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  • … Often referred to as 'mock orange', the fragrance of the flowers in late winter is exceptional. Pure white flowers produced in large clusters near the tips of the branches fade to yellow as they age. A natural mounded growth habit makes for an attractive shrub, and in warmer climates, picturesque small trees. Grow this plant in full …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … OVATION™ London planetree is a hybrid selected for its vigorous growth rate, uniform broadly pyramidal to rounded habit, and attractive foliage. It develops the attractive exfoliating bark expected of … the Morton Arboretum and the Ornamental Growers Association of Northern Illinois formed to promote plant cultivars that perform well in northern Illinois. This variety was developed at …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Marshalls Delight is a long-blooming beebalm that grows 2' to 3' tall and about 1' to 2' wide. As part of an evaluation of beebalms held at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Marshalls … Delight was found to have a good habit with 2-3 inch blossoms covering 60-80% of the plant for about 6 weeks. It had good mildew resistance and was resistant to winter injury. Overall it …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Native to Illinois, spotted Joe-Pye weed grows in moist areas where it can reach 5 feet or more; it has a dense, erect habit. This perennial is suitable for large-scale planting or use in a mixed border. The showy, lavender-pink flowers grow in flat-topped clusters 4 to 6 inches wide on this tall, late-flowering plant. They bloom for an extended period of time, …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … The shingle oak is so called because its wood was favored by early settlers for making shingles. Its bark is believed to have been used medicinally by the Cherokee people. When young, the shingle oak has a pyramidal … The genus Quercus includes more than 600 species of the oak tree, of which 90 are native to North America; the Chicago Botanic Garden's collection contains more than 60 varieties and …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Red Jade crabapple is notable for its weeping habit. Its deep pink buds open into white flowers and are followed by red fruit … are small flowering trees that provide a showy display in the spring landscape for one to two weeks. In addition to the eye-catching buds and flowers, their foliage, habit, and fruit make them attractive plants …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … important part of the tall grass prairie providing an important food source and winter shelter for a range of insects, small mammals and birds, even bison. Totem Pole switch grass is an upright grass of about six feet in height and about two to three feet in width. Foliage is a bluish-green which develops golden seeds heads in the fall. … grasses, Totem Pole is extremely versatile and can cope with a range of soil types from sandy to clay and shade conditions although it prefers full sun. Because of its versatility it can be …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … Q: I have some tulip and daffodil bulbs left over from fall planting. How do I "force" them for indoor bloom? A: If the bulbs are still dry and firm, pot them up in clean pots, using … with soil with just their tips exposed. Water the bulbs well and put the pots in a cool (40- to 45-degree Fahrenheit) spot for approximately 14 weeks. When the bulbs begin to sprout, move the pots into bright but still very cool (60-degree) rooms. When flower buds …
    Type: Plant Info
  • … Purple Mildew Resistant beebalm is derived from a north American native plant and grows to around 3-4 feet high and around 3 feet wide. As part of a multi-year evaluation of beebalms held at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Purple Mildew Resistant beebalm was found to have 2 -3 inch purple blossoms covering 60-80% of the plant for about a month from late June to late July. It had excellent mildew resistance and while some …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant
  • … gold with green margins as the season progresses. By the end of the season, the color may fade to white. This large (22 inches tall by 36 inches wide), vigorous hosta is considered a classic and is widely used. Pink-lavender flowers appear in July and August and are attractive to hummingbirds. Hostas are shade tolerant, easy to grow, and long lived. Although they produce … flowers held high above the foliage on long stalks called scapes, they are grown primarily for their foliage and neat habit. Hostas are actively hybridized for leaf color, size, shape, and …
    Type: Garden Guide Plant