The common lilac varieties can grow 10 to 15 feet tall and wide, so place them where they can grow large. Lilacs make a good addition to a mixed shrub border in full sun. If a lilac is in too much shade it won't flower...
Name: Iris reticulata – aka Dwarf Iris or Netted Iris Type of Plant: One of the earliest blooming bulbs – in flower on Cape Cod in March into April....
Name: Cornus alba ‘Bailhalo’ aka Ivory Halo variegated red twig dogwood Type of Plant: A shrub with variegated leaves and bright red stems, hardy...
Name: Papaver orientale, aka Oriental poppy Type of Plant: A perennial poppy that flowers in late-May and early June, hardy in zones 3 to 7. Why I...
Name: Zinnias! Type of Plant: Annuals, many cultivars of Zinnia elegans, aka the common garden zinnia. Why I Love This Plant: At this time of...
Name: Liriodendron tulipifera aka tulip tree or tulip-poplar Type of Plant: A large, native tree in the magnolia family. (Magnoliaceae) Best...
Name: Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’ aka blue grama Type of Plant: Short, summer flowering grass for full sun, hardy in Zones 3-10. This...
Name: Sunshine Blue Caryopteris, aka Caryoperis incana ‘Jason’ Type of Plant: A fall-flowering shrub for full sun that’s hardy in Zones 5-9. Why I...
Name: Gossypium hirsutum 'Red Foliated' aka red foliaged cotton. Type of Plant: A lovely plant with a lot of baggage. Winter hardy in Zones 9-11,...
Name: Hydrangea macrophylla 'Hokomarevo' aka Hydrangea Everlasting Revolution Type of Plant: A mophead hydrangea with pink to blue flowers depending...
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Name: Ruellia makoyana aka trailing velvet plant Type of Plant: For most of us, this Ruellia is an indoor houseplant. It is hardy in Zone 10, but...
Name: Juniperus virginiana aka Eastern red cedar Type of Plant: Needled evergreen tree native to Eastern North America, hardy in Zones 2-9. Why I...
What the plant geek saw on New Year's Eve....
Name: Cupressus macrocarpa 'Goldcrest' aka lemon cypress Type of Plant: A bright lime-yellow dwarf evergreen that has a columnar, cone shape. Hardy...
Name: Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ aka variegated false holly Type of Plant: A variegated shrub that looks like holly. Hard iin Zones 6-9 y...
Name: Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ aka dwarf Hinoki falsecypress Type of Plant: A slow growing evergreen, hardy in Zone 4 to 8, with...
Name: Cucurbita moschata aka Waltham butternut squash. Type of Plant: A winter squash that has, since it’s development in the 1940’s, has become...