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What is a Colletia Plant? Gardeners are often searching for that unusual, second look plant for their landscape. Crucifixion thorn plants could provide just the right amount of drama and distinctive form. However, they are very rare plants and usually only found in botanical gardens where special cultural steps for successfully growing anchor plants can be taken to mimic their native range. The plants are found from Uruguay, west to western Argentina and into southern Brazil....

Types of Japanese Painted Fern Several cultivars of this plant are available to the gardener, with varying shades of color. The name derives from the fact that Japanese painted fern plants appear to have been delicately painted with shades of green, red, and silver. Look at different types of Japanese painted fern to decide which you prefer for your garden. The cultivar ‘Pictum,’ with its attractive silver and red color, was named perennial plant of the year in 2004 by the Perennial Plant Association....

When Do You Pick Kumquats? The word “kumquat” originates from the Cantonese kam kwat, which means “golden orange” and is a traditional gift during the Lunar New Year as a symbol of prosperity. Although often referred to as a type of orange and a member of the citrus family, kumquats are actually classified under the genus Fortunella, named after the horticulturalist Robert Fortune, who was responsible for introducing them to Europe in 1846....

Landscaping With Hemlocks Growing hemlock trees is a piece of cake, provided that you take their many needs into consideration when planting them. The question isn’t so much how to plant a hemlock tree as where to plant them. Unlike many other large landscape trees, hemlocks have evolved while growing in the shade of other trees, so you’ll need to choose a place that’s protected, especially against winter winds and drying summer heat....

Growing Red Peppers Takes Time Time is the biggest factor in growing red bell peppers. Believe it or not, virtually all pepper plants are a red pepper plant. Much like a tomato plant, pepper plants have green immature fruit and red mature fruit. Also, just like a tomato, the mature fruit can be yellow or orange. A red pepper plant just needs time. How much time? It depends on the variety....

What is a Limeberry? Native to tropical southeastern Asia, limeberry (Triphasia trifolia) is an evergreen shrub that is closely related to citrus. Like most citrus, the branches are littered with thorns. The plant’s blossoms are hermaphroditic, fragrant, and white in color with three petals. The resulting fruit is bright red, containing 2-3 tiny seeds. The shrub can grow to a height of about 9 feet. Limeberry information tell us that it is sometimes spelled as two words (lime berry) and may also be referred to as Limau Kiah or Lemondichina....

Propagating Magnolia Seeds In addition to transplanting and growing a magnolia seedling, you can also try your hand at growing magnolias from seed. Propagating magnolia seeds takes a little extra effort because you can’t buy them in packets. Once the seeds dry out, they are no longer viable, so in order to grow a magnolia tree from seed, you have to harvest fresh seeds from the berries. Before you go to the trouble of harvesting magnolia seed pods, try to determine whether the parent tree is a hybrid....

Moving Lilac Shrubs Lilac bushes are lovely, fragrant additions to any home garden. They are also versatile shrubs, filling in as border plants, specimen ornamentals or as part of flowering hedges. If you are thinking your lilac would look or grow better in another location, consider transplanting a root shoot instead of relocating a lilac bush. Many species of lilac, like the French lilac, propagate by producing shoots around the base of the shrub....

Interested in learning how to layer naranjilla? Air layering, which involves rooting a naranjilla branch while it’s still attached to the parent plant, is surprisingly easy. Read on to learn about naranjilla air layering propagation. Tips on Naranjilla Layering Air layering naranjilla is possible any time of year, but rooting is best in early spring. Use a straight, healthy branch about one or two years old. Remove the side shoots and leaves....

What is Naturescaping? Naturescaping is the idea that you can design a landscape that is nature-friendly. In other words, the landscape becomes something that is attractive and functional for people but that also benefits wildlife, insects, and pollinators. Naturescaping also aims to minimize negative impacts on the environment by reducing the need for pesticides and water and preventing erosion. Why Create a Native Plant Lawn? One of the most common strategies for naturescaping is planting a native lawn....

