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Sansevieria (Mother-in-Law Tongue) – Weeds or Wonders? Is mother-in-law tongue plant invasive? The answer is that it depends on the variety. There are many different types of Sansevieria and most, including the popular Sansevieria trifasciata, are perfectly well behaved and make hardy, attractive indoor plants. However, University of Florida IFAS Extension reports that Sansevieria hyacinthoides has escaped cultivation and has become a nuisance in south Florida – primarily coastal areas in USDA zone 10 and above....

DIY Slow Release Watering Slow release watering directly at the root zone helps a plant develop deep, vigorous roots, while replenishing the moisture aerial plant tissues lost to transpiration. It can also prevent many diseases that spread in the splashes of water. Crafty gardeners are always coming up with new ways to make DIY slow release watering systems. Whether made with PVC pipes, a five-gallon bucket, milk jugs, or soda bottles, the concept is pretty much the same....

Learn how to grow sorrel and add a citrus touch to your culinary herb garden. Sorrel Plant There are many varieties of sorrel plant, but the most common used in cooking is French sorrel (Rumex scutatus). Sheep’s sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is native to North America and is not palatable to humans, but produces nutritious fodder for animals. Leaf sorrel is cultivated as a garden herb and grows 2 feet (61 cm....

Texas Madrone Plant Info Native to West Texas and New Mexico, the spring blooms of Texas madrone trees (Arbutus xalapensis) are a welcome sight among the scrub pines and bare prairies found there. Multi-stemmed trunks grow to about 30 feet (9 m.). The trees have a vase shape, round crown, and orange-red, berry-like drupes in summer. Branches are strong, growing to withstand the strong winds and resist drooping and breakage. The attractive, white to pink fragrant blossoms grow in clusters as long as 3 inches (7....

What is Viburnum? Viburnums are a group of large-flowering shrubs, with some varieties reaching up to 20 feet (6 m.). There are both evergreen and deciduous viburnum shrubs. Many have either white or pink blooms in early spring. Also commonly referred to as cranberry bush, viburnums are often used as ornamental fixtures in the home landscape. They are used in shrub borders or as hedges and screening. The larger varieties of viburnum shrub also make excellent focal points as specimen plantings....

What do heat zones mean? Read on for an explanation, including tips, on how to use heat zones when selecting plants. Heat Zone Map Info For decades gardeners have used cold hardiness zone maps to figure out whether a particular plant can survive winter weather in their backyard. The USDA put together the map dividing the country into twelve cold hardiness zones based on the coldest recorded winter temperatures in a region....

What are Lettuce Aphids? Lettuce aphids come in multiple hues ranging from green to orange to pink. The adults have black markings on their leg joints and antennae. Some have black markings on the abdomen as well and may be winged or wingless. Lettuce Aphid Information Lettuce aphid information informs us about their prolific reproduction, which is definitely no boon to the gardener. Aphids are both viviparous and parthenogenic, which means the females are capable of producing living offspring without any sexual activity....

Balloon Cactus Info Balloon cactus is not a very common plant, but some retailers carry the succulents and the seeds are widely available on the internet. As one of the low growing, chubby, round types of cactus, it is adorable and well worth including in your cactus collection. Like many of the desert varieties, balloon cactus cannot tolerate frost and, in most climes, is suited only as a houseplant. If you aren’t a collector, you may wonder, “what is a balloon cactus....

What is a False Cypress? Native to Japan, false cypress is a medium to large evergreen shrub for U.S. zones 4-8 landscapes. In the wild, varieties of false cypress may grow 70 feet tall (21 m.) and 20-30 feet wide (6-9 m.). For the landscape, nurseries tend to only grow dwarf or unique varieties of Chamaecyparis pisifera. The ‘mop’ or thread-leaf cultivars usually have chartreuse to gold colored, pendulous threads of scaly foliage....

What is a Honey Locust? Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is a tree that is native to parts of the eastern U.S., as far north as Kentucky and Pennsylvania, and as far west as Texas and Nebraska, but it can grow in many areas. In the wild this tree will grow up to 100 feet (30 m.) and beyond, but in landscaping it usually tops out at 30 to 70 feet (9-21 m....

