… American bittersweet is a twining vine with alternate leaves that are ovate, glossy, and toothed. In early summer it … are produced at the branch tips. Each berry emerges from a three-valved orange capsule, which is persistent. It is found in oak savannas, dune areas, and scrambling among rocks throughout eastern and central …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Clara Curtis' is a very late flowering cultivar of Korean mum with large, light pink to lavender "daisies" covering the foliage. An heirloom cultivar originally from Russia, this plant is sometimes sold under the name of 'Country Girl'. Reliably hardy in the Chicago area, this is a mum that gardeners can plant and forget about; it thrives in full sun and average soils with …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Aloysia virgata is more commonly known as sweet almond verbena, or incense bush, and originated in Argentina. The primary attraction of sweet almond verbena is its white flowers. The flower is not only attractive, but it also smells good; hence the second common name of incense bush. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Hydrangea macrophylla is a deciduous shrub that grows 3-6’ tall and wide. It features dark green leaves and large clusters of flowers which are either lace cap or mophead in structure. Let’s Dance Easy is a mophead hydrangea which will bloom on both old and new wood from early to late summer. The … the flowers age. Although the plant is hardy to Chicago’s Zone 5, it benefits from a sheltered site, winter mulch and burlap wrap to protect the buds and stems from dying to the ground during …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Hydrangea macrophylla is a deciduous shrub that grows 3-6’ tall and wide. It features dark green leaves and large clusters of flowers which are either lace cap or mophead in structure. Let’s Dance Easy is a mophead hydrangea which will bloom on both old and new wood from early to late summer. The … the flowers age. Although the plant is hardy to Chicago’s Zone 5, it benefits from a sheltered site, winter mulch and burlap wrap to protect the buds and stems from dying to the ground during …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Spring Grove Ginkgo is a dwarf tree with an upright pyramidal shape. It will mature to a height of 6 feet and width … Grove' are bright green in color and grow in a whorled arrangement around the branches. This is a male clone and will not produce the distinctive strong smelling fruit. 'Spring Grove' has … and with its dwarf size makes a nice accent in a smaller garden space. Like all Ginkgoes it is one of the most pollution-tolerant trees and works well in the city. Ginkgo is sometimes …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The crimson buds of MAY'S DELIGHT® Beeson crabapple open to pink flowers. The foliage is reddish-purple; excellent disease resistance is reported. The light fruit set on this Malus sargentii cultivar is dark burgundy. Crabapples are small flowering trees that provide a showy display in the spring …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Grape hyacinth ( Muscari armeniacum ) is a tried-and-true mainstay of the early spring garden, producing spikes of deep-blue flowers … accented with white markings around the petticoat or base of the individual flowers. This is the plant the Dutch use in their gardens to create rivers of blue in their landscape designs. Despite the tendency for the foliage to come into growth in fall, this plant is reliably hardy in the Chicago region. The bulbs slowly create clumps by producing "daughter" …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Narcissus ‘Ice Follies’ is in Division 2. It blooms in early to mid season with 3 ¾ inch flowers that open yellow and become white with age. The corona is very broad and shallow with a frilled mouth. The petals may be slightly reflexed. This early hybrid (pre-1953) is rare in having a double set of chromosomes; most cultivars are genetically unique, with only …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… shelter for a range of insects, small mammals and birds, even bison. Cape Breeze switch grass is a compact upright grass of about three feet in height and about two feet in width. Spring foliage is a bluish-green and in late summer the yellowish seed heads are held gracefully. Like most switch grasses, Cape Breeze is extremely versatile and can cope with a range of soil types from sandy to clay and shade …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
