… This member of the Actaea or bugbane family is particularly prized for it remarkably dark purple, almost black foliage. In late summer, … to bugs. In fact, in earlier times, they were used to repel bed bugs. 'Hillside Black Beauty' is a shade-loving plant that forms a clump about 2-3 feet high with flower spikes reaching 3-4 … moist soils in order to retain its lush appearance and unusual leaf color. This plant is well-suited to woodland and shade gardens and while slow to establish is relatively easy to …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Cattleya' is sometimes known as False Spirea. The bright, rose-colored plumes sit on top of dark green, … areas with shade to partial shade where it adds a welcome touch of color to a shady garden. It is generally pest-free and tough, and is resistant to rabbits and deer. It is attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. This is an …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Jackson aloe, or Aloe jacksonii , is native to Ethiopia and was first collected by T.H.E. Jackson in 1943. Since its discovery it has not been located again, but has survived in cultivation. It is considered a dwarf form, having training branches only four to eight inches long. The leaves … green, with white spots, and the leaves tend to remain clustered toward the branch apex. This is a sprawling aloe, creating a dense mound. It is known as a cremnophyte, or a plant that …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ruffled petals surround a deep red 'eye' at the center of the flower, This deciduous shrub is adapted to full sun, dry soils and tolerant of air pollution. It is one of a number of cultivars released by the United States National Arboretum combining the … supply of flowers throughout the summer and early fall with little or no seed production. It is hardy in zones 5 – 9. When the species was named syriacus, it was thought to have originated …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Heuchera richardsonii var. grayana or Prairie Alumroot, is native to the Midwest; found in Illinois, Missouri and the adjacent states. It is a variety of the species that was described and named in 1933 in honor of Dr. Asa Gray, who … first discovered the variant. It differs in a few small measurable ways from the species, and is currently considered to be the same as the species. The flowers are a bit smaller, more …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Hydrangea macrophylla is a deciduous shrub that grows 3-6’ tall and wide. It features dark green leaves and large … flowers which are either lace cap or mophead in structure. ‘Gilded Lace’, which grows 5’ tall, is a lace cap with light blue flowers and striking gold mottling on the leaves. Flower color is … is hardy to zones 6-9 and will not survive Chicago’s harsh winters unless given a sheltered site, winter mulch and a burlap wrap. Plant in moist soil in part shade; attractive when massed …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ‘Little Lamb’ is a compact shrub with a mounding habit that stands 6 to 8 ft tall and 4 to 6 ft. wide. It has … mature. The blooms will continue into September. It does well in full sun to light shade and is moderately drought - tolerant. The color of the flowers is not affected by the pH of the soil. It blooms on new wood so the flowers are not susceptible …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Iris 'Batik' is a border bearded iris that is a little shorter than tall bearded irises. The royal-purple flowers each have their own wildly … each with multiple buds that open in late spring to early summer. It has no fragrance but is attractive to butterflies and makes an excellent cut flower. Batik was awarded Honorable …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Echinacea pallida is one of two species of coneflower native to Illinois. It is recognized by the narrow, drooping rosy pink, lavender or orchid flower petals surrounding a … plant. The flowers grow singly at the top of a fuzzy flower stalk two to three feet tall. It is native through much of eastern and central North America, but is uncommon due to the loss of …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Large fothergilla ( Fothergilla major ), which is native to the Allegheny Mountains, grows into a rounded or upright shrub 4 to 6 feet tall. Because it is multistemmed with closely borne oval leaves, it has a dense appearance. White and yellowish flowers look like small bottlebrushes and have no petals (the showy portion is the spiky male stamens). This plant blooms from April to mid-May with a honey scent. It …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
