KMS Native Plants, LLC

05/31/2026

A magnificent tick talk - the truth about spraying pesticides and more!

Why are Tick-Transmitted Infections Spreading? Biodiversity and Inf...

05/30/2026

Look at this beautiful dragonfly Hannah spotted today in the yard. This is a Swamp Darner (Epiaeschna heros) and it’s North America’s largest species. Not all dragonflies are aquatic during the larval stage. Some can live in rotting logs before they emerge as the beautiful dragonfly. This makes sense as there’s no standing water in the yard but there’s plenty of moist rotting logs 😀

05/28/2026

A little brown bat somehow got into the house! Such a cutie.

05/27/2026

Need a lot of plants? Flats can be delivered directly to your door. Over 100 species available! Email [email protected] to order yours today. Photo: Carex pensylvanica aka oak or Pennsylvania sedge.

05/26/2026

Back in stock! Living Lands 1 pound bags of native birdseed.

05/25/2026

KMSNP is open today, Memorial Day, from 11:00am - 2:00pm.

05/24/2026

With the cool spring and rains, some not so fun things emerge in the garden. According to Margery Daughtry at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, it is usually only seen on Iris sibirica (Siberian Iris) but apparently it is now spreading to our native beauties, Iris versicolor (Blue Flag) and Iris cristata (Crested Iris). It is called Puccinia iridis. ☹️

According to CCE: 'Like cedar apple rust, it will just keep coming. The good thing is that it only goes to irises. Pull whole plants up by their roots - or discard the whole container - and gently discard in garbage bags. The idea is to take the bags to the plants, and get them inside the bag without shaking any spores loose. You’ll have spores all over your arms when you finish, so shower and change your clothes before you hug any irises. I have seen rust on I. sibirica only, myself. Both crested and blue flags are listed as hosts of the rust.'

So sad. Irises are some of my favorite plants, but this is one more reason to dig out those 'Caesar's Brother' and other cultivars of Siberian irises and plant something better 😀

05/23/2026