Archive for the ‘Disease resistant’ Category

Lots Of Stokes Asters To Pick

Stokes aster (Stokesia laevis) is an underutilized herbaceous perennial. It is indigenous to the southeastern United States (USDA hardiness zones 5-9 and AHS heat zones 4-11). Many attractive cultivars are now available (see below). Most stokes asters produce mostly blue and purple colored floral cultivars, but violet, yellow, white, and blended color forms are also […]

Japanese Hydrangea Vine Worth The Wait

              Japanese hydrangea vine (Schizophragma hydrangoides) ‘Moonlight’ is a deciduous woody vine (USDA hardiness zone 5 to 8). It is closely related to climbing hydrangea vine (Hydrangea anomala ‘Petiolaris’). This ornate climbing vine is valued for its silvery, silvery-green, heart-shaped foliage and large, flat-topped, lace cap hydrangea-like clusters (8-10 […]

Managing Leaf Spot Infections

There are nearly 1,000 fungal pathogens that cause leaf spot diseases on garden plants. Fungal leaf spots vary in size—from the size of a pinpoint to lesions that consume the entire leaf. Many leaf spots are tan to dark brown in color and may be circular, angular or irregular in shape. Some of the common […]

Sunset Cutie® Gaillardia

New from PlantHaven is a new 15-inch gaillardia (Gaillardia x grandiflora) called Sunset Cutie® with red-bronze flowers edged in creamy yellow. It will leave a bright fiesta feel to our home landscape. Sunset Cutie has a compact mounding plant habit. It will bloom nonstop on your patio this summer or in your perennial flower bed. It is hardy to Zone 5 […]

Flame Azalea Favorite Among Native Azaleas

Flame azalea (R. calendulaceum) is a spectacular sight when it flowers in early May through June (depending on location). The mountainsides across the Appalachian region seem to be afire with their yellow, orange or red flowers (USDA hardiness zones 5 thru 8). Its native habitat is in open, dry sites in woods, on the hillsides, and […]

‘Short and Sassy’ Helenium (Sneezeweed)

Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) is a bee/butterfly friendly perennial that blooms heavily from mid-summer into early fall. Helenium (“sneezeweed”) does not cause hayfever or irritate sinus passages. The genus Helenium is named for Helen of Troy. Its dried leaves were once crunched to make a snuff to promote sneezing. This tough prairie native thrives in full […]

American Yellowwood Deserves To Be Planted More

    American yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) is a beautiful native tree which  is rarely planted in U.S. landscapes (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Yellowwood is a tree for all seasons. It is both a lovely shade and flowering specimen. Long white wisteria-like flowers appear in mid- to late-May. It eventually matures into a lovely 35 to […]

Cosmos For Sunny Gardens

Cosmos, indigenous to Mexico and South America, are one of the easiest-to-grow flowering annuals. They start blooming in early summer and are at their best in late summer and early autumn. Two most popular species are Cosmos sulphureus and C. bipinnatus. Flower heads are composed of disc and ray flowers. Cosmos is a member of the aster […]

Chinese Fringetree Gains In Popularity And Availability

 Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) When in bloom in mid-spring (May), the fringetrees (Chionanthus spp.) definitely will catch your eye. Chinese fringetree (C. retusus), is one of the finest small to medium sized flowering trees, not to be confused with the U.S. native fringetree (C. virginicus) (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Both produce spectacular white lacy flowers […]

Good News About Garden Impatiens

  Gardeners no longer have to give up growing garden impatiens (Impatiens walleriana). No, the worldwide disease outbreak of downy mildew  on garden impatiens is not over. But new disease resistant cultivars of impatiens are arriving at garden centers this spring. Two of the newest are: SunPatiens® Spreading Shell Pink and Bounce® Pink Flame (‘Balboufink’). […]