… Shavalski’s goldenray is a clumping perennial that grows to a maximum height of 6 feet. It requires partial to full … showy yellow flowers that contrast with the deeply lobed foliage and dark stems. The plant is most useful in the back of a border. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This Chinese lily is vigorous and easy to grow in neutral soil in partial shade, which accounts for its popularity. … deep-orange flowers, spotted in black with red anthers, about 2 to 3 inches in size. It is a real show-off flower. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… petals. At maturity, 'Blue River II' stands 5 feet tall and blooms from mid-July to fall. It is attractive to bees and hummingbirds and resistant to deer. It is a great plant for sunny positions and continually moist soils. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… among the dark green, almost black, linear shaped leaves. This slow to spread groundcover is not winter hardy in most Chicago gardens, unfortunately. Tolerates shade and drought, once established. In tropical gardens it is frequently used as a substitute for lawn grasses. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… April is a joyful month, when we plant new trees, transplant or divide late-blooming perennials, cast … onion-like, garlicky smell when crushed (an excellent aid in identification), but this exotic is not a welcome kitchen herb similar to the ornamental onions ( Allium ). What's all the fuss? Garlic mustard is an invasive plant, capable of choking out native eco-systems as it carpets woodland floors, …
Type: Plant Info
… garden, and kitchen waste? Make your own compost—it can do magic for your garden. Compost is simply a mixture of soil and pieces of plants that have decomposed to the point of being unrecognizable. Dark brown and crumbly, it is an attractive addition to any garden. And the things it does for the garden are nothing short … lawn waste out of landfills, it also creates a rich soil amendment for the garden. Compost is the ultimate soil conditioner, since it improves both texture and structure, giving soil that …
Type: Plant Info
… For many of us, part of the joy of spring is heading out to the forest preserves and seeing the wildflowers in bloom. But for Susanne Masi, … information will help to maintain their numbers and ensure their survival in the wild. She is assisted by more than 100 volunteers in a monitoring program called Plants of Concern, a joint … Midwest," she said, "and yet we have 17 genera here in the Chicago area alone. The difference is that orchids are mainly arboreal in the tropics, but here they’re terrestrial. What makes …
Type: Plant Info
… have been removed and stumps or roots have been left in the ground to decompose. The disease is caused by fungi feeding off of decomposing organic matter below ground; they are not feeding upon the grass. Nitrogen is one of the products of the decomposition process, which is utilized by the growing grass, causing dark green circles. Mushrooms are fruiting bodies of …
Type: Plant Info
… 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 … Phalaenopsis hybrids. Phalaenopsis 'Mount Lip' has thick leaves that are dark green on top. It is an epiphytic (growing on tree branches and trunks) plant that grows in moderate to high light … number of genera, each with its own unique characteristics. A common characteristic, however, is the basic form of the flower, which consists of three petals surrounded by three sepals -- …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Description: Spotted on Evening Island, the barn owl is rarely seen in this region now. Historically, however, they were 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 …
Type: Birding
