… Native to the West Indies, coastal northern South America, and Panama, Barbados gooseberry is frequently grown as an ornamental or for its fruits in the American tropics, Bermuda, … Australia. A member of the cactus family, the plant does not fit the standard cactus mold. It is an erect woody shrub when young, which with age begins vining and climbing with spiny branches … ripe. Drought-tolerant and frequently grown in greenhouses and as a houseplant, it is hardy to zones 9-11. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… As gardeners use the winter months for much-needed planning, they might want to consider the delicious bramble and berry plants. Brambles Brambles are those tasty, colorful delights of early summer and fall. The genus Rubus is divided into many species that include raspberries, blackberries, dewberries, and … are either summer-bearing or everbearing. Even in Chicago, where the temperature can drop to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, these shrubs are still hardy; and naturalistic gardeners choose …
Type: Plant Info
… 'Glauca' is one of several cultivars of noble fir with intensely turquoise-blue needles. It is not a dwarf … and can reach 60 feet in height, with a narrow pyramidal form. Noble firs, which can live to 300 years or longer, are evergreen trees native to a small area from northern California to Oregon, in the Cascade Mountains and coastal ranges. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Native to South America, Barbara Karst paper flower ( Bougainvillea × buttiana 'Barbara Karst') is a strong, upright-growing, woody tropical vine that features abundant masses of deep magenta … thorns and dull, wavy-edged green leaves. They do not cling or twine and may require tying to a support. This plant can be kept in a container for years, rotating indoors during the winter …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Earth Angel' is a large (30 inches tall, 40 inches wide) blue leaved hosta with wide creamy margins. It is a … the Year for 2009 by the American Hosta Growers Association. Hostas are shade tolerant, easy to grow and long-lived. Although they produce flowers held high above the foliage on long stalks … are also common; new introductions abound. Hosta cultivars range in size from several inches to several feet; it may take 3-8 years for hostas to reach their full size. They all prefer …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… You have to go out with a flashlight to see this plant because it is a night-blooming tropical waterlily. The large flowers are bright …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Q. How much water do plants need to keep them healthy? A. The amount of water plants need depends on several different factors, … Established trees, shrubs, and perennials need approximately 1 inch of water per week to keep them healthy. When Mother Nature provides an inch or more of rainwater per week, it is not necessary to water. If supplemental water is needed, water deeply one or two times per …
Type: Plant Info
… 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 … 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 endangered. To meet that demand, unscrupulous plant dealers pay local people to collect the cacti, then try …
Type: Blog
… What is it about red? The red leaves of Full Moon maple (Acer Japonicum) herald the changing of … modestly blend in with the crowd. But as nights turn cool, they drop the bashful act and step to center stage. —Fall color is not something trees put on, says Andrew Bell, curator of woody … colors are unveiled. When an autumn offers clear, sunny days and cool nights, tree color tends to be more vivid, because chlorophyll retreats sooner and more thoroughly. Of course, it's not …
Type: Plant Info
… that sit atop 24-inch stems. It prefers well-drained, loamy soil in full sun. Summer Beauty is a butterfly and honeybee magnet. Summer Beauty ornamental globe onion is sometimes referred to in the literature as Summer Beauty lavender globe lily—but it is not a lily at all. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
