#1 - Invasive pests are less likely to kill your Non-Native shade tree Exotic disease and insect pests are big problems because exotic pests evolve with plants that are related to our native plants. The pest and its host plant compete in an "Arms Race" in their homeland where they are evenly matched. Problems occur when the pest with its "advanced weaponry" come to a new land where it finds plants that it knows how to attack (they are genetically similar to the ones it "grew up with") but … [Read more...]
Tri Color Beech for Summer color and winter bark
In the past, I have recommended two purple leaf beech trees for residential gardens. I have already covered the purple fountain beech. Now, I will cover the Tri-color beech, but with a caveat at the end of this post that may be changing my recommendation. … [Read more...]
Two shade loving Asters that pollinators flock to
Fall blooming plants such as goldenrods and asters are great additions to almost any garden. Most of them like to grow in full sun. There are, however, exceptions. Let's look at two of these that are very similar, the Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) and Short's Aster (Symphyotrichum shortii). … [Read more...]
Trees for wet areas and poorly drained soils
I would like to talk about selecting trees for wet areas, as I recently received the following question from Aubrey from the Denver Colorado area: We have an area of our yard at the bottom of a small slope. It tends to stay damp to wet. It's also clay. What tree would you recommend for that area? … [Read more...]
Trees for Carbon Sequestration and Wildlife Support
Picking the right trees for carbon sequestration is a good step to take in creating a Landscape that does more than look pretty. In this post, we will begin a 3 Part Series showing an ecological mixed landscape bed design by selecting trees to sequester CO2 and support wildlife at a high level. … [Read more...]
Landscaping for your grandchildren
Your idea of landscaping for your grandchildren probably includes having a play and lawn area for running around and sports, as well as the usual goals of having a beautiful and low maintenance landscape. Those goals are no longer enough....not if you care about what your grandchildren will be inheriting. We are borrowing the land from future generations, even that yard you think is yours and yours alone, so you are indeed landscaping for your grandchildren whether you think about it or … [Read more...]
Purple Fountain beech as a perfect specimen
Today, I am, going to recommend you consider an odd specimen tree, the Purple fountain beech. Yeah even though it's not a native tree and I have bad mouthed Purple leaf Japanese maples in a past post. I made the argument that green leaf Japanese maples fit into landscapes better than their purple leafed cousins. I also gave some suggested green leaf varieties. … [Read more...]
3 Native Perennials for Fall Interest You Might Not Know
When we think about fall color, we usually think first of trees or shrubs that have foliage that change colors, like red maples or burning bush. Perhaps flowering perennials like Goldenrod or Asters come to mind. They should as they are among the best for late season interest (and pollinator benefit). Here are 3 native perennials for fall interest you may not be aware of and yes I am including a Goldenrod and Aster, but lets start with one that's not. … [Read more...]
My names not Annabelle! It’s Haas Halo Hydrangea!
It has been a while since I wrote about a plant, the last one was the North Star Sour Cherry. That was a plant I had at my previous house and was quite familiar with. It is also a pretty old cultivar, certainly not the latest and greatest. Today, I want to talk to you about a new cultivar of an old friend, the Haas Halo hydrangea. Most people know the Illinois native Smooth Hydrangea because of the softball sized mophead white flowers of it's most widely planted cultivar, the Annabelle … [Read more...]
North Star Cherry is a great smaller fruit tree
Today, I am going to write about one of my favorite flowering trees. This plant has bright white Spring flowers, stays a nice compact size that fits almost any landscape. It also has an interesting bark color. It is hardy in zones 4-8 so you can grow it almost everywhere in the US. Sorry Northern Minnesota and southern Florida, your left out of this one. No, it's not a crabapple. It's not a redbud. It's also not even any of the dogwoods. Give up? It's a North Star sour … [Read more...]