… The native Allegheny serviceberry will attain heights of 15 to 25 feet in the Illinois garden. White flowers cover this small tree/large shrub in mid-spring. … attractive foliage color in fall and interesting bark/branch structure in winter. Common names for amelanchier include juneberry and serviceberry and refer to the blueberry-like fruit edible … usually multi-stemmed. Found at woodland's edge in the their native habitats, amelanchiers are best used in a naturalistic setting in the home landscape. Amelanchiers are native to temperate …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Gold Rush spirea is notable for its golden foliage and low spreading habit. The Spiraea japonica species includes the greatest range of cultivars available to the home gardener within the Spiraea genus. They all have a compact mounding habit in sizes … are quite small, they occur in clusters of inflorescence that can be very showy. Spireas are best used in groupings in a shrub or mixed border, where they are valued as tough, reliable and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… White Gold Japanese spirea is notable for its white flowers atop yellow foliage. The white blooms are highly unusual within the species. The Spiraea japonica species includes the greatest range of cultivars available to the home gardener within the Spiraea genus. They all have a compact mounding habit in sizes … are quite small, they occur in clusters of inflorescence that can be very showy. Spireas are best used in groupings in a shrub or mixed border, where they are valued as tough, reliable and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… was raised in plantsman Arthur Simmonds' garden in Surrey, England, in 1933, and belongs to that group of plants known as dieback shrubs. These are soft-wooded shrubs or subshrubs that … above-ground growth tends to die back, anywhere from a few inches from their tips all the way down to the base of the plant. But the roots remain hardy; and when pruned hard in early … low-mounding shrub, 2 to 4 feet tall, whose frosty green, aromatic foliage is a lovely foil for virtually all other plants of the true Chicago mixed border — perennials, grasses, dwarf …
Type: Plant Info
… Garden , or in other garden byways. Wise gardeners plant this shrub near a path or doorway to enjoy the full effect during the two weeks or so when its small white flowers, opening from … reveals shiny blue berries in autumn. Arrowwood ( Viburnum dentatum ) Most viburnums do best in full sun, but arrowwood ( Viburnum dentatum ) can tolerate part shade. As its common name … feet in a couple of decades, the native blackhaw ( Viburnum prunifolium ) can be trained that way. It has creamy flower clusters in May and pink fruit, eventually ripening to black, that is …
Type: Plant Info
… Native to tropical eastern Africa in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique, the fringed hibiscus ( Hibiscus … schizopetalus ‘El Capitolio’) in its red form is the original red "poodle flower," with 3- to 4-inch blooms that flower in the upper leaf axils of the tall plant." Schizo" means split or … 8 feet tall in a large pot, although they can be trimmed to the size desired if they start to get too big. Hardy in USDA Zones 8 to 11, the fringed hibiscus attracts birds and butterflies and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Interns who are making an impact. The Chicago Botanic Garden's summer interns aren't here to shadow from the sidelines. They came to do the work. Since 2004, the Garden has hosted the 10-week, paid Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, giving college students hands-on experience in real-world … Interns learn all aspects of the research journey, attend professional development workshops, visit other scientific institutions, and present their research at a capstone symposium. Together …
Type: Blog
… smooth, rich, and totally irresistible—that’s mocha mousse, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2025. A perfect blend of chocolatey brown and creamy beige, it gives off a vibe that’s both … collections at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I couldn’t help but imagine all the delicious ways to stir this cozy mocha mousse vibe into outdoor spaces and containers. According to Pantone, the global color authority, mocha mousse oozes warmth and comfort, serving up a …
Type: Blog
… Buckthorn Bush Honeysuckle Garlic Mustard Would you be surprised to learn that ornamental plants in your yard may be causing natural areas to suffer? Some of the more aggressive plants common to backyard gardens are escaping to natural … plants and biodiversity. • Volunteer to monitor threatened plants of the region. • Volunteer for stewardship activities at the Garden and other natural areas. FIND OUT MORE: Invasive Plants …
Type: Plant Info
… Bee pollinates coneflower (Echinacea) , a hardy native plant selection for your garden. Just off the beaten path at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden (out back … the nut grove), there's a "secret" bed with a big mission: it's a pollinator strip, meant to attract bees and other busy insects to the smorgasbord of food plants growing in the garden. … and fertility and productivity of wild plants, food plants, and landscape plants alike. Recent news about the die-off in honey bee colonies and the decline in monarch populations makes the …
Type: Plant Info
