… Portodora Elephant's Ear is an impressive clump-forming plant with thick purple stems, and enormous dark green … leaves that are heavily scalloped. It grows to about eight feet tall and about wide and is an impressive statement plant in any garden. Portodora prefers full sun or part shade but needs consistently moist soils and protection from drying or damaging winds. It is not hardy in Chicago and the bulb can lifted and stored in a dry, cool, dark location such as …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Aphelandra sinclairiana is a showstopper every winter when it comes into flower. A relatively tall tropical perennial, … dozens of fuzzy apricot-colored buds that open to reveal pink flowers. The color combination is stunning! A native of the lowland tropics of Central America, this plant needs room to grow. It is best grown in full sun with reliable moisture, moderate fertilization, and temperatures no …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Silky Gold bloodflower ( Asclepias curassavica 'Silky Gold') is a nonnative perennial plant that the Chicago Botanic Garden grows from seed and uses as a warm-season annual. It is a member of the milkweed family, which includes butterfly weed ( A. tuberosa ), prairie … flowers form seedpods from which seeds with silky hairs are dispersed by wind. 'Silky Gold' is a host plant for monarch and queen butterfly larvae, and its nectar attracts many other …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… the root system established. Unfortunately this native of southern Mexico and Central America is not root hardy in the Chicago area. Milky sap can cause contact dermatitis and is poisonous if ingested. Ingestion is unlikely because a different compound in the sap produces a gag reflex. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… are comprised of tiny densely packed flowers which bloom in mid summer. Pink Lightning is a dwarf astilbe, growing to only 16 inches tall. It does well in partial shade to shade and will add a welcome touch of color to a shady garden. It is attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds while it is resistant to rabbits and deer. After the blooms have died, the stalks with the dried seed …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… does well in shade to partial shade and adds a welcome touch of color to a shady garden. It is generally pest free and tough. It is resistant to rabbits and deer, but attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. This is an excellent cut flower. After the blooms have died, the stalks with the dried seed heads are …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… foliage with a bluish cast in summer that changes to a rich black-green in mid-winter. It is notable for its excellent cold hardiness, compact, oval-rounded habit, delicate foliage and good growth rate. This shrub is a Chicagoland Grows® selection. Chicagoland Grows® is a plant introduction partnership of the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Morton Arboretum and the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Brazilian ironwood, also known as leopard tree, is a highly ornamental Brazilian tree with many fine attributes. A single straight trunk is topped with a vase-shaped canopy. A member of the pea family, it has large, lacy pinnate … peels away to reveal patches of gray, creamy white and green, like a sycamore. The hard wood is used for furniture, flooring, fence posts and guitars. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Native to Japan, ‘Mops’ is a semi-dwarf shrubby conifer that reaches 4 – 5 feet high and 4 – 5 feet wide. The dramatic foliage is bright yellow green with a feathery, almost stringy appearance. The glowing foliage holds its … cultivars. The slightly weeping branches give the plant a shaggy, mophead form. This plant is easy to grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The Atlas Mountain palm is a native of north Africa where it grows in the Atlas mountains of Morocco and Algeria to … fan-shaped frond that have a waxy coating lending the leaves a grayish tone. This tree is rounded when young but can eventually reach a height and width of 10 to 15 feet. This tree requires very sunny conditions and dryish well-drained soils. It is not hardy in Chicago, but can be grown in a container in a warm sunny location. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
