… Seized at O'Hare, Endangered Cacti Find New Life and a Step Toward Repatriation. At the end of a greenhouse bench sit dozens of squat, thornless, gray-green cacti called Ariocarpus fissuratus . Native only to Mexico and southwestern Texas, they’ve been carefully tended by Chicago Botanic Garden horticulturists … O’Hare International Airport. Sometimes called the living rock cactus, Ariocarpus fissuratus is prized by collectors who either don’t know or don’t care that the plant is critically …
Type: Blog
… mature trunks of the European white birch contrast wonderfully with the black younger stems and conifers throughout the year but particularly in winter. In a good year the foliage turns a clear yellow in fall; in a typical year the foliage is yellowish brown. A short lived tree in this climate due to the prevalence of the bronze headed birch borer. Plant where the trunk can be shown to best advantage in winter and plan on replacing the plant in 10 to 15 years, on average. The primary ornamental feature of …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Take a late-summer stroll through the Dixon Prairie and see golden grasses sparkling like jewels with touches of color, and the lake rippling marvelously in the wind. The black-eyed Susan and coneflower plants you … asphalt, and masonry store heat and then radiate it — making summer hotter for plants. Rain is channeled into storm sewers and treatment plants rather than replenishing the deep reservoir …
Type: Plant Info
… (1874-1963) Who doesn’t like a little privacy? In urban areas, some homes are so tall, narrow and close together that homeowners feel like they’re living in a fishbowl. Fences corral suburban … need a windbreak, but a row of evergreens, like arborvitaes, can provide privacy and a nesting site for songbirds. A blanket of snow on their boughs adds winter enchantment in our garden. Eastern arborvitae or northern white cedar, ( Thuja occidentalis ), is a native tree east of the Mississippi. Western arborvitae, ( Thuja plicata ) is found in …
Type: Plant Info
… coneflower) as an immune-system stimulant or Hypericum (St. Johnswort) as an antidepressant, is not new. Native Americans of the Great Plains held Echinacea in high regard and prescribed it for snakebites, stings, toothaches, and the mumps. Ancient Greeks believed St. Johnswort would make evil spirits fly away. The early …
Type: Plant Info
… Flowers are one of the best antidotes to the icy winds of winter, and growing a houseplant that buds and blooms inside while all is dormant outside is particularly satisfying. This winter, as an alternative to the brightly …
Type: Plant Info
… Istvan is a children’s and family musician who combines smart lyrics with catchy, rocking songs that appeal to kids and adults alike. The music actively engages kids, encouraging them to sing along, dance and …
Type: Event for Calendar
… flowers. The leaves have a slightly purple edge. 'Washington' grows to 24 to 30 inches high and blooms in June and July. It does well in partial shade to shade where the graceful plumes add a welcome touch of color to a shady garden. It is attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds while resistant to rabbits and deer. This is an …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Big Top Gold Alumroot is one of the golden toned cultivars. The leaves emerge a golden orange/green and mature to a mixture of darker yellow and green. The undersides are a red purple. The flowers emerge in late spring/early summer and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Mrs. Jimmy Spangler' has rosy pink flowers with deep red throats and peachy yellow edges. It grows to a height of 5-6 ft. The blooms are medium-sized and have ruffled, overlapping petals. Each flower will typically last only one day, but new flower buds are produced continuously. This is a tropical plant and in warm climates it will bloom throughout the growing season. It was bred …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
