… really shines in a container where it can be viewed close up. 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 size, shape, color and … or “sports” are common; new introductions abound. Cultivars range in size from several inches to several feet; it may take 3-8 years for hostas to reach their full size. They all prefer …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… It blooms with fragrant, purple flowers in the summer. 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 … are also common; new introductions abound. Hosta cultivars range in size from several inches to several feet; it may take 3-8 years for hostas to reach their full size. They all prefer …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… in midwinter on a medium sized shrub with large cordate (heart shaped) leaves. Not fussy as to soils texture (sand, clay or loam) but needs supplemental irrigation during droughts, … 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 … crossed Dombeya burgessiae x D. burgessiae ‘Rosemound’ in 1965 and evaluated the seedlings for seven years before selecting this plant for release for its purplish tinted new foliage and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This plant grows up to 30 inches high and wide, with long leaves produced in a basal rosette. Sea lavender is a good filler plant for the perennial border. Small blooms develop on the multi-branched flower stalks in the summer. Pretty, tiny lavender-blue flowers hover over the foliage, providing a sea of lavender for the garden. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Have you noticed all the mushrooms popping up in lawns, mulch, and next to trees? We asked Greg Mueller , Ph.D., chief scientist and Negaunee vice president of science at the Garden for answers. Why do mushrooms pop up out of nowhere? Mushrooms can appear magical—seeming to pop … stomach problems in people may be deadly toxic to dogs. Unfortunately, there is not a simple way to tell—you must know the situation with each species. And finally, an otherwise nontoxic …
Type: Blog
… following list contains plants in the Plant Evaluation Program that are also top-rated plants for the Chicagoland growing region (zone 5). Asclepias (milkweed) Aster (aster) Athyrium (lady … following list contains plants in the Plant Evaluation Program that are also top-rated plants for the Chicagoland growing region (zone 5). Asclepias (milkweed) Aster (aster) Athyrium (lady …
Type: Page
… I received a gardenia plant as a gift. How do I care for it? You can successfully grow a gardenia ( Gardenia jasminoides ) indoors as a houseplant. However, it takes specific cultural care to trigger bud formation. For flower buds to form, the plant needs to be subjected to night temperatures of 60–65 degrees Fahrenheit with …
Type: Plant Info
… This cultivar is a rounded clump of green foliage that produces massive amounts of seven to nine inch long vibrant magenta panicles from late summer to early fall. These flowers are greatly appreciated by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds for their honey scent. It is quite compact, very short at a height of three feet, but perfect for …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Native to southern Europe, silver sage is a clump-forming biennial grown for its large, woolly, silver leaves rather than its flowers; the botanic name comes from the … argentum. The 12-inch-tall leaves appear in the first year, followed by silver flower spikes 2 to 3 feet tall in the second year of growth. Flowers are white tinged with pink and bloom from …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Description: The Garden's largest member of the swallow family is the purple martin. Look for them flying around or perched on the large, aluminum birdhouses on poles at various locations around the Garden. Anyone walking the Garden perimeter in spring and summer is sure to notice the mini apartment complexes filled with purple birds flying in and out of their homes and calling “pew-pew.” These purple martins, fascinating to watch, would not be here if it weren’t for the man-made apartments carefully tended by Garden …
Type: Birding
