Featured plants in the Lou!
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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…
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August Perennial of the Month-Millenium Allium
Alliums are gaining popularity, and one of my favorites is Millenium. (Yes, that is the correct spelling of the registered cultivar!) This time of year, when the spring-blooming alliums like Globemaster and Ambassador…
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July Perennial of the Month-Bear’s Breeches
Easily confused as a weedy thistle at first glance, Acanthus spinous, or bear’s breeches, is one of the most celebrated perennials in our culture over the centuries…most people just don’t recognize it. Acanthus…
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July Shrub of the Month-Buttonbush
Can there be a flower more fun than a buttonbush flower? (Cephalanathus occidentalis)These sputnik-looking spheres don’t look real, but they are fragrant, eye-catching, and unique, like little retro Christmas ornaments harking back to…
