… Hampshire. It has a very narrow pyramidal form, with rich, teal blue-green needles. Balsam fir is native to the colder regions of Canada and the northeastern United States. The slow growth rate makes it … it is prized as a Christmas tree because of its fragrance and symmetry. It grows in full sun to partial shade, in a slightly acidic, well-drained soil. It is not tolerant of heat and needs …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Ovens wattle is native to the temperate regions of southeastern Australia where its nectar-rich flowers provide late winter food for birds and insects. This small tree grows to about 15 feet in height and width and is notable for its attractive green leaves and pendulous …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Beautiful five-to-nine-lobed leaves emerge early. The plant grows 10 feet in height with a similar spread, and it is highly admired for its semi-weeping branches. Use the Japanese maple as a specimen plant. May … rich red. Foliage is red and turns a brighter red in the fall. This lovely small tree, native to the Far East, can be grown only in very protected areas if you live in Zone 5. It is an …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Beautiful five-to-nine-lobed leaves emerge early. The plant grows 18 feet in height with a narrower spread. Use … The samaras, or winged fruits, mature in fall and turn a rich red. Its purplish red foliage is outstanding and does not fade in heat. Fall color is a brilliant clear red. This lovely small tree, native to the Far East, can be grown only in very protected areas if you live in Zone 5. It is an …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… CHARM™ boxwood features deep green foliage with a bluish cast in summer that changes to a rich black-green in mid-winter. It is notable for its excellent cold hardiness, compact, oval-rounded habit, delicate foliage and … the Morton Arboretum and the Ornamental Growers Association of Northern Illinois formed to promote plant cultivars that perform well in northern Illinois. This variety was selected by …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The Atlas Mountain palm is a native of north Africa where it grows in the Atlas mountains of Morocco and Algeria to altitudes of 5000 feet. This palm tree has large silvery-blue fan-shaped frond that have a … tone. This tree is rounded when young but can eventually reach a height and width of 10 to 15 feet. This tree requires very sunny conditions and dryish well-drained soils. It is not …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… clusters of flowers with dark red petals and a bright yellow corona from late spring through to the first frost of fall. The flowers attract nectar feeding pollinators while the leaves are food for monarch butterfly larvae. Plant in full sun, moderately fertile soil and water to get the root system established. Unfortunately this native of southern Mexico and Central America is not root hardy in the Chicago area. Milky sap can cause contact dermatitis and is poisonous if …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Pampas grass is one of the most beautiful and imposing grasses of the plains of South America. Giant clumps of … is a dwarf selection that will produce clumps 5 feet tall, with feathery ivory flower spikes to 8 feet tall. It is not winter hardy in the Chicago area. In warmer climates such as California, Hawaii, and New Zealand, it has proven to be an aggressive weed, with each clump of grass capable of producing more than one million …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… informal, decorative Dahlia 'Purple Taiheijo' has spectacular violet-red blooms that can grow to 12 inches in diameter. Staking is recommended, especially in windy locations. The flowers are so large that it will take a few weeks longer than smaller varieties to bloom. Dahlias are not hardy in the Chicago area, and must be dug up, cleaned, and stored over …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… pycnostachya ) blooms in late summer. A native of the tallgrass prairie, prairie blazing star is distinguished from other Liatris species by the sharply arched bract (modified leaf) below each flower head. Each flower head has five to 10 tufted, lilac-purple flowers that bloom from the top down. The flowers attract butterflies … flower stalk is a stem with short, hairy leaves resembling grass. The entire plant, from corm to stem and flowers, is a tasty treat for rabbits, groundhogs, and voles. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
