Q. I have a yucca tree that is 5-6 years old. What was a small plant has become a mature tree. I transplanted my yucca to a larger pot last summer. There was a significant explosion in growth. If you look at the picture you can see the growth. Unfortunately, it suffered through this past winter indoors. Much of the new growth witnessed last year is gone. Please see the attached photo — I think it […]
Q. I planted a new asparagus patch last year. I just have a few spears up so far. Do you think the cold weather injured the plants this winter? Is it OK to harvest these spears? Someone told me I shouldn’t harvest at all the first year. A. Asparagus is pretty cold hardy, so if the plants were in good health going into winter, they should be OK. This chilly spring was very slow for […]
Q. I have some leaves from a tree I would like to identify. It is roughly 8 to 12 inches in diameter and fairly tall. The leaves are alternating with lengths of 1.5 to 2 inches long. The leaf stalks are all really short compared to the leaf length. Can you identify? – M.R., Brookville, Indiana A. This appears to be Ulmus parvifolia – common name Chinese elm or lacebark elm. This species is quite […]
Q. Was wondering if you can identify this volunteer flowering plant. This is the second year it has come up. – H.G., Shipshewana, Ind. A. This is the perennial garden flower known commonly as hibiscus or rose mallow, botanical name Hibiscus moscheutos. This type of hibiscus is a hardy perennial that dies back to the ground each winter, and returns in the spring, reaching 3 to 5 feet tall or more. They usually begin blooming in midsummer and […]