… There’s no question that native plants are hot. They’re touted online, in magazines, at garden centers, and in the news where their benefits are often linked to helping the plight of bees and other … shrubs offer nesting sites and food for many birds. What IS a native plant? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a native plant “is a plant that is a part of the balance of …
Type: Plant Info
… Arboretum pledge to safeguard threatened species for Reverse the Red Day What does an orchid in Malaysia have in common with an oak in Mexico? Both have found their way onto the International Union for Conservation of Nature …
Type: Blog
… tiny spider plants, succulents, and other indoor plants. There’s been a resurgence of interest in growing houseplants, especially as cuttings, rooted in water. (This is so 1970’s, but what’s old is new again.) A local garden center, this winter, is selling small rooted cuttings of pothos ( Epipremnum ) in a water-filled glass for $20. Thrift stores offer shelves of glassware that can make …
Type: Plant Info
… of noble fir with intensely turquoise-blue needles. It is not a dwarf and can reach 60 feet in height, with a narrow pyramidal form. Noble firs, which can live to 300 years or longer, are evergreen trees native to a small area from northern California to Oregon, in the Cascade Mountains and coastal ranges. It is valued as a Christmas tree because of its … sit upright on the branches, with bracts protruding and draping over the cone scales. Noble in stature, they become narrow spires as they grow, ultimately reaching over 200 feet in height. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… makes a magnificent specimen plant. Its flowers, which are tiny and purplish-red, are produced in April. Fullmoon maple is a relative of the Japanese maple and has performed well in the harsh climate of northern Illinois. It prefers dappled light in average, evenly moist, well- drained soil. This is a beautiful small specimen tree. It is …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… you'll need a male vine for pollination. The fragrant clusters of white flowers appear in late spring, followed in early fall with deliciously sweet, smooth-skinned fruit about the size of a grape. 'Dumbarton Oaks' is cultivar that was discovered in an old public garden in the D.C. area. It's hardy to -25, so you can be confident Chicago …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This species is known for exquisite clumps of purple berries at each node along the stem in fall. The cultivar 'Early Amethyst' was identified as a seedling in the plant collection at the Tyler Arboretum in Pennsylvania. It blooms several weeks earlier than other beautyberries, which permits …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Olivia Orange' produces neatly mounded plants that are so smothered in hundreds of pumpkin-colored blooms that the foliage can scarcely be seen. It was bred for a … there is evidence that mums have been cultivated since at least the fifteenth century B.C.E. in China. They have long been a popular subject in Chinese and Japanese art. Japan honors the flower with a National Chrysanthemum Day, also …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The Seminole Tropical Rose Hydrangea produces masses of pink ‘snowballs’ in midwinter on a medium sized shrub with large cordate (heart shaped) leaves. Not fussy as to … or Hibiscus plant family) it is a great bee plant. Dombeya’s often replace Rhododendrons in warm subtropical and tropical landscapes. This cultivar was released for commercial use by the USDA Plant Introduction Station in Miami, Florida in 1973. Plant breeders at the Research Station crossed Dombeya burgessiae x D. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… adorn this large, lovely tree that grows to 50' or so. The spread can be wider than the height in mature plants. It is one of the most pollution-tolerant trees and works well in the city and in large, open areas. Insignificant green flowers appear in the spring. The fruit, an edible nut, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
