How to Grow Taro
Elephant’s ears are lush, tropical accents that look good in any climate. Elephant’s ears are lush, tropical accents that look good in any climate. These elephant’s ears are hardier than their close relatives (alocasias) and their leaves are heart-shape and larger. When summer’s warm weather arrives, they grow fast, achieving a large spread of at least 5 feet. Colocasias languish in drought but thrive in wet soils. Taro Overview GENUS NAME Colocasia COMMON NAME Taro PLANT TYPE Bulb LIGHT Part Sun, Shade, Sun HEIGHT 3 to 8 feet WIDTH 5 to 6 feet FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green, Purple/Burgundy SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Good for Containers, Low Maintenance ZONES 10, 11, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Division PROBLEM SOLVERS Groundcover More varieties for Taro Elephant’s ear Colocasia esculenta is also called taro. The plant bears large clumps of heart-shape, matte green leaves. The plant grows 5 feet tall. Zones 7-11 Black elephant’s…
Sycamore
Sycamore Overview DESCRIPTION From a centerpiece for native gardens to a well-behaved yet fast-growing shade tree, the sycamore offers many possibilities for the landscape. The American native sycamore grows best in a large, wild garden. Its trunk bark peels in large sheets, exposing pale color underneath that is visible from a distance, for winter interest. Sycamores produce spurred seedballs that persist on the tree through winter. They prefer a moist soil but will tolerate some drought, air pollution, and alkaline soil. GENUS NAME Platanus occidentalis COMMON NAME Sycamore PLANT TYPE Tree LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 20 to 20 feet WIDTH null to 70 feet SEASON FEATURES Winter Interest SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds ZONES 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed, Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Drought Tolerant, Good For Privacy, Slope/Erosion Control
Sweetgrass
Sweetgrass Overview DESCRIPTION Also called holygrass or bisongrass, sweetgrass is a native prairie grass prized for its fresh scent. It grows naturally in meadows and along stream banks. Native American tribes have long used sweetgrass for making smudge sticks as well as for weaving baskets. The plant spreads up to 2 feet wide annually, so plant it where it can be confined. It eventually forms a thick mat of foliage that tends to flop over unless cut back. GENUS NAME Hierochloe odorata COMMON NAME Sweetgrass PLANT TYPE Herb, Perennial LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 12 to 24 inches SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Good for Containers, Low Maintenance ZONES 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 PROPAGATION Division, Seed PROBLEM SOLVERS Groundcover
How to Plant and Grow Sweet Potato Vine
Sweet potato vine comes in different colors and works well with flowering plants. Gardeners turn to the sweet potato vine for its ability to power through just about anything while bringing interesting shapes, sizes, and colors to a pot or plot. A vigorous annual or a tender perennial, it thrives in the summer heat. Typically used as spillers in containers, they also make fantastic groundcovers. Their name indicates these plants produce small tubers that you can eat like standard sweet potatoes or yams. However, they won’t be nearly as tasty. Because sweet potato vines are bred to have such unique and colorful foliage, the traits for tubers (the storage roots) have slowly died out. Sweet potato vines will spend more time focusing on growing vigorous, healthy foliage than storing nutrients in a root for later use. Sweet Potato Vine Overview GENUS NAME Ipomoea batatas COMMON NAME Sweet Potato Vine PLANT TYPE Annual,…
How to Plant and Grow Sweet Potatoes
Slip some of these delicious, easy-to-grow veggies into your garden this year. Sweet potatoes are tropical plants related to morning glories and are very easy to grow. They do require a long, warm growing season to mature, which is why they’ve long been a Southern favorite. However, newer, faster maturing varieties make it possible to grow sweet potatoes in northern gardens that have a shorter growing season. And while traditional varieties of sweet potatoes command a good bit of garden space—their vines often cover several feet of ground—there are bush varieties that are better suited to smaller gardens. Here’s how to plant and grow sweet potatoes in your garden. DEAN SCHOEPPNER Sweet Potato Overview GENUS NAME Ipomoea batatas COMMON NAME Sweet Potato PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 2 feet WIDTH 2 to 20 feet PROPAGATION Leaf Cuttings, Stem Cuttings Where to Plant Sweet Potatoes Choose a spot in full…
Sweet Pea
