The Spiraea japonica species includes the greatest range of cultivars available to the home gardener within the Spiraea genus. They all have a compact mounding habit in sizes ranging from 18" to 5' that makes them useful in borders and smaller spaces. The cultivars also offer foliage coloration ranging from green to yellow/gold and bloom coloration ranging from pale pink to dark pinks that are …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
The Spiraea japonica species includes the greatest range of cultivars available to the home gardener within the Spiraea genus. They all have a compact mounding habit in sizes ranging from 18" to 5' that makes them useful in borders and smaller spaces. The cultivars also offer foliage coloration ranging from green to yellow/gold and bloom coloration ranging from pale pink to dark pinks that are …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… to fertilize again when the leaves appear in spring, and a third time after flowers fade and die back (a triple-fertilizer strategy that will keep bulbs healthy for many years). Next, water …
Type: Plant Info
… stage before emerging as adult moths in late July. The moths mate, lay their eggs, and then die. Damage When present in high numbers, spongy moths are a serious leaf-eating pest of hardwood …
Type: Plant Info
Boxwood blight was first discovered in the United States in 2011. Currently, it has been identified in 18 states, primarily in the east. It is being managed at a state level, with various states having different regulations. Some states require nurseries to practice boxwood blight cleanliness programs to ensure the plants they sell are disease free. Here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, we are …
Type: Plant Info
Eco-friendly Storm Absorbers When it rains, often it pours. Our urban stormwater systems were originally designed to prevent flooding and to quickly move water off the streets. However, as stormwater rushes through driveways and gutters, it picks up an array of contaminants en route to the river or lake: oil, fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals. When this dirty water reaches its final …
Type: Plant Info
… sow seeds directly into the soil in mid-May (after the danger of spring frost has passed) or buy a mixed flat of flowers and transplant them at that time. (Dahlias are sold as tubers or …
Type: Plant Info
… with spring-blooming bulbs, like daffodils and snowdrops, is icing on the hedge. Before You Buy (Or Plant) First, note the location of your property lines. Call JULIE (dial 811) to …
Type: Plant Info
One of the most delightful and perhaps underused smaller trees is the native American pawpaw ( Asimina triloba ). Large, dangling leaves give the plant a tropical look. But it’s the fruit—the largest in North America—that is most noteworthy with its almost indescribable flavor—a mix of banana, apple and hints of mango, vanilla and citrus. Some of the fruit's common names hint at how delicious it …
Type: Plant Info
In the Victorian-era language of flowers, a bunch of violets meant faithfulness. In the language of lawns, it means wet soil and shade. Weeds don't just happen at random. Different conditions favor plants that evolved in different habitats. So the particular plants that pop up where you don't want them might tell you something you didn't know about your garden. When Tom Tiddens, supervisor of …
Type: Plant Info
