Trillium
Trillium Overview DESCRIPTION Trillium, also called wood lily or wake-robin, is admired for its 3½-inch-diameter three-petal flowers. Its leaves and sepals also come in groups of three. The large white flowers develop a pink tint as they age, then give way to capsules that look like berries. In the wild, this springtime bloomer thrives in moist, humus-rich soil and can be found in the thickets of Quebec and Ontario, the woodlands of Alabama and Georgia, and in between. GENUS NAME Trillium COMMON NAME Trillium PLANT TYPE Perennial LIGHT Part Sun, Shade HEIGHT 6 to 6 inches WIDTH 4 to 12 inches FLOWER COLOR Pink, White FOLIAGE COLOR Chartreuse/Gold SEASON FEATURES Spring Bloom ZONES 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Division, Seed PROBLEM SOLVERS Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant Trillium in the Landscape Trillium is particular about how it’s grown, but when planted successfully and left undisturbed it will spread gradually.…
How to Plant and Grow Trifoliate Orange
Here’s what you need to know about growing trifoliate orange, including when to harvest the sour, juicy fruits. PHOTO: ARTERRA / GETTY Boasting edible fruit and large thorns, trifoliate orange is a hardy citrus for cold regions. This large shrub or small tree is hardy down to Zones 5 and produces sour fruit that is deep yellow and about the size of a golf ball. The fruit has a thick peel and many seeds, and has a flavor that falls somewhere between a lemon and a grapefruit. The fruit ripens in fall and can be juiced for use in beverages. The pulp can be used for jam. Trifoliate orange is a four-season plant. Exceptionally fragrant white flowers in spring are followed by clean, green summer foliage, yellow fall color, and its contorted, slightly twisting branches are eye-catching in winter. Trifoliate orange, hardy orange, bitter orange Overview GENUS NAME Citrus trifoliata COMMON NAME Trifoliate orange,…
How to Plant and Grow Tradescantia
These long-stemmed plants can be grown as groundcovers or houseplants. PHOTO: BHG / KELLI JO EMANUEL Growing tradescantia (also known as spiderwort) might cause flashbacks to the 1970s but it still merits its popularity as a houseplant or a groundcover. This tough tropical plant can have trailing or upright stems and colorful foliage. Depending on the species, tradescantias are typically purple and often variegated with silvers, greens, creams, even pinks, and occasionally gold. Many of the light-foliage varieties have dark purple undersides, which creates a dramatic effect. Though not the main reason they are grown, many varieties produce small flowers that grace the attractive foliage. Most often these three-petal blossoms are pink, purple, or white and typically at the stem tips. However, in some species these flowers are at the base of the leaves in oysterlike clusters, hence the common name of oyster plant. Tradescantia Overview GENUS NAME Tradescantia COMMON NAME Tradescantia ADDITIONAL…
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for a Toothache Plant
Use these tips to enjoy the unique flowers and edible leaves of toothache plant in your garden. PHOTO: JAY WILDE Toothache plant is a small, frost-sensitive perennial that gets its common name from being used as a fast-acting oral numbing agent. In addition to its medicinal uses, the plant’s edible leaves can be used somewhat like spinach in recipes, where they’ll cause a tingling sensation somewhat like hot peppers. A relative of daisies and sunflowers, these plants are generally grown as annuals in most of the United States but can be grown as a perennial in southern climates. If you’re looking to add something unique and useful to your garden, toothache plant won’t disappoint. Toothache Plant Overview GENUS NAME Acmella oleracea, synonym Spilanthes oleracea COMMON NAME Toothache Plant ADDITIONAL COMMON NAMES Eyeball Plant, Paracress PLANT TYPE Herb, Perennial LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 12 to 15 Inches WIDTH 12 to 20 Inches FLOWER COLOR Orange, Red, Yellow FOLIAGE…
Tomato
Tomato Overview DESCRIPTION Tomatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. Provide them with at least 8 hours of bright sunlight and a well-drained planting spot and you’ll enjoy your own juicy harvest. In recent years plant breeders focused on producing small tomato plants that boast a prolific harvest. Grape and cherry tomato cultivars bred specifically for containers and small spaces make growing these essential summer fruits possible on balconies, patios, and any other place that receives plenty of sunlight. Get ready for a great harvest. GENUS NAME Solanum lycopersicum COMMON NAME Tomato PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 1 to 4 feet ZONES 10, 11, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed Tomato Cultivars Visiting the tomato section of a garden center can be overwhelming. Don’t let the multitude of cultivars intimidate you. First, focus on how you are going…