Growing Ninebark Shrubs Though the Physocarpus ninebark family is small, ninebark shrub info indicates there is a cultivar for every landscape. Most ninebark shrub info varies on climates that support growing ninebark shrubs, but most agree the Physocarpus ninebark and newer cultivars do well if planted in USDA Zones 2 through 7. Learning how to grow a ninebark bush includes the proper location and correct planting of the ninebark bush. Dig a hole as deep as the container holding the shrub and twice as wide....

Oregano Disease Problems Diseases affecting oregano plants are primarily caused by fungi. Fungi thrive in moist conditions where the air doesn’t circulate well enough to keep the foliage dry. Pruning plants will open them up for better air circulation, and spacing them according to the plant tag solves some oregano problems. If your soil doesn’t drain well grow oregano in a raised bed or in containers. The fungi that cause oregano disease problems often result in rotting leaves or roots....

How to Plant Pansy Seeds Pansies are cool season plants which grow best when temperatures are below 65 degrees F. (18 C.). This makes the plants ideal candidates for planting in fall and spring gardens. Knowing when and how to sow pansy seeds varies depending upon where the grower lives. With its larger blooms, this member of the viola family is surprisingly cold tolerant, often surviving temperatures below 10 degrees F....

What to Do When Parsley Bolts By the time the parsley plant has gone to seed or bolted, it’s too late. The best idea is to learn how to keep parsley from bolting in the first place, or at least how to slow down the inevitable process. If your parsley plant is bolting, it will likely have not much left in it. Probably the best idea is to pull it up and replant....

How Peach Tree Borers Damage Trees Peach borer larvae tunnel through cracks and wounds within bark, feeding on the sapwood. Peach tree borers attack near the soil line, with most activity occurring a few inches (8 cm.) below the ground. Eventually, the bark begins to peel off damaged areas, making the tree susceptible to other pests and disease. Adults, which resemble wasps, are most prevalent from mid-May to early October. During this time, eggs are laid on the trunks of trees, hatching within a week to ten days....

Gardeners often think of peppers as annual plants which need to be started from seeds each spring. In truth, peppers are perennials that form woody bush-like plants in frost-free climates where they can survive the winter. There is a way to regrow that wonderful mislabeled pepper for next year. All you need is a pepper plant cutting. Propagation is easy! How to Clone a Pepper Plant Select a stem that is approximately 3 to 5 inches (7....

What is Pepper Sunscald? Sunscald on peppers occurs in the high heat of summer when humidity is at a peak. The pepper is not the only fruit affected. Tomatoes are also commonly scalded, and many tree fruits are also at risk. Usually the foliage on the pepper plant will help shield it from the most intense rays of the sun, but in some cases, the leaves have defoliated partially due to insects or disease....

Pink Flowering Rosemary Plants Rosemary(Rosemarinus officinalis) is an aromatic, perennial evergreen shrub that is steeped in history. The ancient Romans and Greeks used rosemary and associated it with love of their deities Eros and Aphrodite. You are likely to love it as well for its delicious flavor, scent and ease of growing. Rosemary is in the mint family, Labiatae, and is native to the Mediterranean hills, Portugal, and northwestern Spain. While rosemary is primarily used in culinary dishes, in ancient times, the herb was associated with remembrance, memory and fidelity....

What is a Plant and Forget Garden? As a landscape designer/contractor, I’m cautious about the promotion of plant and forget gardens. When you install a new landscape, plants need attention. Their root system is young, the irrigation system is untested, and growing conditions under the mulch are mysterious. You should really keep a close eye on new plants for that first year and make sure everything is working properly. Nevertheless, I acknowledge that many people need hard-to-kill garden plants....

Human actions are a large reason for endangered plant species. Some of these plants may be commonly found in cultivated settings but are actually imperiled in their native regions. Many of these plants are indigenous to just a small area and their loss would change the fabric of nature. It is important to recognize endangered plants so we can prevent habitat loss and foster conservation. Endangered Plant Species Online Outside of natural causes and manmade perils, many endangered plants are harvested illegally and are found for sale on the internet....