Archive for the ‘Heat Tolerance’ Category

‘Hot Lips’ Turtlehead – A Late Summer Flowering Native

Turtlehead (Chelone spp.) is a U.S. native. Turtle-head shaped flowers appear in August and September. The 1 inch flowers open from bottom to top along the stem (s). Colors vary from bright white, creamy white, and white tinged with pink (depending on species and cultivar grown). Pink turtlehead (C. lyonii ) is native to the Southern […]

The Boys Or Girls of Summer

Gardeners are looking for simple plant combinations and this photo, shot at Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio, shows three easy to grow perennials, “no-brainers” as some might call them. Originally, all three plants emigrated from the prairie where each coped with hot summers without much rainfall. In the hands of modern plant breeders, each perennial has been greatly improved. All are disease and pest resistant. Some […]

Dawn Redwood Is Back From Extinction

  Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) was thought to be extinct until the mid-twentieth century. In 1948 dawn redwood was re-introduced into North America from Sichuan-Hubei Provinces in China.   Dawn redwood grows in full sun and in well-drained, compost-rich soil. The tree struggles in dry or high pH soils. Dawn redwood will tolerate standing water for a […]

‘Sunburst’ Golden St. John’s Wort

Our native golden St. John’s wort (Hypericum frondosum) deserves more planting space in U. S. gardens (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). ‘Sunburst’ is the leading cultivar and exhibits superior traits over the species. Golden St. John’s wort forms a small, dense growing deciduous shrub, noted for its showy golden yellow flowers and attractive blue-green foliage. Sunburst grows more compact […]

‘Brigadoon’ Hypericum Wakes Up a Garden Bed

The bright chartreuse (almost golden) foliage Brigadoon St. John’s wort (Hypericum calycinum ‘Brigadoon’) can brighten up almost any dull garden spot. This Euro-Asian ground cover thrives in any well-drained soil under full to partial sunlight (USDA zones 4-7). Full sun may burn the summer foliage in zone 7. ‘Brigadoon’ grows 12 to 16 inches tall and spreads […]

Vintage ‘Strawberry Candy’ A Sensational Daylily Performer

Some vintage daylily varieties are timeless performers.  Strawberry Candy daylily (Hemerocallis x ‘Strawberry Candy’) is a daylily classic, one of the first to open in June in Southern Appalachian gardens (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). Its grass-like foliage is semi-evergreen here. The 4- inch diameter flowers open strawberry pink with a prominent rose red eye […]

‘Red Volunteer’ – Outstanding Veteran Red-flowering Daylily

In the gardening world new does not always mean better. Red Volunteer daylily (Hemerocallis x ‘Red Volunteer’) is not new, introduced by Oakes Daylily Nursery, near Knoxville, TN in 1984. Daylily catalogs describe it as a “candle red self with a golden yellow throat”. It is a mid-season bloomer and the foliage is semi-evergreen. The […]

No Scorch ‘Verdoni’ Dwarf Hinoki Cypress

 For a small urban garden many dwarf evergreen conifers are a good fit. There are so many to choose from and Verdon hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Verdoni’) is one of the finest. Its fan shaped gold-edged green foliage will light up almost any garden locale. It makes a great garden companion with short growing perennials, […]

Powdery Mildew: The Bane of Beebalm

  Beebalm (Monarda spp.) is one of our great native perennials and herbs. Native Americans used beebalm as a tea, brewing it for colds, minor bronchial and digestive complaints, and also as a poultice to soothe insect stings. During the Boston Tea Party, rebellious colonists utilized beebalm as a tea substitute, calling it “Oswego tea”. […]

Dwarf Southern Magnolia Cultivars

Small 5-6 Year Old ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is remarkably hardy in USDA zone 6. This evergreen magnolia prefers a moist well-drained, slightly acidic soil, and planted in a partial to full sun location.  It is a long-lived large 70-80 feet tall tree, best suited to large commercial and residential properties, golf […]