Star-shaped leaves, pale flowers and cucumber fruit, all characteristics of wild cucumber. / Photo Credit: Bugwood.org
By the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Plants that are pokey, viny or quick to spread across the landscape sometimes seem alarming when you discover them in your backyard or woods, or even when you spot them along the highway.
Wild cucumber has all these characteristics, and its growth rate has been quite prolific in some parts of Wisconsin again this year. But all of this is not as ominous as it seems.
Beginning July 1, 2025, cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in –or conducting their projects in – Wisconsin can apply for a regular or startup 2026 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry grant. The total 2026 available funding is $559,680, with a possible release of $139,920 of catastrophic storm reserve to fund a second round in March 2026. 
When your newly planted trees are getting comfortable in their new homes, you’ve pulled the splinters from your hands and you find yourself at a desk asking yourself, “What now?”, we have an answer for you.
With recent storms passing through Wisconsin, communities may still be working on clean-up. Depending on the intensity of the storms and the condition of the trees, damage from high winds, heavy rainfall, hail and lightning can be quite severe. Cracked or broken branches, trunk damage and root failure are some of the main concerns, but also the risk and liability of damage to people and property. 
