… red flowers held just above the thick, fleshy, triangular leaves. A native of the Ceres Karoo in South Africa, this plant does not tolerate frost or excessive moisture. In its natural setting, the seeds (nutlets) are held in the fruiting capsule until the next rainfall event, during which they are forcibly ejected. It is a houseplant that can spend the summer outdoors in full sun or partial shade. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… as a many-stemmed shrub or a single-stemmed tree. Use at the edge of a woodland garden. It is cloaked in white, fragrant, five-petaled flowers in early spring before leaves emerge. Its edible yellow to red fruits, which ripen in the summer, …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Rhododendron 'Rosy Lights' was developed in Minnesota to provide reliably hardy azaleas that can tolerate the often less-than-ideal soils found in the Midwest. Delightfully fragrant flowers in late spring are followed by intense orange and red fall color. Part of the key to success in the Midwest is the deciduous growth habit, allowing the plant to survive very low temperatures with little or …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Wall germander is a shrubby broad leaf evergreen that forms a clump of 2’ by 2’. It has aromatic, evergreen foliage and pink to purple two-lipped flowers that appear in clusters in late spring to early summer. Pinch the plants back after flowering to promote … bushy growth. It prefers average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Site in a sheltered location with winter protection to prevent winter die-back. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… bees that look nothing like the fuzzy yellow and black icon. Bees are critically important in pollinating native plants, and the relationship can be complex. For instance, some flowers … Tonietto, Plant Biology and Conservation Ph.D. student, has revealed that bees can thrive in urban environments if we humans help instead of harm their habitats. Bee informed Only … than an adult thumb, some are smaller than the width of your pinky nail. The name “Dumbledore” is an Old English term for a bumblebee. Despite what you may expect, bee diversity is most …
Type: Plant Info
… Q. How do I take care of my clivia plant in order to get it to rebloom next year? A. Clivia plants are easy to care for once you know … a cool and dry rest period from about November to February. Then the clivia should be kept in an environment that is about 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and should be watered very sparingly. When the rest period …
Type: Plant Info
… Schumener cornelian cherry dogwood is a European introduction. The Schumener cultivar is typical of the species -- abundant early spring long-lived yellow flowers, red fruit in summer, vibrant fall color and exfoliating winter bark. Members of the genus Cornus , commonly known as dogwoods, are welcome in the home garden for their multi-season interest -- be it flowers, fruit, foliage, and/or bark …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Big Daddy is a large-leaved blue hosta capable of forming a very large mound. Its corrugated, slug-resistant leaves make Big Daddy a good candidate for massing in shady areas. Hostas are shade tolerant, easy to grow, and long lived. Although they produce … natural mutations or “sports” are common, and new introductions abound. Hosta cultivars range in size from several inches to several feet; it may take 3 to 8 years for hostas to reach their …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… “lobster claws” or “false bird of paradise” and you can see why when you look at the flowers. In fact, the most prominent part on view, the colorful red “claws,” are bracts, a leaf-like … inside, so only hummingbirds and certain butterflies have access to the nectar. The good news is that while the true flowers only last a few days, the bracts can last months. At two to three … plant for those of us living north of its native tropical habitat. As an understory plant in tropical rain forests, it wants part shade, plenty of water, and a rich, loose, fast-draining …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… becomes green as the season progresses. The half-inch fruits are deep red. Fall leaf color is orange. Adams is rated good to excellent for disease resistance by the University of Illinois Extension. Crabapples are small flowering trees that provide a showy display in the spring landscape for 1 to 2 weeks. In addition to the eye-catching buds and flowers, their foliage, habit, and fruit make them …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