About Semi-Hardwood Cuttings Semi-hardwood propagation is suitable for an amazing variety of plants, including evergreens and deciduous plants and trees such as: Evergreen Butterfly bush Holly Arborvitae Jasmine Barberry Camellia English ivy Yew Deciduous Dogwood Blueberry Honeysuckle Forsythia Rose Quince Semi-hardwood cuttings generally root easily and don’t require a lot of special knowledge. When to Take Semi-Hardwood Cuttings Semi-hardwood cuttings are propagated when the stems are partly, but not fully mature....

Good news, though, the grafted everblooming gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides “Veitchii”) is more reliable. While it benefits from proper care, this plant is more flexible on soil and nutrient needs. Those who haven’t been successful growing gardenias might want to give this one a try. About Everblooming Gardenias You are probably wondering, just what is an everblooming gardenia? This plant is grafted and blooms throughout spring and summer, sometimes even into autumn....

Crinkle-leaf Creeper Info The family Rosaceae includes many of our favorite fruits as well as roses. Creeping raspberry is one of the family but it has a growth habit more closely aligned with wild strawberries. The plant merrily rambles over rocks, hills, depressions, and wide spaces but is easygoing and can be controlled mechanically. Rubus calycinoides (syn. Rubus hayata-koidzumii, Rubus pentalobus, Rubus rolfei) is native to Taiwan and provides an excellent low maintenance groundcover in the landscape....

Trees Resistant to Wind Wind isn’t particular about climate. There are high wind areas in places with mild winters and hurricanes also blow through in humid, subtropical climates. Even northern states can experience winds that threaten trees. If you live where the wind can be strong, you’ll need to plant wind hardy trees. Trees that can tolerate wind have a better chance of lasting out the storm or hurricane and also protecting your home from damage....

Growing Yellow Potatoes Like other varieties, golden potato plant types are easy to grow. It’s best to start with certified potato seed so as not to introduce disease into the garden. Although potatoes do form true seeds from flowers, these seeds are too genetically diverse to produce true-to-type crops. The term “potato seed” generally refers to tubers containing eyes or buds. Before planting potatoes, cut the intact tuber into sections with each piece containing at least two eyes....

When to Plant Fall Vegetables in Zone 6 You probably won’t find many starter vegetables in your local garden center in autumn, when most gardeners have put their gardens to bed for the winter. However, many cool-season vegetable seeds can be planted directly in the garden. The goal is to get the seedlings planted outdoors in time to take advantage of the last days of summer warmth. The exception is veggies in the cabbage family, which should be started by seed indoors....

Hardy Jasmine Vines Unfortunately, in zone 6, there are not too many choices of jasmine you can grow outdoors year-round. Therefore, many of us in cooler climates often grow tropical jasmines in containers that can be moved inside in cold weather or outside on warm sunny days. As annuals or houseplants, you can grow any variety of jasmine vines in zone 6. If you are looking for a zone 6 jasmine plant to grow outside year-round, winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is your best bet....

White Forsythia Info Commonly called false forsythia, they are classified as small shrubs similar to the more familiar yellow forsythia bushes we are accustomed to seeing in spring. Stems are arching and blooms are white with a pinkish tinge. Blooms emerge from purple buds before leaves appear and are showy and slightly fragrant. White forsythia shrubs are also known as Korean Abelialeaf. Botannically called Abelioplyllum distichum, white forsythia info says growing Abeliophyllum provides an attractive, summer foliage display....

Let’s learn more about adding this plant to your garden. Balloon Plants for Caterpillars Balloon plant milkweed is a unique, vase-shaped shrub that produces light green, lance-shaped leaves and clusters of small, waxy flowers that show up in summer. The blooms are followed by round, balloon-like fruit covered with small bristles. Balloon plant milkweed isn’t particularly showy, but butterflies love the nectar-rich blooms. In fact, the plant is definitely one of the best plants for attracting monarch butterflies....

Breadfruit Tree Pest Problems As a tropical plant, breadfruit trees are never exposed to periods of hard freeze, which can kill off or cause a dormancy period of pests and diseases. Fungal pathogens have an especially easy time establishing and spreading in these hot, humid tropical locations. However, despite the ideal environment for pests and disease, most growers describe breadfruit trees as relatively pest and disease free. The most common pests of breadfruit are soft scale and mealybugs....