… crabapples highlight the spirit of spring. Prized for their profuse display of flowers in April and May, these ornamental trees boast a variety of sizes, shapes and forms from dwarf … weeping to mounding, wide-spreading and upright. Besides the spring flowers, the display is followed again in late summer with colorful fruits, providing for two seasons of outstanding interest. And, …
Type: Plant Info
… Maidenhair fern is one of the most easily recognized ferns in moist woods in eastern and central North America. Each dark purple rachis (central leaf stem) grows to about …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Serendipity Elephant's Ear is a tall plant with large, heart-shaped purplish-green leaves with very dark purple undersides. … from drying or damaging winds and harsh afternoon sunlight. These conditions can be achieved in a pot placed in a sheltered location, or as part of a moist understory planting or shady border. It will grow …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ends of its branches; the flowers are deep violet with contrasting pink eyes. Butterfly bush is a half-hardy shrub. Its top is frequently killed to the ground in Chicago-area gardens, but it puts forth vigorous growth in late spring. It prefers full sun and moderate moisture conditions and will reach a height of 5 …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ’Medallion’s foliage is a festival of greens, with each different shade feathering into the next. First, there’s the light green midrib and the grass green center. Then that rich dark green, edged in white to set it off from the wide grass green border. In addition, the leaves fold up at night to show off the velvety purple underside. Calatheas are …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… the air with the fragrance of chocolate. Plant this nonhardy perennial native of Mexico in full sun after the danger of late frosts has passed; it is insect- and disease-resistant. Once thought to be extinct in the wild, the chocolate cosmos, according to recent reports, may have been rediscovered. In …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Branches ascend in a loosely pyramidal fashion as this tree grows 40 to 60 feet in height. Insignificant flowers appear together with the leaves in April and May. Bright fruit, … trees that are superior to the American hackberry; however, because of its adaptability, it is a tough tree, good for urban areas. This native woodland tree is best recognized by its corky, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… produces fragrant dusty pink colored 5-inch flowers from July through September and does best in full sun in well-drained soils. During the summer, the plant will attract butterflies and other … seedheads attached in winter and they will attract birds. PIXIE MEADOWBRITE™ coneflower is a Chicagoland Grows® selection. Chicagoland Grows® is a plant introduction partnership of the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Pagoda trout lily ( Erythronium 'Pagoda') is a perennial bulb that adds grace and beauty to the spring garden. Erythronium is not widely grown in American gardens, yet many of its species are native to the western states. The leaves are … sulfur-yellow flowers with brown central rings and deep yellow anthers. Grow Pagoda trout lily in moist soil and partial sun, where it will produce 10-inch-high plants in April and May. For an …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ‘Advent’ is an upright, many-branched shrub, 9’-10’ tall that grows in sun to partial shade and is noted for its early blooms, starting in February, as soon as temperatures rise above around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Each tiny yellow …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
