic mustard, but are not practical in the woods. For that matter, pulling is not too effective either unless you have many people pulling the plants. I do pull them when I find small patches, but I don’t know that I am doing much good. I can hope.

If you can get out, I encourage you to enjoy the wild geraniums and pull the garlic mustard plants.