… Today’s enthusiasm for using herbs to treat ailments, whether Echinacea (purple coneflower) as an immune-system … new. Native Americans of the Great Plains held Echinacea in high regard and prescribed it for snakebites, stings, toothaches, and the mumps. Ancient Greeks believed St. Johnswort would make evil spirits fly away. The early Christians used it in exorcisms. For some, it’s a mood lifter against present-day demons. What is an Herb? An herb is a plant with …
Type: Plant Info
… “I love it for its fine-textured, low-mounding habit, its late-summer flowers that are fragrant, like cilantro—very unusual for a grass—and its orange-tinged fall color,” says Dr. James Ault, director of ornamental plant …
Type: Plant Info
… ginger makes a striking, shining ground cover or border plant in shady gardens. It is grown for its foliage, because its flowers are insignificant. It spreads by rhizomes and is semi-evergreen during winter. It is an elegant ground cover for shady gardens. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… America. Silky Scarlet bloodflower ( Asclepias curassavica 'Silky Scarlet') is a great plant for color in the landscape from mid-summer through fall. Butterflies attracted to the nectar will lay their eggs on the foliage for their larvae to eat. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… scene with intricately-shaped lavender flowers above bronze-tinted new foliage. Selected for cultivation by noted German plantsman, Ernst Pagels, this low-growing, hardy ground cover is perfect for shady locations. Once established (after 2 to 3 years), Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' can …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… maturing between four and five feet in height. All of the flowers are pollen free - great for gardeners allergic to sunflower pollen; not so great for pollen collecting insects. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… that will also provide season-long color. Then prepare a warm-season mixed container suitable for a sun or partial-shade location. Dress for the weather and bring gloves if desired. Jacob Emrick, horticulturist, Chicago Botanic …
Type: Item Detail
… example of perfectly hardy trees that only survived the last Ice Age in the Deep South. Makes for an excellent tree for urban soils with poor aeriation. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… For Chicago-area gardeners, May is typically “go time!” for planting annuals, vegetables, and herbs to fill out the garden. The lawn is actively growing, … too. However, this month is a study in contrast, before and after the final frost date for the Chicago region’s USDA Hardiness Zones 5b and 6a. When planting warm-season annuals, …
Type: Plant Info
… more common. That's when Illinois was covered with pasture land. This nocturnal owl is known for its heart-shaped face, and its acute listening skills come in handy for hunting small mammals on the ground. …
Type: Birding
