… Native from Europe to central Asia, devil’s bit is a perennial that grows to 3 feet tall and blooms in late August to October. It is a native of … family, and is related to pincushion flowers and to teasel. The flowers can be dried for ornamental use. It attracts bees and butterflies and is used as a food source for many caterpillars and butterflies. Archived Copy: This content was captured before February 2022, and is no longer being updated. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… to rainforests, plants stole the spotlight in 2025. Here are the stories that made us fall for them all over again. Grassy plumage is the new black. Made from hand-dyed plant material, these Stella McCartney gowns have all the … species is under wraps, but we have our own ideas! In addition to ornamental grasses like this, we think sedges could make fabulous plumage. An added bonus? Many are native to Illinois …
Type: Blog
… where they grow in sunny areas with well-drained soils. The common name, Star of Bethlehem, is based on its star-shaped flowers, after the star of Bethlehem that appeared in the biblical account of the birth of Jesus. Admire this beautiful plant with caution, because all parts of it, especially the bulb, are poisonous if ingested. These tender bulbs can grow to a height of about 18 inches and are suitable for borders or understory plantings for deciduous trees. They are not reliably hardy in the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Aloe jucunda takes its species name from the Latin world for "nice", "jacundus". It is a lovely aloe and is frequently kept as a houseplant. It is a … under pressure from logging and grazing, without care the forest may be eliminated along with this lovely aloe that lives there. Archived Copy: This content was captured before February 2022, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Native to the southeastern United States, blue star ( Amsonia tabernaemontana ) is a herbaceous perennial member of the dogbane (Apocynaceae) family that is hardy in the Chicago … soils, blue star has pale blue flowers in summer, followed by golden-yellow fall color. This species of amsonia is the most widely grown at the Chicago Botanic Garden. How can a native … not able to migrate north as quickly as the ice melted because many of the animals responsible for pollinating and transporting seeds or plant parts had become extinct. Members of the genus …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Purple-twig dogwood is notable for its dark purple-black stems in winter. This multi-stemmed shrub bears white flowers in spring followed by whitish blue fruit in summer. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… say rediscovered, in the Dr. Slate collection near the Cornell Experimental Station. 'Geneva' is female, and that's important if you want to grow it for the fruit as well as the flowers, because you'll need a male vine for pollination. Once the … large and heavy and bear about 100 pounds of berries a year. A note of warning to cat owners: this vine smells like catnip to cats, and they may harm foliage or dig at the roots. Archived …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… White pine is one of our most beautiful native trees, with long, delicate, bluish-green thin needles that … and Michigan, until they fell to timber production. The soft and fine-grained wood was valued for building ships, houses and bridges in the 18th century. Trees over 150 feet tall were reported. The graceful branches of this pine grow in distinct tiers. It is normal for the older needles to fall off, exposing …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… are intimidated by growing roses, and the idea of incorporating ecofriendly techniques is just another thorn in their sides. Nothing could be further from the truth! Rose care requires … tips make the work easier, are less expensive than traditional techniques, and are healthier for your garden. The Basics The dirt on roses. The first step to ensuring gorgeous roses is … your pruners with a 10 percent solution of bleach before moving from one plant to the next; this will lessen the spread of disease. Do not be afraid to prune fairly aggressively, leaving …
Type: Plant Info
… buds of Miss Canada lilac open to rosy pink blooms a week or two after the common lilac. It is one of the Preston lilacs. Preston or Canadian Lilacs were first hybridized for their cold hardiness in the early 20th century by Isabella Preston of Ottawa, Canada. These … collection contains over 50 varieties of lilac and more than 800 plants. Archived Copy: This content was captured before February 2022, and is no longer being updated. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
