… of bell-shaped flowers in the axils of the stiff, rough branches. Forsythia x intermedia is a cross between Forsythia viridissima and Forsythia suspensa var. fortunei. It was found as a … of Gottingen, Germany, in 1885. It has given rise to many popular cultivars. ‘Beatrix Farrand’ is a widely cultivated old standard, found in many old landscapes. It grows large and is very floriferous. However, it is not very cold hardy and after a cold winter, only a …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… moisture conditions. It produces domes of slightly fragrant bright pink flowers in spring and is graced with bright red foliage with the onset of winter temperatures. Like other Rhododendron species, it needs an acidic soil pH. Acidic pH is not a characteristic of most Chicago area soils so care must be taken to incorporate peat into … identified as appropriate for Rhododendron and other acidic-loving plants. The root system is comprised of a dense network of fine feeder roots in the top couple of inches of the soil and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Rodgersias they can tolerate boggy areas and naturalize over time. 'Bloody Wheels' foliage is particularly colorful. The leaves emerge bright red, then deepen to a bronzed purple before maturing to green. Fall color is also dramatic. The flowering spikes can be 5' tall, but bloom is iffy. As a species, Rodgersias give you a bold counterpoint to the delicate airy foliage …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… and bushy and reddish in color. A lot like a fox's tail in fact and explain why this grass is called a foxtail fountain grass. Ginger Love fountain grass is a warm season grass that grows in clumps about two to three feet wide and tall. The green … in July and persist until winter and are usually retained over winter and the entire plant is cut back in late winter. This grass is extremely adaptable and can be used in a wide range of …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Native to the West Indies, coastal northern South America, and Panama, Barbados gooseberry is frequently grown as an ornamental or for its fruits in the American tropics, Bermuda, … Australia. A member of the cactus family, the plant does not fit the standard cactus mold. It is an erect woody shrub when young, which with age begins vining and climbing with spiny branches reaching 33 feet long. 'Godseffiana’, a cultivated variety produced in Australia, is bushy, with broad yellow-green variegated leaves displaying scarlet and copper on the upper …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The Desert Mountain mock orange is native to the dry, mountainous regions of southwest North America. It bears highly fragrant white flowers with a maroon center in May to June. The Desert Mountain mock orange is a medium-sized deciduous shrub with narrow grayish-green leaves that are adapted to dry … feet in height and width with gently arching branches and an open appearance. While this shrub is adaptable to a range of conditions including drought, it prefers sunny locations and cannot …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Salvia leucantha 'Midnight' is a Mexican bush sage featuring dark purple calyces (bracts that surround the flower) and purple flowers on a plant that can reach up to 5 feet in height and width. This cultivar is drought tolerant once established. Chemicals in the leaves repel deer and rabbits, while the … Mexican bush sage has been used in our autumn landscapes for several years. Although it is a shrubby perennial of coniferous forests in Mexico, the Chicago Botanic Garden uses it in …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Tara Prairie Dropseed is a clumping warm season grass with bright green leaves and delicate flower panicles that appear … brown in late fall. In massed plantings the flowers provide an attractive pinkish haze which is enhanced by backlighting in early morning or late afternoon. This grass is a wonderful all year plant with bright green foliage in spring and summer, flower spikes in …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Prunus tenella 'Fire Hill' is a dwarf shrub with long thin leaves and a breathtaking display of dark pink flowers in spring. This is a low growing suckering shrub that is not fussy about soil pH, texture or moisture but does best in full sun. Because of the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The bracted balsam fir, also called "Canaan fir" is an evergreen fir native to the northeastern United States and Canada. Growing upwards of 50 … dark-green to blue-green needles, it has a narrow pyramidal form with upswept branches. It is 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 …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
