… History The emerald ash borer (EAB) was first discovered in the United States near Detroit, Michigan, in summer 2002. Horticulturalists were puzzled by the sudden decline and loss of hundreds of ash … beetle, Agrilus planipennis , commonly called the emerald ash borer. The EAB originated in Asia, and most likely entered the United States in packing materials such as wooden crates …
Type: Plant Info
… panicle hydrangeas ( H. paniculata ) do. A hydrangea with a great backstory (more about that in a minute), 'Annabelle' has become a synonym for the genus itself, the iconic hydrangea, the shrub you can find in every neighborhood and that people still ask for by name—even decades after it first became popular. In this month’s Smart Gardener , we look at the recent explosion of new hydrangea cultivars, and …
Type: Plant Info
… primarily grown as a Christmas tree by the nursery trade but may be used as a specimen conifer in the garden. This fir is differentiated from the species by the conspicuous papery bracts protruding from the cones. It is only found in a few spots in the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia to New Hampshire, and in Quebec. A …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… branching; it has deeply furrowed, corky bark. Though miyabie maple is listed as endangered in its native habitat in Japan, several cultivars are considered hardy, adaptable urban street trees. The dark green leaves turn golden in fall. This tree is a Chicagoland Grows® selection. Chicagoland Grows® is a plant introduction …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Sweet flag is a wetland species in the arum family resembling cattails or sweet flag iris, with narrow, rigid leaves up to three … “spadix”). It shoots out at an angle from a stem that looks the same as the leaves. It appears in early summer and may not even be noticeable among the leaves. The rhizomes have a sweet fragrance when crushed and have been used in folk medicine. Muskrats are fond of eating the rhizomes. While the species is found in …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… chalices accented with faint purple stripes at the base, orange stigmas, and yellow anthers in early spring. Best grown in full sun or light shade underneath the canopy of deciduous trees, these adaptable early spring flowers have difficulty naturalizing in the Chicago area because of predation by voles, chipmunks, rabbits, and deer. Nevertheless, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… uniform stalks. Asparagus is a hardy perennial with thick, succulent shoots that are harvested in April to early May, leaving younger shoots for future growth. Asparagus is high in vitamin K and many minerals. It needs to be planted in well-drained soil, with careful selection of the site, considering that it will continue to …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… red powderpuff ( Calliandra haematocephala ) is an evergreen shrub or small tree included in the legume or pea family, Fabaceae, and the mimosa subfamily (Mimosoideae). It typically grows 10 to 15 feet tall in its native habitat and is a very popular flowering shrub in central and southern Florida, where it will survive year around in the ground. Bipinnately …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Clematis ‘Madame Julia Correvon’ is clothed in claret-red flowers with contrasting cream stamens from ground level up to 13 feet in height. The stems die back each winter to 1 to 2 feet above soil level in the Chicago area. It thrives in sunny locations with moist, fertile soils and is relatively …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Mayfield' is a larger, strongly columnar, form selected in Ohio around the 1940's. It is a male clone, which will not produce the distinctive smelly fruit, and will mature to tall 15 foot by 4 foot narrow tree in 10 years. Good for planting in rows or as an accent. The Ginkgo is an ancient deciduous conifer and evidence has been found …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
