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Gardening Articles
Research-based horticulture information to help keep your plants and gardens thriving.
Golden Shrimp Plant, Pachystachys lutea
Pachystachys lutea is a common landscape ornamental in tropical areas, but you can grow it at home. It’s upright, bright yellow to orange inflorescences contrast nicely with glossy, dark green foliage. To learn more about growing this exotic flowering tropical plant as an outdoor seasonal plant or houseplant, read this article…
Rosemary, Rosemarinus officinalis
Rosemary is an aromatic plant with a long history of use as a culinary and medicinal herb. It is easily grown in containers that can be moved indoors for the winter. To learn more about rosemary, see this article…
Hibiscus schizopetalus
Hibiscus is a quintessential tropical flower, with big, brightly-colored blossoms. But there is a species that has very different, pendant flowers with elaborately dissected and recurved petals. Like other tropical hibiscus, Hibiscus schizopetalus is a tender plant that cannot survive our winters but can be grown as a houseplant. To learn more about this species, read this article…
Blue Fescue, Festuca ovina glauca
Ornamental grasses are a common addition to many landscapes. Festuca ovina glauca – blue fescue or sheep fescue – is a low clumping species with blue-green foliage. This cool season grass can be used as a specimen or in masses. To find out more about this attractive grass, read this article…
Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum spp.
Solomon’s seals are woodland plants with arching stems. There are a number of both native and exotic species and cultivars that are used primarily as foliage plants in ornamental shade gardens (as their small hanging flowers are attractive, but relatively inconspicuous). To learn more about the genus Polygonatum read this article…
Stachys byzantina ‘Big Ears’
Lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) are a good addition to Midwestern gardens for their silvery foliage. One cultivar that stands out is ‘Big Ears’ for it’s extra large leaves. The leaves of this one aren’t quite as silver as many others, but it offers bold texture in a low mounding plant. To learn more about this big-leafed beauty, read this article…
Turtlehead, Chelone spp.
Looking for a fall-bloomer other than mums or asters? The genus Chelone is a native perennial with the common name of turtlehead from the resemblance of the flowers to the shape of a turtle’s head with its mouth partly open. The various species all bloom in late summer to fall, for a spark of pink, red or white flowers on dark green plants. You can learn more about this genus in this article…
Sweet Alyssum, Lobularia maritima
With billowy white or purple flowers, sweet alyssum is a good addition to annual flower beds or containers. This low-growing plant native to the Mediterranean makes a good ground cover and the sweetly fragrant flowers are attractive to many beneficial insects. To learn more about sweet alyssum, read this article…
Autumn Crocus, Colchicum spp.
Brighten the fall landscape with fall-blooming bulbs – yes, there are some fall-bloomers that thrive in Wisconsin. Autumn crocus is probably the best of these, with large, chalice-shaped flowers in pink or white. The foliage appears in spring and dies back in early summer, leaving the flowers to pop up on their own in the fall. To learn more about this bulb (that isn’t really a true crocus), read this article…
Papyrus, Cyperus papyrus
Want an easy-to-grow plant to provide a tropical feel for the growing season? Papyrus is a tropical perennial grown as an annual in the Midwest. It is right at home in shallow water gardens, but can also be grown in containers or moist ground. To find out more about this interesting plant, read this article…
Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis
With its spires of brilliant red flowers, cardinal flower is an unmistakable perennial for moist spots. This American native is found in moist open woods, streambanks and marshy areas throughout the eastern US from Canada through Central America. Learn more about this great plant with flowers that are irresistible to hummingbirds in this article…
Dusty Miller, Senecio cineraria
With its soft, silvery leaves, dusty miller is typically grown as an annual foliage plant – despite the fact that it’s actually a perennial that will flower after the first year. The color is an accent to the green of most other plant leaves and complements brightly colored flowers. To learn more about this bedding plant, read this article…
