Isanti is a compact cultivar of the native red osier dogwood that is denser and more compact than the species. Like the species, it produces small white flowers in spring, white fruits beloved by birds in summer, reddish foliage in fall and bright red stems in winter. Many gardeners remove the oldest stems in early spring, because the younger ones provide the best color. Members of the genus …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Cotinus obovatus , commonly called American smoketree, is a small, deciduous, rounded, Missouri native tree or large, upright shrub that typically grows 20 to 30 feet tall and occurs in limestone glades, rocky limestone bluffs, and bald knobs in the area of southeast Missouri. Smoketree gets its common name, not from the 6- to 10-inch flower clusters (tiny, insignificant, dioecious, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Camassia leichtlinii 'Semi-Plena' produces spikes of creamy white flowers on spikes up to 36 inches tall in late spring and early summer. Each spike can carry between 20 and 80 flowers. It is one of the few North American native bulbs that are widely available for gardeners to plant that thrive in moist to wet soils. Free of most insect and disease pests, it will flower well in full sun or …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Carnival Black Olive Alumroot matures to a neat 12 inch by 14 inch mound shape and has purple to black foliage that matures to a dark green. The leaves are impressively large, have a rich dark color, and present as slightly upwardly cup shape with moderately lobed edges. This cultivar is well named, the mix of black, green and purple tones successfully mimic the color of black olives. Although …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Hercules Coral Bells is an attention grabbing variegated form with cream and green marbled leaves and cheerful bright cherry red flower sprays. This Heuchera was named after the Greek hero to emphasize its strong growth and robust appearance. The leaves emerge in the spring with strikingly striped leaves, the contrasting red flowers follow in late spring and early summer. The color of the leaves …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Erin Rachel tropical hibiscus features hot neon orange flowers that blend into vibrant pink with a rich magenta center on an evergreen shrub that can reach up to 12' in height. For best flower production, grow in full sun and provide moderate fertilization and irrigation during periods of drought. Large containers can be overwintered indoors successfully in low light conditions in the Chicago …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
A herald of early spring, winter aconite's beautiful yellow blooms are borne over a mound of rich green foliage. A member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), Eranthis hyemalis is one of the earliest spring-flowering bulbs to bloom—and also among the smallest. Because these bulbs grow closer to the soil's surface, it takes only a few sunny days or thawing rains to warm the soil and signal to …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
We know spring has arrived in northern climes when we see the cheery yellow blooms of the ubiquitous forsythias in April. Named after William Forsyth, one of the founders of the Royal Horticultural Society in the 18th century, forsythias are medium to large shrubs that produce four- petaled clusters of bell-shaped flowers in the axils of the stiff, rough branches. These Asian shrubs are very …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
We know spring has arrived in northern climes when we see the cheery yellow blooms of the ubiquitous forsythias in April. Named after William Forsyth, one of the founders of the Royal Horticultural Society in the 18th century, forsythias are medium to large shrubs that produce four- petaled clusters of bell-shaped flowers in the axils of the stiff, rough branches. These Asian shrubs are very …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
The Gravenstein apple orginated in Denmark in the 17th century. It has a tart flavor and is used primarily for cooking. The difference between apples and crabapples is the size of the fruit. If the fruit is 2 inches or greater, it is considered an apple; if less than 2 inches, it is considered a crabapple. While apple fruit trees are generally grown commercially and in quantity as a crop, they …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
