… are critically important in pollinating native plants, and the relationship can be complex. For instance, some flowers require “buzz pollination,” whereby a bee grabs onto a flower’s anthers and must vibrate at a particular frequency for the flower to release pollen. To evaluate the best habitats for native bees, the Chicago Botanic Garden has collected bees from all around the …
Type: Plant Info
… of my earliest memories are of my grandmother setting big pots of collard greens on the stove to stew—and then taking in their earthy, vinegary, peppery fragrance. A nutritional powerhouse, … many African American households, including mine. Tequia Burt's grandmother inspired her love for collard greens. Writer Tequia Burt grows heirloom collard greens in her Chicago garden. … type I grow each year, I also planted the following: Ole Timey Blue I’ve always loved the way blue collards look, with purplish veins delicately swirling throughout greenish-blue leaves. …
Type: Blog
… is a large, deciduous, lowland tree, the largest of the hickories. It typically grows 75 to 100 feet tall (infrequently to 150 feet) with a large, rounded, spreading crown and trunks that mature to 2 to 4 feet in … catkins (to 4 inches long), and the female flowers in short spikes. Female flowers give way to sweet, edible nuts. Each nut is encased in a thin husk, which splits open in four sections …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… were puzzled by the sudden decline and loss of hundreds of ash trees, which they attributed to a nonnative, highly destructive beetle, Agrilus planipennis , commonly called the emerald ash … through August. Higher numbers are normally seen in June and early July. Adult beetles live for approximately three weeks. Beetles will hide in bark crevices and will occasionally feed on … lifetime. Eggs hatch in approximately seven to ten days. After hatching, larvae chew their way through the tree's bark and tunnel into the cambium layer where they continue their …
Type: Plant Info
… and cheerful bright cherry red flower sprays. This Heuchera was named after the Greek hero to emphasize its strong growth and robust appearance. The leaves emerge in the spring with … mound 16 inches tall by 16 inches wide, the red and pink flower display increases the height to 20 inches. It performs best if provided with some shade. Beautiful in containers or as an accent in the front row of a …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Tibouchina urvilleana , glory bush, is native to northeastern Brazil and so thrives in the bright sun, heat and humidity of Chicago summers. … velvety leaves throughout most of the growing season. Will tolerate partial shade but flowers best in full sun and needs moist soils. Insect and disease free, this tough tropical makes a bold … bright warm sunny location. There are 350 species in the genus Tibouchina , all of them native to tropical areas of the Americas. Their plant family, the Melastomaceae, can easily be …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… colors and unusual shapes, gourds are not only beautiful, but are also a wonderful medium for craftspeople. Carve, wax, stain, or varnish them; paint or dye them; use wood-burning tools on them to create highly decorative objects of art. And they’re utilitarian as well. Many cultures have … to absorb sunlight and warm the soil since gourd plant roots need as much heat as they can get. Gourds require full sun, regular fertilizer, water, space, and support. Plant them either in …
Type: Plant Info
… Everyone can use a little privacy in their garden from time to time. After all, a garden is a place to retreat from the outside world, a place to sit and sip … as their foliage changes to golds, reds, and yellows. Some shrubs provide shelter and food for birds. Glossy black chokeberry, Northern bayberry, sumac, red chokeberry, and spicebush are … fast-growing evergreen that can be sheared to keep it in bounds if necessary. These shrubs are best grown in moist, fertile, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. To create a screen, …
Type: Plant Info
… The American elderberry is an attractive and useful plant whose only vice is the tendency to send out runners and pop up where you didn't plant it. This is a large shrub, 8-10' tall, with … followed by tiny black berries, relished by birds. 'Adams' is a selection with larger fruit best planted with 'Johns' as a pollinator. The fruit is not palatable eaten fresh, but rather is … mountainous regions of the west where the red elderberry is more common. It is closely related to the European elderberry. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… species. The unopened buds at the top of the spike are deep pink, and as they open they fade to a soft rosy-pink, with carnation pink anthers. They are best planted in large groups because a single bulb could easily be over-looked. They are fully … After blooming, the flower stalks and tiny pairs of linear leaves will fade away. Be careful to note their location so you don't accidentally dig into them and don't put heavy mulch on them …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
