Articles
Gardening Articles
Research-based horticulture information to help keep your plants and gardens thriving.
String of Hearts, Ceropegia woodii
Hearts abound in mid-February, so now is a good time to learn about String of Hearts. This tender African succulent plant with heart-shaped leaves is easily grown as a houseplant. Read more…
Jade Plant, Crassula ovata
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) is a tender succulent south African native that is very easy to grow and propagate, making it a popular houseplant. This article provides information on caring for and propagating Jade Plants.
Crown of Thorns, Euphorbia milii
Flowering houseplants are not as common as indoor foliage plants. If you want a tough plant that produces bright or pastel colored flowers, consider crown of thorns. There are a wide variety of cultivars of this succulent species to choose from. To learn more about this plant and how to care for it, keep reading…
Ponytail Palm, Beaucarnea recurvata
It’s called a ponytail palm, but isn’t really a palm. This succulent plant sort of resembles a palm with its long leaves on a single stem. Its enlarged base gives rise to its other common name of elephant’s foot tree. It makes a low-maintenance houseplant here in the Midwest. To find out more about this easy-to-grow species, keep reading…
Nerine bowdenii
It’s getting pretty late in the season for new flowers, but there is one plant that is in bloom now. It’s a tender bulb from South Africa, but does great in container culture. To find out what plant this is and how to grow it, read on…
Fiber Optic Grass, Isolepis cernua
Want a fun plant for the water garden, containers or garden bed? Give fiber optic grass a try! Not really a grass, but a sedge, this low maintenance plant has small flower spikes at the tips of the grass-like stems reminiscent of those fiber optic lamps, hence the common name. Although it’s not hardy here and is frequently used as an annual, you can overwinter it in the house. Read this article on fiber optic grass…
'Prairie Sun' Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta
Make a splash in the garden with a brightly colored black-eyed Susan – minus the black eye. ‘Prairie Sun’ is a former All America Selections winner with a green center and rich, orange and yellow petals. Learn more about this intriguing cultivar …
Peacock Orchid, Gladiolus murielae (=Acidantherus bicolor)
Here’s a plant in the iris family disguised as an orchid – peacock orchid, that is. Despite the common name, this is a species of Gladiolus that is easily grown as a tender summer bulb in our climate. And the bonus is that it’s fragrant! Learn more about this interesting flower here…
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle, Chauliognathus pensylvanicus
You’ve probably noticed elongated, orange beetles roaming about on flowers lately. These goldenrod soldier beetles are the most common species of soldier beetle in our area. They are common at this time of year, feeding on pollen and maybe the occasional small insect. Read this article to find out more about these insects…
Agapanthus
Are you ready to add an exotic blue flower to your summer patio display, and then keep it as a houseplant? Lily-of-the-Nile is used extensively in landscaping in mild climates, but it’s not any harder to grow this plant in the north than many other tropicals. Learn more about the tender perennial Agapanthus in this article…
Mighty Mites
Did you know that there are mites that eat other mites? Barely visible to the naked eye, these little predators help keep spider mites and other pests in check. Read on to learn more about this fascinating world of tiny predatory mites…
Egyptian Walking Onions
While they don’t really walk, and they’re not really from Egypt, these onions flop over and replant the bulbils produced on the stem tops, so they move across the ground if you let them. Find out more about this perennial onion…
