… at the ends of 3’ long arching stems clothed with gray-green aromatic foliage. This cultivar is more tolerant of moist soils that other taxa in this genus if grown in full sun. The flowers … hummingbirds, the bruised foliage attracts cats and both repel rabbits and deer. This cultivar is the result of hybridization between Nepeta racemosa and N. nepetella and the offspring are sterile. Propagation is by cuttings or division of the clumps. The first use of the genus name for this group of …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… effect, with large compound leaves that grow 18 inches long and have deeply cut leaflets. It is an excellent specimen plant. Yellow flowers with narrow petals, similar to forsythia blooms, … and then mature to brown. Fall color varies from yellow to gold and orange-yellow. This tree is marginally hardy in the Chicago area. Native to the Far East, the panicled golden rain tree is one of the last small ornamental trees to flower. Archived Copy: This content was captured …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Native to the Mediterranean, bay laurel is a small, pyramidal, aromatic, evergreen tree or large shrub that grows to as much as 60 feet tall, but is usually seen much smaller (10 to 30 feet tall). For garden purposes, it is often pruned to 8 feet tall or less. Leathery, thick, elliptic to oval, glossy dark-green …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The American sweet gum grows 60 to 70 feet' when mature. It is good to plant in large areas such as lawns and parks. The flowers are not ornamentally … structures that release seeds, ripen in fall, and remain on the tree until spring. Fall color is variable but brilliant; in autumn, American sweet gum can have beautiful yellow, purple, and red leaves all at the same time. This native tree is highly valued as a shade tree and for its superior fall color and beautiful leaves that are …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… with longer flower stalks. These are followed by juicy red berries, inedible to humans. It is deciduous, but may be semi-evergreen in mild winters. This plant has few insect and disease pests. It is resistant to deer. Many honeysuckles are considered invasive, but this one is not much in cultivation in the Midwest, so this has not been tested. Archived Copy: This …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… reach 8 feet in height in the Chicago region. It grows in full sun or partially shaded areas, is not fussy as to soils, and is relatively insect and disease free. The fleshy, red-colored berries are bird favorites, which … were unaware of the issues surrounding the use of non-native plants in restorations. It is currently listed as invasive in USDA Zone 7 and warmer. Unlike other species of deciduous …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This thorny shrub is a Heritage red raspberry. Heritage grows to a height of about 5 feet and a width of about 2 … will rot in wet soils, so raised beds may be necessary in areas with heavy clay soil. Heritage is an everbearing raspberry as it bears fruit in the fall on the upper part of the fruit canes in … fruits again in the following late spring on the lower part of those canes. Since each cane is biennial they need to be pruned back at the end of the second fruiting season. Archived Copy: …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… J. S. Dijt is a bold reddish-purple with yellow crests on the falls and a strong fragrance. It is among the last of the reticulated irises in bloom in the spring. The flowers stand only 4 to 8 inches high and are perfect in a rock garden or scattered in the lawn. Iris reticulata , is native to Turkey, the Caucasus, Northern Iraq, and Iran. The name reticulata refers to the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The mountain Star of Bethlehem is a native of the dry southern Mediterranean regions from Italy through to Israel where it grows … flowers that appear on eight inch tall flower spikes in May and June. The common name is for the Star of Bethlehem that appeared in the biblical account of the birth of Jesus. Admire … makes it unattractive to rabbits and deer. It prefers sunny well-drained locations and is not reliably hardy in the Chicagoland area. Archived Copy: This content was captured before …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Red Charm peony ( Paeonia ‘Red Charm’) grows up to 2.5 feet high and is covered with deep-red, ruffled, double flowers from the end of May through the first part of … peonies, it prefers a sunny position and constant moisture during the growing season but is otherwise free of pests and diseases. The plants produce additional "eyes," or growing points, … and the peony went on to win an award from the American Peony Society in 1956. 'Red Charm' is still described as one of the best of the deep-red flowered peonies. Archived Copy: This …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
