Articles
Gardening Articles
Research-based horticulture information to help keep your plants and gardens thriving.
Kahili Ginger, Hedychium gardnerianum
If you want a glamorous and spectacular plant to bring an exotic look to your garden, and sweetly fragrant flowers, try growing kahili ginger. This showy subtropical plant is an attractive foliage plant even when it doesn’t have its terminal spikes of striking yellow and red fragrant flowers. To learn more about Hedychium gardnerianum, read this article…
Honeybush, Melianthus major
With bold-textured, silvery blue foliage, honeybush (Melianthus major) makes a spectacular specimen plant in containers or in the border. This South African native is evergreen only in zones 9 and 10, but its rapid growth means it can be used as a seasonal ornamental to provide a lush, exotic look in cooler climates. Learn more about honeybush in this article…
Flowering Maple, Abutilon spp.
Flowering maples aren’t real maples, but they have palmate leaves that look similar to that tree’s leaves, and much more spectacular flowers than true maples have. Also commonly referred to by just the genus name Abutilon, these tender sub-shrubs can be used as seasonal accent plants or grown indoors to bloom year-round. For more about flowering maples read this article…
Balloon Plant, Gomphocarpus physocarpus
Balloon plant is one of many common names for an African milkweed that develops showy, hairy, inflated seed pods that are a real conversation piece. Grown as an annual in our climate, this tender perennial can be a showpiece in the garden or interesting addition to floral arrangements. To learn more about Gomphocarpus physocarpus, read this article…
Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’
Looking for a low-maintenance, fall-blooming perennial? The Perennial Plant Association’s Perennial of the Year 2016 could be just the ticket. With pure white flowers held on wiry stems well above dark green mounds of foliage, Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ makes a statement in the fall garden. To learn more about this great ornamental, read this article…
Summer Vegetables (Part 1)
Emerging Agricultural Markets Team Revised: 8/6/2012 Item number: A3900-02 Whether you’re a new or experienced vegetable buyer, you’re likely to find helpful information and cooking inspiration in this pamphlet. It offers tasty recipes and helpful tips for buying, storing, and cooking cabbage, eggplant, and tomatoes (4 pages).
Summer Vegetables (Part 2)
Emerging Agricultural Markets Team Revised: 8/6/2012 Item number: A3900-03 If you’re looking for a new way to prepare carrots or aren’t sure how to store that zucchini you brought home from the market, look no further. This pamphlet offers tasty recipes and helpful tips for buying, storing, and cooking beans, carrots, and summer squash (2 […]
Rabbit Ecology and Damage Management
This publication describes the lives, habits, and habitat of the eastern cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare, both natives of Wisconsin. Plant damage and management are described.
Elephant Bush, Portulacaria afra
Many succulents make interesting houseplants. If you want something easy to grow with an interesting name, try elephant bush. This South African native is a favorite food of pachyderms that can grow up to 15 feet tall, but it also adapts readily to container culture. Learn more about Portulacaria afra in this article….
Goldenrod Gall Fly, Eurosta solidagnis
You’ve probably seen spherical swellings on goldenrod stems at one time or another, but do you know what caused those? A type of small fly with patterned wings is responsible for the most common gall on goldenrods. To learn more about the goldenrod gall fly and how it creates those golf ball-sized growths, read this article…
Switch Grass, Panicum virgatum
Ornamental grasses are a great addition to the landscape. Switchgrass is a North American prairie native that adapts readily to the garden, especially several cultivars that have been selected for their attractive shape or color. Learn about this low-maintenance, warm season grass with airy, pink-tinged flower spikes in this article…
Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia
This time of year the leaves of Virginia creeper turn from an average green to a brilliant crimson red, painting tree trunks and the ground on woodland edges with bright color once temperatures cool. Learn more about this vigorous native vine that adapts to many different conditions and soils in this article…
