Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is a 10-15 feet tall, vase-shaped, deciduous shrub or a small 15-20 foot tree. The species is native from southern Europe and Asia. Often mistaken as a purple-flowering crapemyrtle, vitex is grown where wintry weather is not severe (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). Its palmately compound grayish-green leaves, composed of 5-7 lance-shaped leaflets, are […]
Archive for the ‘Attracting Butterflies’ Category
Three July Blooming Trees (Other Than Crapemyrtles)
Posted by Hugh on June 25th, 2018
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compact shrub, compact tree, compost, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental issues, Golden Raintree, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Sourwood (Oxydendrum), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Vitex (Chaste tree), watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Three July Blooming Trees (Other Than Crapemyrtles)The Next Generation of Weigelas
Posted by Hugh on May 5th, 2018
Weigela (Weigela florida) is old-fashioned shrub with rose colored blooms and arching branching habit in mid-spring. This shrub is native from Japan, Korea, and China (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). New hybrids of weigelas are arriving at garden centers this spring. Compared to previous cultivars that were 6-9 feet tall, new introductions grow only 2-5 feet […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Weigela, winter hardiness Comments Off on The Next Generation of WeigelasUniquely Different Spider Azalea
Posted by Hugh on April 19th, 2018
Although rarely seen, spider azalea (Rhododendron stenopetalum ‘Linearfolium’) will be a pleasing addition to your woodland garden (USDA hardiness zones 6-8). Few people would ever guess that it is an azalea. This airy shrub grows 3-4 feet tall and a whole lot wider. It is slow growing, but is worth the wait. This unique semi- evergreen azalea hails from Japan. The very narrow […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, compost, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spider aalea (R. stenopetalum), Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on Uniquely Different Spider AzaleaSimple Care of Crape Myrtles
Posted by Hugh on April 13th, 2018
Crape Myrtle Hardiness: Know how hardy the cultivar is. USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9). Site Location: Crape myrtles love sunlight. Flower numbers decline in light to medium shade. Plant in average soil that is well-drained. Select the right cultivar that fits the allotted planting space. Mulch plant and water as needed the first growing season. […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Aphids, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Cercopora leaf spot, compact shrub, compact tree, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Crape myrtle aphid, Crape myrtle bark scale, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Insect (Pest) Problems, Landscape ideas, mulching, mulching trees, Pesticide recommendations, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Simple Care of Crape MyrtlesLandscape Ideas Using Crape Myrtles
Posted by Hugh on April 10th, 2018
If you live in zone 7 and points southward, you are likely growing crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei). Additional hybrid cultivars (varieties) are hardy in zone 6. Crape myrtles are loved for their spectacular summer flowers, colorful fall foliage, and exquisite peeling bark over trunks and branches. Cultivars range in size from dwarf selections […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, Butterflies, compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Landscape Ideas Using Crape MyrtlesBugleweed (Ajuga) Groundcover
Posted by Hugh on April 3rd, 2018
Bugleweed, aka carpetweed (Ajuga reptans), is low-growing semi-evergreen groundcover that offers almost year-round appeal (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). It develops a low prostrate habit and spreads by runners that root into the soil. Attractive vertical spikes of flowers arise in mid- to late- spring. Cultivars abound with multi-colored flowers. Foliage variants range from light green, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bugleweed (Ajuga), compost, Container garden, Container growing, Disease resistant, Fertilizing, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Invasive species, Landscape ideas, Mowing, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Bugleweed (Ajuga) GroundcoverFour Large Street Trees With A Narrow Vertical Look
Posted by Hugh on March 26th, 2018
There is an old saying that they’re not making more land. This is particularly true in urban downtown areas where room to grow street trees is very limited. Here are four tall trees that also have a striking vertical accent. Their branching is upright. Because of their tall stature, they are particularly suitable planted along wide […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn foliage color, Bees and other pollinators, Deer resistant, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Ginkgo biloba, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, mulching, mulching trees, Native Plant, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Trees & Shrubs, Tulip tree (Liriodendron), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Four Large Street Trees With A Narrow Vertical LookFavorites For The Shade
Posted by Hugh on March 23rd, 2018
Here are ten of my favorite perennial plants for shady areas (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). All prosper in 1-2 hours of early morning sunlight and in humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. Mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Hosta – unquestionably the shade favorite of U.S. gardeners. A low maintenance plant that returns every spring with lush […]
Posted in acidic soil, Astilbe (false spirea), Attracting Butterflies, Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Barrenwort (Epimedium), Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Bugbane (Actae), Container garden, Cranesbill (Geranium), deadheading, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Ferns, Fragrant, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Solomon's seal, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Tiarella (foam flower), watering iris, winter hardiness Comments Off on Favorites For The ShadeNative Serviceberry
Posted by Hugh on March 17th, 2018
Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) is a medium-sized native tree. Its native range stretches from Ontario to the Gulf Coast (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). However, it performs well across the Western and Central U.S. Serviceberry is regionally known by many names, including shadbush, shadblow, sarvisberry, sarvis tree, and Juneberry. The latter refers to the small greenish-blue, ripening […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Cold tolerance, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, Winter flowering, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Native ServiceberryTen Grow Facts About Perennials
Posted by Hugh on March 4th, 2018
Before purchasing and planting perennials, here are ten helpful tips to assist you in garden planning: Perennials die back to the ground in fall or winter and regrow from plant crowns or roots the following spring. Most perennials should be divided when they are dormant: Spring bloomers in the fall and Fall bloomers in the […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Butterflies, Columbine (Aquilegia), Container garden, Coreopsis, Daylilies, Delphinium, Fertilizing plants, Hosta, Iris, Iris (Tall bearded), Landscape ideas, Monarda (Beebalm), mulching, Peony, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum), Soil pH, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness, Yarrow (Achillea) Comments Off on Ten Grow Facts About Perennials
