LISLE – The harshest Midwest drought in a quarter-century is causing the “worst drought symptoms I have observed in my professional career, “ according to Kris Bachtell, vice president of collections and facilities for The Morton Arboretum.

“Plants and trees are so stressed that they not might make it through the drought without some help,” Bachtell said in a news release.

The drought symptoms include wilted leaves, leaves with a grayish cast, scorched leaves, yellowing leaves (particularly interior ones), and dropping leaves. To stave off continued damage, Bachtell recommends area residents take these steps: