… the edges and can reach 5 feet in length. With age, this single-trunked aloe species can grow to 12 feet in height. The nectar is a rich chestnut brown color, which is distinctive in the genus. The specific epithet (species name) is derived from the Latin name …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This mounded shrub grows to 5 feet in height with erect, thorny stems. It is successfully used as a hedge or in a shrub border. Small yellow flowers open in early spring; … season. This hybrid barberry maintains its foliage well, even in hot Midwestern summers, and is very drought tolerant. It is a wonderful shrub for border or hedge. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… JOY'S PRIDE™ redbud is a cultivar that features deep lavender blooms in spring before its heart-shaped foliage … emerges. Dark purple seedpods appear in the fall and may persist into winter. This tree is a Chicagoland Grows® selection. Chicagoland Grows® is a plant introduction partnership of the … 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 developed at …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… yellow anthers. The five petals bend backwards in a reflexed position and do not overlap. This is a tropical shrub that grows 7 – 9 feet high and is hardy in zones 9- 10. It was bred from an hibiscus that originated in China and is now believed to be extinct in the wild. The name “rosa-sinensis” means "rose of China." …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… leaves with purple undersides and purple stems make this plant a beautiful textural addition to the perennial garden, even when it is not blooming. However, in late summer, tall, sturdy stems arise from the foliage with huge … flowers. With its dramatic flower spikes, bigleaf goldenray Desdemona makes a bold accent, is an excellent pond-side plant, and is a bold, textural plant for shade. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This evergreen tree has a densely pyramidal growth habit. It is used for screening or as a specimen. Three cultivars of this species are recommended by the Chicago Botanic Garden. The Colorado spruce performs well in the Midwest and is valued for the blue foliage found in many cultivars. Most popular evergreen tree in the Midwest landscape. A common mistake in planting this species is placing ot too close to a house. The tree grows fairly rapidly and needs a lot of space. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This plant prefers full sun and moist soil, and when provided with these conditions, it is insect- and disease-resistant. Bees and migrating butterflies swarm the flowers to obtain the nutrient-rich nectar, while a number of small birds enjoy feasting upon the seeds. Goldenrod is deer resistant and is not responsible for triggering allergies. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This plant is called Lamb's ears because the leaves are soft and furry like a lamb's ears. Lamb's ears ( Stachys byyzantina 'Big Ears') is a plant the Garden included in its study of cultivated varieties of lamb's ears. The Garden is … now evaluating the performance of 'Big Ears' and 'Silver Carpet' in a green roof setting. Easy-to-grow 'Big Ears' and 'Silver Carpet' do not require deadheading because they do not bloom, an …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Adam's Columnar yew is a type of Japanese yew that retains a tight columnar form growing to thirty feet in height and … that are typical of Japanese yews. The female trees bear red drupes in the fall. This yew is very tolerant of even deep shade but cannot tolerate poor drainage. With its columnar form and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This is a dwarf, low-growing, spreading, evergreen shrub that typically grows tall with a 5' spread. … plants produce red, fleshy, single-seeded fruit instead of cones (these are poisonous). This is a cross between Japanese yews ( Taxus cuspidata ) and English yews ( Taxus baccata ). It prefers average, medium moist, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade, but can tolerate a wide range of soils as long as drainage is good. It can also …
Type: Garden Guide Plant