Welcome, Sue! While I'm not imbeded in the foothills quite as much as you, there will still be much that is the same. Big difference: NO SNOW! Westelle -- behind the first hills off 168.

This looks very much like Sparkleberry, it's in the blueberry family. It gets adorable bell-shaped white flowers in the spring. The leaves turn red in the fall. It gets pretty big, in fact it's the largest growing member of that family. We have it on our property. It's a good native for wildlife, however I understand the berries don't taste too good.

Thanks for all of the info, but it isn't burdock. The leaves are almost completely round, like a plate. Stems hollow, about the size of a cane pole. Grew in shady forest with no blooms.

Can't believe this info isn't floating around somewhere online. I had to type it in! 10:00 - 10:45 Landscaping with Native Plants Trisha Radford, area Biologist for SW MO, MO Dept of Conservation See how using native plant species can provide a more natural landscape for personal enjoyment while benefiting wildlife. 11:00 - 11:45 Solving Wildlife Conflicts James Dixon, Wildlife Damage Biologist, MO Dept of Conservation Squirrels, groundhogs, & moles ruining your garden paradise? We'll discuss how to stop these and many other common garden pests from destroying your landscape. 12:00 - 12:45 Alien Species Mike Skinner, Natural History Biologist, MO Dept of Conservation Learn to identify many non-native plant species and discover how they threaten your native flora. 1:00 - 1:45 Butterfly and Hummingbird Gardens Ruby Ball, Volunteer Naturalist Learn ways to use native plants to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. 2:00 - 2:45 Rain, Rain Go... into my plant beds! Ronda Headland, MO Dept of Conservation Community Conservationist Have a boggy spot in your yard that just won't dry? Erosion issues? How about a ditch that you're tired of mowing? Attend this session and learn how native plants can address all these issues and more! Plant Sale from 9:00am - 4:00pm Here is a link that might be useful: News-Leader Article