… Carya ovata , shagbark hickory, is a large deciduous tree that typically grows 70 to 90 feet tall (infrequently to 120 feet) with an irregular, oval-rounded crown. It is native from Quebec to Minnesota, south to Georgia and Texas. Trunks mature to 2 to 3 feet in … female flowers in short spikes. Female flowers give way to edible oval-rounded nuts. Each nut is encased in a moderately thick husk, which splits open in four sections when ripe in fall. Nuts …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Lilium lancifolium ‘Splendens‘ is one of several species with the common name of tiger lily. The flowers are orange-red with … as bulbils, in the leaf axles along the stem. A bulbil will produce flowers 2 years after it is collected from the stem. The bulbs of Lilium lancifolium from which Splendens is derived are edible, and these plants have been cultivated in Asia as a food crop. The bulbs …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Rhynchostylis gigantea , or foxtail orchid, is a beautiful member of the Orchidaceae family — the largest plant family in the world. Native to the warm, moist tropics of southeast Asia, it is monopodial (rarely producing more than one stem), with up to 50 flowers per inflorescence. … foxtail orchid features dark maroon-purple flowers, densely packed on the flowering stem. This is an orchid that really requires a greenhouse for proper growth in the Chicago area, and it is …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Q. What is the best way to plant a rhododendron? A. When planting rhododendrons, it is important to select a variety that is winter hardy for your plant hardiness zone, based on the USDA plant hardiness zone map. The …
Type: Plant Info
… Q. When should I plant my tender annual bulbs? A. It is safe to plant your tender bulbs after the average date of the last frost, which is approximately May 15 in the Chicago area. It is important not to work the soil while it is too wet. Soil should crumble when it is squeezed …
Type: Plant Info
… ‘Feuerland’ is a cherry red cultivar with yellow centers. It opens bright red and slowly ages to burnt orange and yellow. It is derived from the popular Achillea millefolium with a long blooming season from May through August. It is a staple of the sunny perennial garden, usually planted in beds and borders where its cheerful …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… 'GOLDEN COLONNADE®' is a large tree selected for its strong central leader and narrow oval habit. It was introduced by J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. of Oregon. It is a male clone, which will not produce the distinctive smelly fruit, and will develop into … a specimen or shade tree, and its narrow shape makes it work well as a street tree. The Ginkgo is an ancient deciduous conifer and evidence has been found which shows this tree coexisted with …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ecosystems throughout the eastern and southern parts of the US. Dewey Blue bitter switch grass is an upright grass of about four feet in height and about three feet in width. The foliage is a characteristic grayish-blue which persists throughout the winter months if the plant is not cut back. Like most switch grasses, Dewey Blue is extremely versatile and can cope with a …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… ‘Ilvomindy’ is sold under its trademark name of MEGA MINDY™. This is a compact shrub 4 ½ to 5 ½ ft tall with a spread of 4 to 6 ft. It has large, conical … white as the new flowers emerge at the tip. It blooms until fall. The color of the flowers is not affected by the pH of the soil. ‘Ilvomindy’ does well in full sun to light shad and is …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… of swamp white oak( bicolor ) refers to the two-tone appearance of the leaves - the upper side is dark green and glossy while the underside is whitish and fuzzy. Acorns ripen annually in the fall. Leaves usually turn yellow in the fall, but there is a fair amount of variability. Swamp white oak is native to Illinois and in the wild is found …
Type: Garden Guide Plant