Trees & Shrubs for Your Garden - Garden Experiments

How to Tell Boxelder Apart from Poison Ivy

Garden Experiments — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 18:21:38 +0000

When I was learning to identify plants, the leaves of boxelder used to trip me up. The leaves of this tree looked so much like poison ivy to me. There are a few key features that can help you tell the difference between these two plants. Boxelder Similarities with Poison Ivy The leaves and leaflets […]

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The Native Sassafras Tree

Garden Experiments — Wed, 10 May 2023 16:05:38 +0000

I often see sassafras growing along the trails, in the forest breaks, and in old fields. However, it’s the mitten-shaped leaves that stand out to me. If you break off a twig of a sassafras tree and smell it, you get the distinct smell of root beer. My dad used to do this for us […]

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Best Native Shrubs for Fall Color

Garden Experiments — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 19:33:00 +0000

Fall is a great time to enjoy the beauty of nature in your garden. Native shrubs offer a wide variety of foliage colors, colorful berries, textures, and shapes that will add interest to your yard all season long. Add a few native shrubs for fall color into your landscape! Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) In late […]

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Create a Scented Garden with these 20 Flowers, Trees, Shrubs, and Vines

Garden Experiments — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 20:17:29 +0000

You might think that the best part of your garden are all visual – the flowers, textures, and colors – but have you considered fragrance as a component of your garden? A scented garden can bring back memories, relax and calm you, or just put a smile on your face. At least, that’s what these fragrances do […]

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How to Grow Oakleaf Hydrangea

Garden Experiments — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 16:32:25 +0000

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a mounding, perennial, deciduous shrub that can grow to heights of up to 10 feet and nearly as wide (up to 8 feet generally). It produces branches from the base of the shrub, creating a mound-like shape for the plant. It is hardy in zones 5b through 9, but it […]

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Native Shrubs for Shade Gardens

Garden Experiments — Thu, 19 May 2022 20:28:10 +0000

There are many species of native shrubs that grow in the shade. These native plants need little sunlight and some species can handle deep shade conditions. Add some color and texture to those shady areas in your garden with shade-loving native shrubs that flower in the shade. By adding these native shade shrubs in your […]

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Why You Should Avoid Planting Bradford Pears

Garden Experiments — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 15:02:06 +0000

Do you smell rotting mushrooms or fish when you’re outdoors right now? Don’t worry; it’s not just you. It’s the dreaded scent of Pyrus calleryana or the Bradford Pear tree. The Bradford pear tree puts on a lovely show of branches thick with white flowers. But, this tree has a dark side. It’s invasive! Native […]

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Eastern Redbuds Provide Early Spring Food for Bees

Garden Experiments — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 19:42:47 +0000

The pink-hued blooms of native eastern redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) are one of the first signs of color that I see in March. It’s a sure sign that spring is on its way and that more color will begin to pop up in the lawns and gardens in our neighborhood. After months of cold weather […]

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What are all these trees dropping on the ground in Spring?

Garden Experiments — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 21:14:53 +0000

It’s springtime! The sun is shining, the flowers are starting to bloom, and pollen is coating everything, including our cars. Even the trees are getting in on the action. We have been finding all sort of tree seeds and tree reproductive parts laying on the ground around our neighborhood. From the brown stringy stuff to […]

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Buttonbush for Wet Soils and Cool Blooms!

Garden Experiments — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 21:56:07 +0000

Nature produces some interesting shapes, which is true for the flower of the buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Common buttonbush (or buttonwillow) produces these crazy-looking little spiky ball-like blooms of compound florets. They’re pretty cool, actually, and both bees and butterflies agree. I recently caught this skipper butterfly feeding on a buttonbush flower while hiking in the […]

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