Tomatillo
Tomatillo Overview DESCRIPTION Tomatillos share many traits with tomatoes. Both fruits are members of the nightshade family, thrive in heat, and produce sprawling green plants. Where the two plants differ is in the flavor of their fruit. Tomatillos are firmer than tomatoes and when ripe they sport a tangy lemon flavor. An important ingredient in Mexican stews, moles, and salsas, tomatillos are easy to grow and delightfully productive in the home garden. GENUS NAME Physalis ixocarpa COMMON NAME Tomatillo PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 2 to 4 feet ZONES 10, 11, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed Tomatillo Salsa Garden Plant a salsa garden by combining easy-to-grow tomatillos with tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Choose a variety of paste tomatoes (with a firm texture and fewer seeds) and cherry tomatoes to change up the flavor of your fresh salsa. Peppers are…
Thyme
This pretty and flavorful herb garden staple also works well in other sunny, dry places in your garden. Thyme Overview DESCRIPTION Thyme isn’t just an herb to grow for adding flavor to food, it can also add plenty of color and texture to your garden. This tough and rugged perennial often forms dense mats of foliage that are topped with attractive blossoms. There are also some wonderful low-growing varieties that can be planted between rocks and paths, where they’ll release their delightful fragrance when brushed past. Some varieties can even be used as a lawn substitute. Many cooks plant thyme near the kitchen so they can easily snip a stem or two when cooking, and you can even grow them indoors in a sunny window to enjoy the flavor year-round. GENUS NAME Thymus COMMON NAME Thyme PLANT TYPE Herb, Perennial LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 6 to 6 inches WIDTH null to…
How to Plant and Grow Thrift
The pretty blossoms on this drought-tolerant perennial look like little pom-poms. Also known as “sea thrift” or “sea pink,” this tough perennial, hardy in Zones 3-9, promises wonderful spring color, especially when positioned at the front of a bed. Thrift (Armeria spp.) flowers range from red to pink to white, although they’re perhaps most appreciated for their playful pom-pom shape. If you’re planting thrift in a coastal garden, pair it with other salt-tolerant plants like columbine, dianthus, or ornamental grasses. The blossoms are also appealing as cut flowers. This plant is native to coastal climates in Europe and North America—you’ll see it growing wild on the sides of cliffs. The species Armeria maritima owes its name to those maritime climates and is different from moss phlox, also sometimes called thrift. The latter is a groundcover, while sea thrift grows in clumps. With thrift’s low mat of grassy green foliage, this plant looks good even when not…
Thalia
Thalia Overview DESCRIPTION Also called hardy water canna, thalia has large paddle-shape blue-green leaves. Add this fast-growing water plant to ponds, and rain gardens. Thalia blooms in late summer, sending tall flower stalks above the foliage. The violet-purple flowers last for weeks. GENUS NAME Thalia dealbata COMMON NAME Thalia PLANT TYPE Water Plant LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 3 to 8 feet WIDTH 3 to 6 feet FLOWER COLOR Purple FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Low Maintenance ZONES 10, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Division Pairing Thalia Plant Thalia is a great partner for a multitude of aquatic plants. For a bold display, pair it with tropical cannas with their large leaves and boldly colored flowers, such as ‘Red Dwarf,’ ‘Tropical Sunrise,’, and ‘Dawn Pink’. Employ thalia as a backdrop in the rain garden or pond. Thalia also pairs well with floating plants like waterlilies, which decorate the water surface while…
Tarragon
Tarragon Overview DESCRIPTION French tarragon creates a shrubby presence in the garden border, combining fine texture with wonderful green-to-gray foliage. Leaves dish up a sweet anise flavor used to create traditional Bearnaise sauce and the fines herbes blend vital to French cooking. In rich soil, plants practically jump out of the ground, thriving with little care. For best growth, remove flowering stems. With a sunny window and rich soil, you can raise French tarragon indoors. If light isn’t strong enough, stems will likely sprawl and leaf flavor will diminish, but you’ll still be able to savor the licorice taste. In the garden, pair French tarragon with bearded iris, burgundy-toned shrubs, or lilies for an eye-pleasing scene. In coldest zones, cut plants back in fall and mulch after the ground freezes. GENUS NAME Artemisia dracunculus COMMON NAME Tarragon PLANT TYPE Herb, Perennial, Shrub LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3…