Sweet Pea Overview DESCRIPTION Sweet peas are one of the garden flowers you can smell before you see them. These easy-to-grow annual vines unfurl delicate blossoms in spring or early summer, perfuming the garden with a pleasing sweet, spicy fragrance. They love cool weather and will wither as soon as the heat of summer sets in. Even with their short growing season in most regions, sweet peas are a prized member of the flower garden and a coveted cutting flower for bouquets. Popular—to the point of obsession—with gardeners at the turn of the 20th century, sweet peas were the highlight of elaborate plant expositions and the sole focus of some plant societies. Gardeners collected and grew all colors and shapes of the boldly fragrant blossoms. Although they are not as commonly grown today, once you experience the intoxicating fragrance of sweet peas in a twilight garden, you’ll likely plant your…
How to Plant and Grow Summer Squash
Just a couple of plants can keep your kitchen stocked with this versatile veggie all summer long. Among the easiest to grow and most productive plants in the vegetable garden, summer squash comes in an array of colorful varieties. Zucchinis are available in dark green, light green, and yellow, plus heirloom ribbed fruits. Look for climbing Italian summer squash and pastel green Lebanese zucchini. Crookneck and scallop squash add more colorful choices. In addition to the fruit, which ripens for weeks in summer, squash plants produce tender edible blossoms. Summer Squash Overview GENUS NAME Cucurbita pepo COMMON NAME Summer Squash PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 3 to 10 feet PROPAGATION Seed Summer Squash Care Tips Squash needs full sun, fertile soil, and warm weather to grow well. Choose a planting site that receives at least 8 hours of direct sunlight a day and has well-drained soil.…
How to Plant and Grow Sumac
Sumac shrubs are autumn showstoppers with high wildlife value. Sumac shrubs provide intriguing visuals throughout most of the year, whether they’re growing along roadsides or planted as garden accents. Large flower clusters in spring are followed by brilliantly colored fall foliage in orange, flame red, and burgundy. The flower clusters produce berrylike drupes that turn red in autumn and last well into winter where they serve as tasty snacks for wildlife. Sumac Overview GENUS NAME Rhus COMMON NAME Sumac PLANT TYPE Shrub LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 3 to 8 feet WIDTH 6 to 15 feet FLOWER COLOR Green, White FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green, Chartreuse/Gold SEASON FEATURES Colorful Fall Foliage, Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance ZONES 10, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Division, Stem Cuttings Where to Plant Sumac Sumac is highly versatile; it can grow in any type of well-drained soil,…
How to Grow and Care for String of Dolphins Succulent
This easy-care houseplant has leaves that look like tiny, leaping dolphins. There are many kinds of cacti and succulents in the world, but one of the most whimsical is the popular string of dolphins. Aptly named for the shape of the leaves that resemble leaping dolphins, this plant is a relative of the string of pearls, string of bananas, and string fish hooks, each named for their resemblance to these objects, respectively. String of dolphins are native to the southwest portion of South Africa where they grow in a dry, Mediterranean climate with hot summers and cool winters. As such, they make excellent landscaping plants for milder climates like along the California coastline, but also do very well as indoor plants in hanging baskets. Perhaps best of all, these easy-to-grow succulents are also exceptionally easy to propagate, so you can produce many plantlets and share them with friends and family. Note that…
How to Plant and Grow Strawberry Spinach
More heat tolerant than common spinach, strawberry spinach is an easy plant to grow, and it will reward you with gorgeous, edible berries and leafy greens too. PHOTO: MICHELR45 / GETTY IMAGES Native to the United States and Canada, strawberry spinach is an attractive, annual vegetable that is cultivated for its nutritious leafy greens and bright red fruit. The arrow-shaped leaves of this plant look and taste a lot like common spinach and can be used in fresh salads or cooked dishes. While the vibrant fruit may look a lot like strawberries, the flavor is milder and slightly sweet. Editor’s Tip Use moderation when eating this plant’s seeds, as they can be toxic when consumed in large quantities. Strawberry Spinach Overview GENUS NAME Blitum capitatum COMMON NAME Strawberry Spinach PLANT TYPE Annual, Vegetable LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 16 to 20 Inches PROPAGATION Seed Where to Plant Strawberry Spinach Strawberry spinach grows best in full sun and loose,…