… ). 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, … at how delicious it tastes: Indiana banana, custard banana and American papaw. It’s been used in custards, ice cream, breads and smoothies. Because the ripe fruits bruise easily and are highly perishable, they seldom are sold in stores. “It was really part of the forest landscape in the 1500s. As explorers crossed and …
Type: Plant Info
… On September 1, we ring in the first day of meteorological fall. * Pumpkins, kale, scarecrows and Halloween decorations are in the stores, but don’t put away your trowel, shovel, hose or clippers just yet. Autumn is … trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and fall-themed containers. Advantages of Fall Planting In spring, the soil is typically very cold and often soggy, but then air temperatures suddenly …
Type: Plant Info
… and working within a container’s constraints. Tip 1: Work with the proportions of the space. In the low-to-the-ground containers, no plant is taller than 12 inches, and most are in the 3- to 6-inch range. Keep heights low, but allow for a range—from creeping near the ground to a foot in height. Tip 2: Scale matters. Flowers are intentionally small in this mix, with tulips as the …
Type: Plant Info
… these predatory songbirds make a rare trip down from the north, they will most often be seen in the tip of an oak tree in the Dixon Prairie while looking for meadow voles in the snow. …
Type: Birding
… This round evergreen cactus grows to less than 6 inches in height. It requires full sun to partial shade and dry conditions. In late winter and early spring it produces salmon-colored blooms. It is a specimen in a border. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Shag white pine is a dwarf, densely rounded conifer with short bluish-green needles. Effective in rock gardens or in a foundation planting with grows to 4 feet tall and prefers well-drained soil in full to part shade. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… shade-tolerant native annual from late spring through midsummer. Plant 'Beautiful Dreamer' in moisture-retentive, well-drained soils in locations where it can reseed for bloom in following years. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… plants that do not lose their leaves over the winter. Leaves turn yellow and then brown in response to specific weather conditions. Leaves do not actually burn but rather dry up. Timing & Life Cycle Symptoms of winterburn typically appear first in late winter and accelerate in early spring. Various conditions combine to cause leaves to dry out. Mild winter temperatures …
Type: Plant Info
… a bluestem willow its stems are actually red with a white coating that makes them look bluish. In nature, this willow tree is found growing around streams in the mountains of the southwestern US where it is sometimes called the sandbar willow. While … the bluestem willow grows naturally at altitude it is quite happy growing at lower altitudes in sunny positions with moist soils. It can grow to a height and width of ten feet but coppicing …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… and Ecology of Natural Areas (SENA) program. She also collaborates with other staff in the Garden’s Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action, as well as staff … the Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC), Heather helps grow the Garden’s role as a leader in efforts to steward, understand, and support diverse, resilient woodlands in the region. Heather brings more than a decade of experience in land restoration and …
Type: Staff bio
