What is Deutzia? Deutzia is a group of about 60 species, most of which are native to China and elsewhere in Asia, while a few originate from Europe and Central America. These mound-forming shrubs have long, arching branches that give them a weeping or cascading appearance. Deutzias are members of the hydrangea family, and like hydrangeas, they produce small flowers that grow abundantly in clusters. However, deutzia flowers look quite different, with the petals of some species elongated and gently drooping, and others bell-shaped or open....

What is Fertilizer Burn? Simply put, fertilizer burn is a condition that results in the burning or scorching of plant foliage. Fertilizer burn is the result of over fertilizing plants or applying fertilizer to wet foliage. Fertilizer contains salts, which draw moisture out of plants. When you apply excess fertilizer to plants, the result is yellow or brown discoloration and root damage. Fertilizer burn symptoms may appear within a day or two, or it may take a couple of weeks if you use a slow-release fertilizer....

When to Move a Camellia Bush Camellias (Camellia spp.) are woody shrubs that grow best in warmer regions. They thrive in USDA plant hardiness zones 7 through 10. You can buy camellias from your garden store during winter. If you are wondering when to transplant or when to move a camellia bush, winter is the perfect time. The plant may not look dormant, but it is. How to Transplant a Camellia Camellia transplanting can be easy or it can be more difficult depending on the age and size of the plant....

Cutting back a firebush needs to be done at the right time in order to preserve the next year’s flowers. Learn when to trim a firebush so you can keep it tidy and still enjoy a lushly blooming plant. When to Trim a Firebush Firebush blooms throughout the year in its natural habitat. The brightly colored, tubular flowers come in orange, red and yellow, a veritable sunset of colors. The fruit that forms has a slightly acidic taste and is actually made into a fruit drink in Mexico....

Wild Blackberry that is Invasive More than 2,000 blackberry varieties can be found growing throughout the Northern hemisphere. In California alone there are 11 species of wild blackberry plant (Rubus fruticosus), four of which are considered weeds. Two of these are non-native: cutleaf blackberry (R. laciniatus) and Himalaya blackberry (R. discolor) and two are native to the region. Of the native species, Western thimbleberry (R. parviflorus) competes with evergreen establishment in reforested regions while Pacific blackberry (R....

Wildlife friendly trees can go a long way in bringing birds, butterflies, and small animals, like squirrels, into your garden. Which are the best wildlife habitat trees? Read on for a list of our favorite trees for animals. Providing the Best Wildlife Trees As natural land has been developed for housing or industry, wildlife habitat has diminished over the years, reducing the plants available to beneficial insects, like bees and wild birds....

Winter Blooming Plants In addition to bright blooms in winter or early spring, many evergreen shrubs have foliage that remains green and lovely year-round. So what plants bloom in winter? Here are some good choices for blooming winter plants to add in the landscape. Christmas rose (Helleborus) – Also known as winter rose, this low growing hellebore plant produces white, pink-tinted blooms from late December through early spring (USDA zones 4-8)....

Plants for Dry Shade When selecting plants for dry shade, decide how much space you have, both on the ground and vertically. There are groundcover plants, as well as taller flowering and non-flowering plants. Using a variety of these xeriscape shade plants can lead to a beautiful garden. Some groundcover plants include: Bishop’s cap Lily-of-the-valley Vinca minor vines Other dry shade plants that add color with either wonderful flowers or interesting colored leaves are:...

Causes of Staghorn Fern Turning Yellow Don’t worry about occasional yellow fronds on a staghorn if the plant still has many green fronds and appears healthy. The yellowed fronds should be quickly replaced by growing green fronds. It is also normal for the basal fronds (those that wrap around the base of the plant) to be partially or entirely brown. Yellow fronds on a staghorn could be due to watering or humidity problems....

Growing Shrubs in Cold Climates Sometimes, trees are just too big and annuals are too small for that empty area of your garden. Shrubs fill that in-between slot, growing anywhere from a few feet tall (1 m.) to the size of a small tree. They work well in hedges and also for specimen planting. When you are picking shrubs for zone 3 gardens, you’ll find helpful information by looking at the zone or range of zones assigned to each one....

