… Black alder is an upright tree native to Europe and Asia. It can reach a height of 80 feet in the wild. It actually prefers wet conditions and is often found on riverbanks in its native habitat. Related to birches, it produces catkins in the spring. The female flowers become tiny decorative cones. The leaves are glossy dark green …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… winter when it comes into flower. A relatively tall tropical perennial, growing upto 4 feet in the Chicago Botanic Garden Greenhouse (up to 10 feet outdoors in the Tropics), the large green leaves are surmounted by terminal flower spikes containing … of the lowland tropics of Central America, this plant needs room to grow. It is best grown in full sun with reliable moisture, moderate fertilization, and temperatures no lower than 50 …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… be mistaken for a buttercup, with its shiny, yellow, 5-petaled, cupped flowers that bloom in April. The species name ranunculoides is derived from the genus name for buttercup, Ranunculus … slowly spread by rhizomes and are tolerant of dry clay soils, which will hasten their dormancy in late summer. You can see patches of these perennials in the Bulb Garden, where they make a nice filler between taller bulbs. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 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 ingested. Ingestion is unlikely because a different compound in the sap produces a gag reflex. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… foliage. The thick, fluffy panicles are comprised of tiny densely packed flowers which bloom in mid summer. Pink Lightning is a dwarf astilbe, growing to only 16 inches tall. It does well in partial shade to shade and will add a welcome touch of color to a shady garden. It is … and deer. After the blooms have died, the stalks with the dried seed heads are often left in place for winter interest. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… green foliage. The fluffy upright panicles are comprised of tiny, densely packed flowers in early to mid summer. 'Fire' does well in shade to partial shade and adds a welcome touch of color to a shady garden. It is generally … cut flower. After the blooms have died, the stalks with the dried seed heads are often left in place for winter interest. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… spikes of hooded, 2-lipped, deep pinkish purple flowers on plants that slowly increase in width over time. This wild species collected by members of the Garden's staff from the … the root system of black walnut trees that impedes the growth of many species of plants. Plant in average soil in full sun and water the first year until the root system is established. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… NORTHERN 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, … Growers Association of Northern Illinois formed to promote plant cultivars that perform well in northern Illinois. This variety was selected by Wilson Nurseries, Inc. of Hampshire, IL. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Horsetails reproduce by spores and do not have flowers; their green spores are produced in a flesh-colored cone at tip of fertile stem. Its thick stands of shoots can choke other plants … effort to remove from sites due to rhizomes. The fertile stems of common horsetail appear in early spring before the vegetative stems have grown tall enough to block spore dispersal by … curl when wetted and uncurl when dried, which helps disperse the spores and move them deeper in the soil. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… has dark purple stems and beautiful silvery pink or silvery mauve flower heads that appear in late summer. This plant can grow to 7 feet in height although 5 feet is more common, and about 3-4 feet in width. This plant is popular with pollinators and is not attractive to deer. Because of its …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
