… is a multi-stemmed native shrub found along streams and swamps. It bears small white flowers in spring followed by blue fruits in summer that are quickly devoured by birds. 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
… a distinctive alligator patterned texture. Like many other dogwoods, it produces white flowers in late spring followed by black fruits in late summer. 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
… you'll need a male vine for pollination. The fragrant clusters of ivory-white flowers appear in late spring, followed in September with deliciously sweet, smooth-skinned fruit about the size of a grape. It's hardy … you can be confident Chicago winters won't faze it. It's not fussy about soil. And it's happy in full sun or part shade. However, it will need frequent pruning and strong support...the vines …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… You can see why the common name for this Aconitum is giant monkshood. In its native environment in mountainous areas of Russia and China it can send up spires of bloom reaching 7 to 8 feet … is an impressive back of the border plant, and a tough one. It can take periods of drought in stride, and handle Siberian winters. Aconitums are commonly known as monkshood, because the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Pinot Noir' is aptly named for the dark wine-red foliage that will not fade to green in the shade. Bright but not intense sun is recommended to prevent leaf scorch. Although it is … strong red stems, red scape bracts and contrasting greenish-yellow floral bracts. Bromeliads in the tropical American genus Aechmea are called vase plants or urn plants. Their curved leaves collect water and in the wild can be home to aquatic insects and microorganisms. Plants take several years to …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… for months, making this one of the most popular bromeliads for the home. It should be planted in fast-draining potting soil with its central cup filled with fresh water, where it will thrive in indirect to moderate light in temperatures above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Native to Mexico through South America, bromeliads …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… walking stick is a wickedly thorny and exotic-looking woody plant native to woodland edges in eastern North America. This species, also known as Hercules club,produces unbranched woody … stalks and raches (leaf stems) are covered with clusters of slender, stiff spines, arranged in rows at the leaf bases. In July to August the plants are topped with large panicles of airy white flowers which may be …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'Pumila' has feathery plumes of lilac pink that rise above the dark green, deeply cut foliage in late summer to early fall. The soft fluffy spikes are comprised of tiny, densely packed … fern-like mounds. 'Pumila' is a dwarf astilbe, growing to only 10-12 inches high. It does well in shade to partial shade and will add a welcome touch of color to a shady garden. 'Pumila' …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… stems. The thick, fluffy panicles are comprised of tiny, closely packed flowers which bloom in June and July. The stems are typically 24 to 36 inches high. The foliage is dark green and mounded. The leaves may be tinged with bronze when young. 'Straussenfeder' does well in shade to partial shade where it adds a welcome touch of color to a shady garden. It is … hummingbirds. After the blooms have died, the stalks with the dried seed heads are often left in place for winter interest. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Yes, it looks like a palm tree but in fact, it’s a begonia… Begonia luxurians . It’s found only in the Brazilian rain forest, where it can reach a height of 13’ and sports its white flowers … red petiole. The plants are covered with small scattered bristles and have red stems that grow in a zig-zag fashion, changing directions each time a new leaf sprouts. If grown outdoors they …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
