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Cypress Tree Info Cypress trees have a straight trunk that tapers at the base, giving it a soaring perspective. In cultivated landscapes, they grow 50 to 80 feet (15-24 m.) tall with a spread of 20 to 30 feet (6-9 m.). These deciduous conifers have short needles with a feathery appearance. Most varieties have needles that turn brown in winter, but a few have lovely yellow or gold fall color. Bald cypress has a tendency to form “knees,” which are pieces of root that grow above the ground in odd and sometimes mysterious shapes....

Which Magnolias are Deciduous? There are both evergreen and deciduous magnolia trees. In the large group of magnolia, deciduous trees are noted for their frost hardiness and attractive form. Some of the different varieties of magnolia are even known to flower in late winter and continue until the end of summer. These may have huge saucer- or star-shaped flowers in a variety of hues. If you are walking about your neighborhood and spy an especially appealing magnolia species, how can you know if it is one of the deciduous magnolia varieties?...

Heat and Drought Tolerant Plants with Color Selecting drought tolerant plants with color isn’t as difficult as you might think. Here are some popular perennials that will add a pop of color while handling the heat of sun and drought-like conditions: Salvia (Salvia spp.) – Salvia is a hardy, drought-tolerant plant greatly loved by butterflies and hummingbirds. This low-maintenance cousin to kitchen sage displays tall spikes of tiny white, pink, violet, red, and blue flowers....

Gardening with Vertical Planters If you don’t want to spend a lot on those vertical planting bags, then vertical gardening with shoe organizers is a great alternative. A vertical garden in a shoe organizer is also great for those of us with limited sun in our gardens. Often, you may get great sun exposure on just the deck or hitting the side of a shed, but nowhere else in the yard....

What is Golden Club? Golden club (Orontium aquaticum) is a native herbaceous perennial in the family Arum (Araceae). This common emergent plant can be found growing in streams, swamps, and ponds. Golden club water plants grow from a vertical rhizome that has thick roots which expand and contract. These contracting roots draw the rhizome deeper into the soil. The dark green, erect, strap-like leaves of this water plant float atop the surface of the water....

What is Citronella Grass? True citronella plants, Cymbopogon nardus or Cymbopogon winterianus, are grasses. If you are purchasing a “citronella plant” that has lacy foliage instead of grass blades, it is probably a citronella scented geranium, which is often sold as mosquito repelling plants but are actually ineffective at repelling these insects. Citronella grass is a clump-forming, perennial grass in zones 10-12, but many gardeners in northern climates grow it as an annual....

Before you even think about sowing the tiny seeds, you need to know how to fix your soil and avoid stunted and distorted roots. Growing healthy carrots requires loose soil and a heavy addition of organic amendments. A brief carrot soil profile will give you the knowledge to produce a bumper crop of perfect, straight vegetables, perfect for a fresh snack, and a host of other recipe applications. Best Soil for Carrots Root crops, like carrots, are best sown directly into a prepared seedbed outside....

Just because sunflowers are easy to grow, however, does not mean that they should be dismissed from the grown-up garden. The variety of sunflowers available to the home gardener is absolutely amazing and, as an added bonus, sunflowers can help attract some local birds to your garden. What Sunflowers Look Like Sunflowers come in sizes that range from dwarf varieties, which can be as small as a foot and a half (46 cm....

Rose Plants That Resist Drought Many of us have either had to or are currently dealing with drought conditions in the areas we live. Such conditions make it tough to have a garden due to the lack of an abundance of water to keep our plants and shrubs well-hydrated. After all, water is a life-giver. Water carries the nutrition to our plants, including our rose bushes. That being said, there are roses that we can focus on that have been tested in various growing conditions to see how they perform....

Can You Grow Houseplants Together in the Same Pot? Absolutely, multiple houseplants can be planted in one container. Think about it. In the garden, we regularly combine different plants together. If you’ve ever bought or received a basket of live plants for a gift, you will see that the florist combined several plants. There are, of course, a few rules of thumb about houseplant container mixing. Houseplants in one container should share the same growing conditions....

