Featured plants in the Lou!
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November Shrub of the Month-Oakleaf hydrangea
Hydrangeas are some of the most versatile shrubs for St. Louis. There is a hydrangea for just about every garden location. Wet and shady, full sun and dry, Dry shade! Tight spots and…
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November Perennial of the Month-Autumn fern
Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora), also called Japanese shield fern, is native to Asia but does well in St. Louis shade gardens without becoming aggressive or invasive. In spring, the new fronds emerge with a…
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October Perennial of the Month-Stonecrop
Oh, the joys of Autumn Joy sedum. There is a reason this cultivar has been around for so long. It’s tough. long-lived, and it performs in fall, giving our late-season gardens a very…
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October ANTI-Shrub of the Month-Burning bush
It’s that time again … when the emails, calls, and inquiries start-up about burning bushes. People LOVE that red color in the fall, so much so that they ignore everything else about this…
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October Tree of the Month-Hickory
Autumn is one of the most anticipated seasons for St. Louisans. The weather changes from sweltering to sensational, plenty of festivities and events are happening around town, and of course, the changing of…
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September Perennial of the Month-Rattlesnake master
The common name, rattlesnake master, supposedly comes from the medicinal properties of Eryngium yuccifolium to cure snake bites. One must wonder just exactly what had to happen for the folks back then to…
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September Shrub of the Month-Blue mist shrub
It’s the type of shrub you see in a magazine or catalog and want to try immediately. With a coveted blue color rarely found in the garden, let alone in a late-season bloomer,…
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September Tree of the Month-Persimmon
After one or two cooler mornings, everyone starts talking about winter. Will it be cold? Will there be snow? Despite climate change that has turned our seasons inside out lately, you can count…
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August Tree of the Month-River birch
We talk a lot about “well-drained” soils regarding plant preferences. But one tree that LOVES wet conditions is our native river birch-Betula nigra. River birch gets its common name from its natural habitat along…
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August Shrub of the Month-Smoke bush
To be, or not to be…a shrub or a tree? Well, in the plant world, there is a lot of gray area between what makes a tree a “tree” versus a “shrub”. RHS…