… Pitcher's sage ( Salvia azurea var. grandilflora ) is a drought-hardy, humidity-proof native of the lower Midwest known for the pairs of blue flowers that open consecutively from late summer through fall. Native to thin nutrient-poor soils overlaying limestone, this plant can grow too tall and flop over if cultivated in richer soils. Cutting the total height of the plant back to half in midsummer has been used by some gardeners to reduce the incidence of this problem. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Jonesboro Giant ironweed is a form of a perennial plant that is native to the eastern parts of the US where it grows in … are consistently moist. It bears large bracts of smallish bright purple flowers in late summer to mid-fall providing an unusual pop of tall color in the late season. Jonesboro Giant grows to a …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Tea viburnum gets its common name because monks from its native China used the leaves to make a medicinal tea. It has a vase shaped habit and is noted for sparse foliage on the bottom portion of the plant. White flowers in May are followed … is soft red. Viburnums are a versatile genus of multi-stemmed shrubs that are well suited to the home landscape due to their range of sizes and cultural adaptability. Some viburnums are …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Goatsbeard ( Aruncus dioicus ), also commonly known as bride's feathers, is a showy perennial native to woodlands and ravines in the eastern United States. In Illinois, it is only found in the wild … English Walled Garden. A bold plant with large fronds of divided foliage, it will grow 4 to 6 feet tall and wide, with foot-tall plumes of showy, cream-colored flowers that resemble …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Miss Alice™ paper flower ( Bougainvillea 'Singapore White') is a low-thorn cultivar covered in exceptionally large white bracts (often mistaken as flowers) … winter months. In locations with low humidity and lots of sun, this bouganvillea can be coaxed to bloom year-round. With a compact (maturing at 4 feet in height and width) and slow-growing … in a large container, if Chicago-area homeowners have a frost-free, sunny location in which to site it. The Garden's Miss Alice™ paper flower is being trained to cover a low fence …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Behold® Blue Chip butterfly bush ( Buddleja davidii 'Blue Chip'), a half-hardy shrub. (Its top is frequently killed to the ground in Chicago-area gardens.) Butterflies, hummingbirds, and honey bees are all attracted to the honey-scented flowers. Deer and rabbits, however, don't care for the taste of the leaves …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ’Medallion’s foliage is a festival of greens, with each different shade feathering into the next. First, there’s the light green midrib and the grass green center. Then that rich dark green, edged in white to set it off from the wide grass green border. In addition, the leaves fold up at night to show off the velvety purple underside. Calatheas are tropicals native to northwest Brazil, and …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… a small, upright spreading tree with a dense, rounded crown or a large multi-stemmed shrub. It is easy to grow in moist, rich, well- drained soils in full sun to part shade and performs well in areas with cool summer climates. Amur maple makes an unusual …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This bulb grows to a height of 1 foot with full sun to partial shade and moist soil conditions. In March and April it has yellow blooms that attract butterflies. It belongs in a border or a ground cover and is resistant to deer. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… This perennial grows to a height of less than 6 inches with full sun to partial shade and moderate moisture conditions. It has pink blooms from March through October. It belongs in a border or a ground cover and is also attractive to birds. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
