… bee ( Xylocapa sp.). (Unlike bumblebees, carpenter bees have a shiny, hairless abdomen.) It is a deciduous shrub that can grow to a height of 6 feet with arching branches. The plants have … ovate leaves, often with a silvery tinge. In the South, this native of China and Japan is a woody shrub; however, in Illinois, it is best to treat it as a perennial as it may die back during winter. It blooms from July through …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Chenille plant, also known as "red hot cat's tail," is a large shrub in the euphorbia family native to New Guinea and Malaysia; it is widely cultivated in tropical areas. It is known for the long, fuzzy red catkin flowers that can reach up to 18 inches long. The leaves …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… a small, upright spreading tree with a dense, rounded crown or a large multi-stemmed shrub. It is easy to grow in moist, rich, well- drained soils in full sun to part shade and performs well … specimen tree or shrub; its light green leaves turn yellow and red in the fall. This cultivar is so named for its bright red fruit (samaras) that contrast against its green foliage. It can reach a height of 30 feet with a slightly narrower spread. It is tall enough to be an effective shade tree, but can be trained as a hedge. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… emerge early. The plant grows 10 feet in height with a spread exceeding its height, and it is highly admired for its wonderful horizontal branches. Use the Japanese maple as a specimen … flowers. The samaras, or winged fruits, mature in fall and turn a rich red. This is a cut-leaf or lace leaf variety of Japanese maple. Its foliage emerges deep purple, maturing … native to the Far East, can be grown only in very protected areas if you live in Zone 5. It is an exceptional small ornamental maple. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Desert rose or impala lily, is neither a rose or a lily but a small succulent perennial in the dogbane family found growing … branches growing in an irregular pattern from the thick, trunk-like stem. Once established, it is very drought-tolerant. In its native habitat, it can reach nine feet tall, but in our greenhouses it is three feet tall. A scattering of small, glossy ovate leaves cover the branches, but these are …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This plant is commonly called lady's mantle because of the circular, pleated leaves which resemble the … worn by women in olden times. The name of 'Thriller' refers to the height of this plant which is much taller than other commonly found lady's mantle plants. 'Thriller' lady's mantle grows to … so remove dead flower heads to prevent reseeding. The low, clumping form of this plant is well suited to front of borders and cottage gardens. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Eupatorium coelestinum 'Wayside Variety' is derived from a perennial native to the eastern half of the United States that closely … attract butterflies but repel deer. A great perennial for Chicago area gardeners, this plant is tolerant of wet clay soils and blooms from mid-summer through fall. The genus name refers to … King of Pontus, who used one species as an antidote for poison. Eupatorium coelestinum is another member of the Asteraceae, or sunflower family, that lacks the typical showy ray …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… In early spring, before the leaves appear, this tree is covered with masses of violet-pink flowers that spring straight from the bare trunks and which … spreading growth habit and a low hanging canopy. In the springtime the emerging foliage is burgundy, while in the fall the leaves are buttery golden color. Because of its spring and fall beauty and its pleasing growth habit this is a wonderful specimen for a larger garden. It was bred for the harsher conditions of Minnesota …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The flamethrower palm tree is named for the propensity of this tree to develop a new brightly colored leaf that may be … of the green foliage this new leaf can appear as a flash of fire. The flamethrower palm tree is native to the wet mountainous areas of New Caledonia, in the south Pacific. The fronds of this … feet. The fruits of this tree are egg-sized and turn red, making them equally showy. This tree is not hardy in Chicago. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Phantom Joe Pye weed is a form of a plant native to the moist meadows and stream margins of eastern north America. Phantom is a small form of Joe Pye weed reaching about 2 to 3 feet in height and about 1-2 feet in width … It can cope with clay and wet soils although it prefers rich moist well-drained soils. It is not generally attractive to deer making it a resilient performer for native and informal …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
