… open from nearly black buds. The petals have a crinkled texture. The flowers are produced in the leaf axils from the bottom to the top of the plant, rather than only at the top like some older cultivars. The plant grows to 4 feet high and blooms in mid summer to fall. It is hardy in zones 4 -9. The name Hibiscus came from the Greek word “hibiskos” that meant “marshmallow.” …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Diana' is a United States National Arboretum introduction. It has pure white flowers 6 inches in diameter. It grows up to 10 feet high and blooms in mid summer to early fall. Each flower remains open for more than one day, but the plant does not set seed. It is hardy in Zones 5 to 8. Hibiscus syriacus 'Diana' has received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… SUNDAE™ hydrangea takes its name from the flowers that change color from a creamy white in mid-summer to pink in late summer to strawberry red in the fall. This hydrangea is a compact mounding shrub growing to only about five feet tall and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Crotons are a widely distributed genus of plants that are found in tropical forests of Asia, Africa and the Americas although they are most commonly known as colorful and hardy houseplants in north America. In their native forests they can grow to ten feet high and six feet wide. Gold Dust croton has …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Ti plant is primarily grown as a container plant for the variegated foliage; its flowers in November and December are an unusual addition. Ti plant is tolerant of being grown in a variety of light levels, but it is prone to spider mites in winter when grown indoors. While not fussy about soil, it needs consistent moisture in the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… a rounded top tends to become leggy at the base. Use this shrub at the edge of a property, in a wooded border, or along a waterway. Male yellowish-brown catkins 1-1/2 to 3 inches in length appear along with rich-red female buds in early spring. Edible brown nuts, which are set inside downy, notched husks, are a favorite of …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… mildew disease that devastated the crop not too long ago. Healthy plants featuring flowers in shades of violet thrive in shaded to partly shaded landscape settings, containers, and window boxes from early summer through the heat and humidity of July and August and into the end of the season in mid-October. Other than drought, they tolerate most of the conditions found in Chicago-area …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… bearded iris that stands 29 inches tall. It is pure white with light yellow beards, blooms in mid season, and reblooms later in the summer. The stems are short and branched, and the blooms have a light fragrance. It is … butterflies and hummingbirds and resistant to deer. Immortality was awarded Honorable Mention in 1986 and Award of Merit in 1990 by the American Iris Society. Iris is the name of the Greek …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Nyssa sylvatica is a beautiful shade tree native in all but the coldest parts of the eastern United States. Common names include sourgum, black … and pepperidge. Sourgum has large, glossy, alternating, ovate leaves, broader towards the tip. In autumn, the foliage reliably becomes a brilliant scarlet-red. The tiny yellow-green flowers … are unpalatable to humans, but relished by birds and bears. Its cousin Nyssa aquatica is found in wetter habitats with a more restricted southerly range. The trees require moist, rich soils …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… VELVET PILLAR® crabapple features pink flowers in spring, purple foliage throughout the season, and red fruit in the fall. Crabapples are small flowering trees that provide a showy display in the spring landscape for 1 to 2 weeks. In addition to the eye-catching buds and flowers, their …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
