… Bloodflower ( Asclepias curassavica ) is a nonnative perennial plant from South America that the Chicago Botanic Garden grows from seed and uses as a warm-season annual. It is a member of the milkweed family, which includes butterfly weed ( A. tuberosa ), prairie … flowers form seedpods from which seeds with silky hairs are dispersed by wind. Bloodflower is a host plant for monarch and queen butterfly larvae and its nectar attracts many other species …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… daisies throughout summer and fall. It has finely divided ferny foliage. This cultivar is a great choice for a seasonal groundcover or hanging basket. The species is native to Arizona and Mexico, making it tolerant of heat and drought. We have nine species of … ticks or bur marigold, refer to the two-pronged seeds that can stick to clothing or fur. This is a mechanism to ensure the spreading of the seeds. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Achillea 'Moonshine' is a clump-forming perennial with small yellow flowers tightly clustered together in large, … Horticultural Society. It likes full sun and dry conditions and tolerates drought well. It is attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds while resistant to deer and rabbits. The genus name Achillea is in reference to Achilles, hero of the Trojan Wars in Greek mythology, who used the plant …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Balvinolet' is a member of the New Vintage™ series. It has small rosy violet flowers with creamy centers … to 14 inches high with feathery, fernlike foliage. It blooms from early summer until fall. It is attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds while resistant to deer, rabbits and drought. The genus name Achillea is in reference to Achilles, hero of the Trojan Wars in Greek mythology, who used the plant …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The stems are very thin, wiry and dark purple. Each individual leaflet, called a “pinnule” is shaped like a miniature fan, resembling ginkgo leaves. This fern is fond of moist woodland conditions and limestone cliffs. It grows in the southern half of the … be an elegantly textured addition to the shade garden in the South. In the Chicago area it is best grown in a greenhouse. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This is a sterile interspecific hybrid, so its flowers will bloom for a long time. By contrast, one of its parents, Allium macleanii var. elatum , is so fertile and attractive to pollinators (mostly bees of various species) that individual … often are 30 inches (76 cm) long and 4 inches (10 cm) wide at their greatest breadth, which is near the tip. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The Fraser fir is native to the Appalachian Mountains. It is a relatively small tree compared to other firs with a mature height between 30 and 50 feet. … the tree whole, but slowly disintegrate as the seeds are dispersed. Their most common habitat is mountainous regions, where they enjoy cool summers and good, rich soil. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… tubular flowers have a dusky plum-purple upper lip and a white lower lip. Beneath each flower is a spiny bract that is white with green veins. This perennial is marginally hardy in the Chicago area and may not flower after an extremely cold winter. It …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… an upright oval tree that can reach a height of 70 feet with a 35 fot spread. The sugar maple is an excellent shade tree for lawns and parks. Tiny yellowish-green flowers appear in spring … color are shades of red. One of the best known trees of eastern North America, sugar maple is as prized for its ornamental value as for the syrup produced from its sap. It is a favorite maple for fall color. Sugar maples should be planted in well-drained soils. They …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Liz is an interdisciplinary researcher who does both ecological research and the work of sharing that … can easily understand and implement. Given the challenge in lawn enhancement and replacement is that so many disparate homeowners are decision-makers, reaching these audiences with how-tos that feel doable is a vital part of making this research work. Liz splits her time between the practicalities of …
Type: Staff bio