How Hardy are Lavender Plants? It has ancient medicinal properties, a heady fragrance and season-long spectacular purple to white flower spikes. Bees love it, it dries well and the scent remains long after the flowers have died. There are no reasons not to grow lavender, but is it right for your zone? With a sunny, well-draining location and plenty of spring and summer sun, the plants will thrive, but when winter comes, they are often killed to the ground if temperatures are too cold....

Identifying Squash Vine Borer These squash pests are, unfortunately, tricky to discover before they do damage to your squash plants. The squash vine borer is both a winter and summer squash pest and will affect both types in a similar way. A squash vine borer is a small, cream-colored caterpillar that inserts itself into the inside of a squash stem. They are difficult to see, as they are normally found inside the plant....

When growing edible flowers, avoid the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and always know which flowers are edible before consuming them. There are many resources available on edible plants and flowers. Always check these reliable sources before attempting to eat anything you are unsure of. What are Some Edible Flowers? Edible flowers come in nearly all shapes and sizes and can perform the same landscape functions as ornamental plants....

What is Chinese Box Orange Severinia buxifolia is native to southern China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines, where it can often be found growing in thickets and forests. This member of the citrus family is a slow-growing evergreen shrub with thick, dense foliage. Like most citrus, the box orange has thorns. It produces fragrant white flowers in spring and summer. These are followed by seedy black fruits that rarely exceed half an inch (1 cm....

Hyssop Plant Information Agastache plants are known for their brightly colored blooms, which attract hummingbirds and butterflies. In fact, another name for the plant is hummingbird mint. All Agastache plant types produce bushy plants with colorful spikes of flowers. Hyssop flowers are also edible and a colorful way to brighten the kitchen garden. These plants are hardy to USDA zone 5 and survive freezing winters with some mulch over the root zone quite well, provided soils drain freely....

What is a Sheltered Area? Sheltered locations are areas of the garden or landscape that protect plants from the elements. Every location and hardiness zone has its own challenges from weather and the elements. Garden plants may need to be protected from high winds, intense heat or sunlight, extreme cold, salt spray, heavy rains, or other storm damage. Too much exposure to the elements can cause plants to grow stunted, distorted, and many other problems....

Fuchsia Water Requirements One of the easiest things to do is either over or underwater plants. Moisture meters can be effective in determining how much water is retained in the soil, but they don’t help with the when and how much regarding the plant’s water needs. Watering a fuchsia plant is actually quite easy. They need regular moisture but can’t be standing in boggy water. Your in-ground plants will be more tolerant of a dry day or two while the potted plants need a bit more moisture....

When to Dig Up Dahlia Bulbs Dahlias are technically grown from tubers. These tubers quickly grow to produce large plants each season. For those living outside of the dahlia plant’s hardiness zone, knowing when to lift and store the tubers is key in saving them for next season. Most experts suggest allowing the plants to die back naturally with the arrival of the first frost. Once plants have turned brown, gardeners often allow one to two weeks to pass before digging the tubers....

Lemon Tree Diseases and Treatment Below are some of the most common diseases of lemon with tips for treating them. Citrus canker – A highly contagious bacterial infection, citrus canker causes yellow halo-like lesions on fruit, leaves and twigs of citrus trees. If allowed to progress unchecked, this lemon tree problem will eventually result in dieback, fruit drop, and leaf loss. This disease is spread through the air with the aid of air currents, birds, insects and even humans....

Environmental Causes of Lemon Leaf Problems Cold damage and improper watering, namely watering too much, are common environmental conditions that may lead to leaf drop on lemon plants. Cold damage – Citrus trees in general do not like cold or freezing temperatures. Hardier varieties are available, but cold damage, such as lemon tree winter leaf drop, is likely when temps drop to 28 degrees F. (-2 C.) for four hours or longer....