What's in Bloom

Gateway Visitor Center: Harris Tram Stop: New York aster (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Milka'). Fall color: Chicago Fire™ burning bush (Euonymus alatus 'Timber Creek'), Creeping Oregon grape holly (Mahonia repens 'Denver Strain'), Autumn Blaze pears (Pyrus calleryana 'Autumn Blaze'), Autumn Jazz® arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum 'Ralph Senior'), blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium). Colorful fruit: Sargent crabapple (Malus sargentii).

Parking Lots, Lake-Cook Entrance and Gatehouse: Lot 1: Dwarf fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'). Fall interest: Sargent crabapple (Malus sargentii). Lot 3: Fall color: red oak (Quercus rubra), snowberry (Symphoricarpus albus var. laevigatus) - inedible white berries. Lot 4: Thorny sentinels of devil's walking stick (Aralia spinosa). Lot 5: Fall color: Sparkle barberry (Berberis thunbergii 'Sparkle'), meadowsweet (Spiraea alba), Koreanspice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii). Lot 6: Fall color: Winter Flame dogwood (Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Flame')- yellow/red twigs, redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea ) –red twigs, switch grass (Panicum virgatum 'Haense Herms'), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium 'Blaze'). The Links: Fall color: red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) –red berries, dwarf bloodtwig dogwood Cornus sanguinea 'Compressa') –red twigs, hairyleaf cotoneaster (Cotoneaster submultiflorus) – red fruit, panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' & 'Little Lamb') –dried seedheads, winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica) –green twigs, crabapples (Malus 'Adams', 'Prairifire', 'Winter Gold') -fruits, fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Cassian'), Japanese spireas (Spiraea japonica) – red fall color, Amethyst™ coralberry (Symphoricarpos x doorenbosii 'Kordes') – pink berries. Annex Road: Fall color: Fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Cassian', hybrid rugosa rose (Rosa 'Belle Poitevine'). Lake Cook entrance/Gatehouse: Flower bulbs for next spring have been planted.

Sun Plant Evaluation Garden: Entrance: Cones and catkins on the black alder (Alnus glutinosa), berries on Hesse cotoneaster (Cotoneaster 'Hessei'), spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum 'Pink Pearls'), fruits on the Morning Sun® crabapple (Malus 'Joy Morton'). Evaluation Beds: Switch grass (Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues', 'Dewey Blue', 'Prairie Sky', 'Rotstrahlbusch', 'Shenandoah', 'Warrior'), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium 'Blaze' & 'Jazz'). Plant Breeding Beds: Fall color on Amsonia hybrids, Aster hybrids and Panicum hybrids.

Shade Plant Evaluation Garden: Entrance: Aster ageratoides var. ovatus, yellow corydalis (Corydalis lutea), spotted dead nettle (Lamium maculatum 'Elisabeth de Haas'). Fall color: European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Mars' –huge “cones”), Black Lace™ elderberry (Sambucus Nigra 'Eva'). Pond/Lathhouse: Yellow corydalis (Corydalis lutea). Fall color: American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), European beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Rohan's Gold'), seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides), fuzzy buds on Yulan magnolia (Magnolia denudata 'Forrest's Pink'), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), snowy hydrangea (Hydrangea radiata), golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata 'Coral Sun'). South: Great masterwort (Astrantia major 'Magnum Blush', 'Rubra'), yellow corydalis (Corydalis lutea). Fall color: Smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria), Grifffith spurge (Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow'), Scarlet Beauty® sweetspire (Itea virginica 'Morton'), sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua 'Moraine'), greenstripe bamboo (Pleioblastus viridistriata). Winter interest: David maple (Acer davidii) –striped bark, cherry-bark maple (Acer griseum)- flaky bark, evergreen foliage on various ferns, including Dryopteris x australis, Dryopteris x complexa and Dryopteris filis-mas 'Linearis', Eastern wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus 'Morton' –pink seed capsules), foliage of Lenten rose (Helleborus 'Ivory Prince' and lungwort (Pulmonaria angustifolia 'Diane Clare'. East: Winter interest: White bark on Himalayan birch (Betula utilis ), sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia 'Creel's Calico', 'Paniculata', 'Rosea', 'September Beauty' –interesting seed capsules), persistent leaves on Durmast oak (Quercus petraea ). North: Golden Lace sunflower (Helianthus 'Golden Lace'), crimson pincushion (Knautia macedonica “Amethyst Selection”), spotted dead-nettle (Lamium maculatum). Fall color: Fringed bluestar (Amsonia ciliata 'Halfway To Arkansas'), dwarf bluestar (Amsonia montana 'Short Stack'), European beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purple Fountain'), hairy alumroot (Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride'), panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Floribunda'), eulalia grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Hercules'), Oro Verde stephanandra (Stephanandra 'Bokrabruijn'), Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia 'Garden City' – foliage and small papery seed capsules. Winter interest: Bark on Fox Valley® river birch (Betula nigra 'Little King').