Archive for the ‘Aggressive grower’ Category

Stunning Midwinter Fire Dogwood

‘Midwinter Fire Bloodtwig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) is a multi-season deciduous shrub that is native to Europe and western Asia. It is an upright, round-topped, spreading, twiggy, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that typically matures to 8-15 feet tall and as wide. It is native to northern Europe and northwestern Asia (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). ‘Midwinter Fire’ is […]

Ground Covers Maybe You Should Avoid

Some varieties of groundcovers make good lawn substitutes because they’re vigorous and aggressive growers. Many garden centers and box stores sell many of these garden thugs. Yes, the selling point for these plants is their rapid, low-growing groundcovers that fill in spaces between steppingstones or may be utilized as a lawn alternative. Some non-native species […]

‘Jindai’ Japanese Aster

Tatarian aster (Crinitaria tataricus) / (Aster tataricus) is an herbaceous perennial wildflower indigenous to eastern Europe, Siberia, and Mongolia (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Its stiff sturdy stems support showy abundant flower clusters comprised of 1 inch (2.5 cm) across, with deep lavender to blue rays and yellow centers. The flat-topped clusters add late season color […]

Rethink Before Planting These Five Groundcovers

Initially, these 5 groundcovers were alluringly beautiful. But, over time, each grow very aggressively and become a major chore to restrained in the garden. Several states have declared one or more species as invasive and ban them for sale and interstate transportation.  The most effective way to eliminate these aggressive groundcovers is to cut plants […]

Swamp Hibiscus

Swamp hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus), aka scarlet rose mallow, is a hardy perennial plant that grows in swamps, marches and roadside ditches in the Southeastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). It can grow 6 to 8 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.  Its 5- to 6-inch-long leaves are palmately lobed into 3, 5, or 7 parts. […]

Creeping Jenny – Accent /Weed

Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’, aka creeping yellow loosestrife, golden moneywort, and several more colloquial names). It is an herbaceous, semi-evergreen perennial in the primrose (Primulaceae) family native to Europe (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). Introduced in North America this ornamental ground cover grows aggressively.  Be careful what you invite into your garden as this fast-growing plant […]

Colorful Bugleweed As A Groundcover

Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans), aka “carpetweed” and “carpet bugle”, is a fast-growing evergreen perennial ground cover in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. The species name “reptans” means creeping. It is native to Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia. Cultivars are hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3-9 (unless otherwise noted). Most bugleweed cultivars demonstrate aggressive plant vigor that helps to […]

Growing Healthy Blackberries in Your Garden

Yummy blackberries from the garden excel in flavor compared to store-bought. To get the most out of a blackberry planting, select a full sun location with well-drained organically rich loamy soils. The site should be close to a water supply to get the planting off to a good start and to maximize berry size and […]

2022 Perennial Plant Of the Year – Little Bluestem

2022 Perennial Plant Of the Year – Little Bluestem The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) has named its 2022 Perennial of the Year — Little Bluestem (Schizachrium scoparum) (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). This ornamental grass was chosen because it is suitable for a wide range of growing climates, is low maintenance, and offers multiple-season interest. This North […]

Getting Rid Of Difficult Weeds

Some aggressive perennials like Chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata), variegated Bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria), along with many woody briars can be extremely difficult to eliminate from a landscape area or garden bed.  If a weedy garden bed contains no desirable plants, you can over spray weeds with glyphosate, a nonselective herbicide.(Roundup™ is common trade name). This […]