Hardy Ground Cover Plants Ground cover choices must take into account the site drainage, exposure, soil type, and, of course, the USDA hardiness zone. Other options such as deciduous vs. evergreen, woody vs. herbaceous, and flowering or fruiting are also part of the equation as you assess your ground cover choices. Finding the perfect ground cover for zone 5 must take all these into consideration while providing outstanding cold hardiness. Luckily, there are a host of wonderful plants that can provide varying functions and eye appeal that thrive in chilly winter climates....

Growing bushes in zone 9 isn’t difficult, as many adapt well to the mild climate. Here are a few of the most popular zone 9 shrub varieties. Common Zone 9 Bushes Here are some of the most popular zone 9 shrub varieties for planting in the landscape: Blue star juniper – This lovely, low-growing shrub is ideal in or border or can be used as a groundcover in full sun or partial shade....

Tips for How to Buy Rose Bushes First of all, I highly recommend the beginning rose gardeners NOT buy any of the rose bushes you can buy cheaply that come in plastic bags, some with wax on their canes. Many of these rose bushes have severely cut back or damaged root systems. Many of them are misnamed and, thus, you will not get the same rose blooms as are shown on their covers or tags....

What is Sandy Soil? Sandy soil is easy to spot by its feel. It has a gritty texture and when a handful of sandy soil is squeezed in your hand, it will easily fall apart when you open your hand again. Sandy soil is filled with, well, sand. Sand is primarily small pieces of eroded rocks. Sand tends to have large particles and the particles are solid and have no pockets where water and nutrients can hold to it....

Meet the American Sycamore What’s the largest hardwood tree in North America? If you guessed the American sycamore, you are correct. It shoots up to 140 feet (42.6 m.) tall with exfoliating bark, giving the tree a camouflaged look. The outer bark is light brown, and inner is back white, green or yellow. This should help with sycamore tree identification. Sycamore leaves are quite large, up to 10 inches (25 cm....

What’s interesting, and even a factor in anemone plant care, is how each of these types grow. For instance, the spring-blooming anemone plants will generally grow from rhizomes or tubers. Fall-flowering types, however, usually have fibrous or tuberous roots. Growing Anemone Windflower You can grow anemones just about anywhere. However, caution should be taken with respect to their location, as their spreading growth habit can become rather invasive. Therefore, when growing anemone windflowers, you may want to consider placing them in bottomless containers prior to putting them in the garden....

Lifespan of Geranium Flowers Geraniums can be split into two main categories. There are true geraniums, which are often called hardy geraniums and cranesbill. They are often confused with common or scented geraniums, which are actually a related but completely separate genus called Pelargoniums. These have a much showier display of flowers than true geraniums, but they are harder to keep alive in the winter. Pelargoniums are native to South Africa and are only hardy in USDA zones 10 and 11....

How Big Do Wisteria Roots Grow? When you consider how tall wisteria vines can grow, it just makes sense that the wisteria root system is strong and aggressive. For example, Chinese wisteria can shoot up to 60 feet (18 m.) with stems up to 15 feet (5 m.) in diameter. Both Chinese wisteria and Japanese wisteria are the two most popular types of garden wisteria in the U.S., and both grow and spread aggressively....

Atlantic White Cedar Information At one time, Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) was found growing profusely in swampy areas and bogs of eastern North America, primarily from Long Island to Mississippi and Florida. Atlantic white cedar was widely used by early settlers, and the light, close-grained wood was valuable for ship building. The wood was also used for cabins, fence posts, piers, shingles, furniture, buckets, barrels, and even duck decoys and organ pipes....

It isn’t unusual for an indoor avocado plant to become spindly. What can you do about a leggy avocado plant? Read on for helpful suggestions for preventing and fixing leggy avocados. Preventing Spindly Growth Why is my avocado plant too leggy? Trimming is an effective way to encourage the tree to branch out, but before you grab the shears, be sure the plant has optimum growing conditions in the sunniest window in your house....