… Wetlands Invader Ever wonder what that tall plant with a feathery-tufted top is that you see growing along our roadside ditches? It’s called common reed ( Phragmites australis ), and in recent years this highly invasive plant has spread through the Chicago region at an alarming … and alters nutrient cycling. Looks can be deceiving—the common reed appears innocuous enough; in fact, to the naked eye, it is almost identical to native Phragmites that have been part of the …
Type: Plant Info
… Pale green flowers mature to white and take on a pinkish cast with age. Best performance is achieved in partial shaded, moist garden soils. The foliage is persistent in very mild winters but deciduous most years in Chicago. Deer find the flowers and leaves …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Smoke tree is a small ornamental, deciduous tree or large bush that is grown for its attractive foliage and plume-like panicles that appear in the summer and look like smoke. Nordine Red has ruby-red foliage that turns a deep red-purple in the fall. At maturity it will reach 6 to 8 feet in height and can be grown in full sun or …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… White petals blush pink towards the base surrounding a dark pink lip edged in white. Phalaenopsis orchids are often called moth orchids because the flowers of some species resemble moths in flight. The name is derived from the word Phalaena , given by Carl Linnaeus to a group of large moths. There are …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… In Northern and Midwestern gardens, much emphasis is placed on four-season gardens, with great praise showered on those plants that provide interest when it is least expected. Think of the shrubs that flower not in spring but in late summer, bulbs that sprout in February and perennials that bloom in …
Type: Plant Info
… Ginkgo biloba 'Tit' is a lovely little multi-stemmed dwarf tree. It grows only to a height of 10 feet with full sun … Very nice for a small space or garden. It has the typical beautiful fan shaped green leaves in summer followed by the Ginkgo's typical outstanding golden yellow fall color. This is a male clone and will not produce the distinctive strong smelling fruit in the fall. It is resistant to deer and is one of the most pollution-tolerant trees. Although …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Decaisnea fargesii is an upright, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that is native to woodlands, thickets, mountain slopes and ravines in western China, Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar, Nepal and Sikkim. This shrub typically grows to 20' tall and as wide. It is ornamentally grown in some areas for its long odd-pinnate leaves, its monoecious flowers in drooping racemes and its …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Jersey Knight' is a high-yielding variety that can grow in heavier soils. Asparagus is a hardy perennial with … and many minerals. It needs to be planted in well-drained soil, with careful selection of the site, considering that it will continue to grow for 15 to 20 years. It also makes an attractive …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… larger panicles. It requires full sun to partial shade and moderate moisture conditions. It is most useful in a hedge or in a border. Oakleaf hydrangea, native to the southeast U.S., is a stiffly upright shrub that can …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This golden willow tree loves water and is usually grown in damp areas for the bright golden yellow stems that are visible in the winter time. The Basford golden willow is a spectacular tree at its full height of about …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
