… Q. My Ash tree is going to be taken down and I would like to replace it with another tree of similar ornamental … street tree or a tree for the back yard? Are you looking for a tree that has great fall color? Is the height of the tree important to you? Once you decide the key qualities for your particular … (Ginkgo), which has a similar height to a White Ash; and Tilia americana (Linden), which is native to Illinois. …
Type: Plant Info
… Q. What is a rain garden? A. A rain garden is a natural or constructed depression intended to mitigate stormwater. The plantings in a rain … can tolerate periods of wetness as well as dry periods. Installing plants rather than seeding is also recommended. Plants suitable for rain gardens include red chokeberry ( Aronia arbutifolia …
Type: Plant Info
… at this time of year. They are supposed to be perennial, but I lose them over the winter. Is there a trick to get mum plants to overwinter? A: Hardy mums ( Dendranthema , formerly … require full sun and a well-drained, moist soil. Even though they are cold-hardy to Zone 5, it is often difficult to overwinter them in northern areas. Mums planted in the spring are much more … removed in the spring just as new growth begins at the base of the plants. A well-drained soil is essential for their successful return in the spring. …
Type: Plant Info
… An evergreen, coniferous tree growing to 90 feet tall, Manchurian fir is closely related to Korean fir ( Abies koreana ). With a trunk up to 4 feet in diameter and a narrow conic to columnar crown, the bark is grey-brown, smooth on young trees, and becomes fissured as the tree ages. Leaves are flat, … bears two winged seeds, released when the cones disintegrate at maturity in the autumn. It is prone to adelgids, bark beetles, bagworms, woolly aphids, and spruce budgworms. A variety of …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Sydney golden wattle ( Acacia longifolia ) is native to southeastern Australia, where it grows very quickly, reaching up to 30 feet in five to six years. In its native habitat, it is a shrub or small tree with dark gray, finely fissured bark and green foliage. The common name … and wood. The tree's bark has limited use in tanning, primarily for sheepskin. The plant is also useful for the prevention of soil erosion, securing uninhabited sand in coastal areas, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… know you can grow kiwis right in your own back yard? The fruit of 'Ken's Red' hardy kiwi vine is a cousin of the familiar grocery store kiwis. The berries have the same sweet-and-citrus … Red', the berries are red, so they even look like grapes. There's more good news. 'Ken's Red' is hardy to -25, so you can be confident Chicago winters won't faze it. Despite the name, 'Ken's Red' is female, so you'll need a male kiwi vine nearby for pollination. You can grow it in full sun or …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… plants from Africa, southwestern Asia, and Madagascar, Yemen tree aloe ( Aloe sabaea ) is among 400 species in the genus. The name “aloe” derives from the Greek word, which comes from … comes from the Roman name for Arabia Felix , the area now known as Yemen. The Yemen tree aloe is a small tree aloe with a curving, unbranched trunk topped with a side-facing rosette of long, … barren soils. Suitable for USDA Zones 9-10, Aloe sabaea attracts birds and butterflies and is resistant to deer. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Zebra-leaf Aloe, Aloe zebrine , is a striking aloe species native to southern Africa. It gets its zebra name from the bold markings on the leaves. It is highly variable, several other aloe species such as Aloe ammophila , thought to have been … as just a variable example of Aloe zebrine . Wide spread across much of southern Africa, it is found in dry grasslands, along rivers and can tolerate some cold temperatures. It usually …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Helvetia serviceberry is a dwarf cultivar of a European native serviceberry. It is a shrub that is more compact than the species. In April it produces showy white flowers, followed by dark blue …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… The primary ornamental feature of birch trees is the bark. Many of the common names of birch trees refer to the color of the bark -- white, gray, yellow or red. Another signature bark characteristic is its habit of separating into thin sheets; Native Americans used this property to harvest the … bowls and shelter -- practical as well as beautiful. A strong secondary ornamental feature is the usually colorful golden fall foliage. Given their preference for cool weather and acid …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
