SUMMER
TREES, SHURBS & PERENNIALS
Late Summer Interest For Your Garden!
LATE SUMMER TREES
Look for Trees with great foliage that withstand heat and humidity
Japanese Maple is a species with many variations. It can grow as a large shrub or a small tree. It has wide leaf, cut leaf, red, orange, lime or green leaf options.
Ginkgo is a hardy, pest-resistant, and attractive large tree. It has gorgeous unique foliage and color – unusual fan-shaped leaves that turn vivid yellow in fall. Only male trees should be purchased, as the females produce seeds with a soft, fruitlike covering that can be messy and have a potent odor.
Oaks
Swamp White Oak is a broad, rounded tree that matures to a height and width of 50 to 60 feet.
The entire family of Oaks have great summer foliage. The most commonly used Oak in commercial landscapes is the Swamp White Oak.
Ironwood is a tough understory tree with beautiful birch-like leaves, grayish-brown flaky bark, fine-textured drooping branches, and attractive hop-like fruits. Excellent tree for naturalized landscapes.
LATE SUMMER SHRUBS
Nothing better than the bountiful floral displays of Hydrangea
Oakleaf Hydrangea
The large, dark green leaves resemble oak leaves. In fall they change to deep burgundy or red. In summer the large cone-shaped flower clusters open white then turn a purplish-pink and change to brown persisting into winter.
Little Quick Fire Hydrangea & Limelight Hydrangea
The white flower clusters of this summer-blooming shrub add a fresh note of color to the landscape.
Endless Summer Hydrangea
Big-leaved hydrangeas are valued for their showy flowers. Blue flowers are one of the plant’s appeals, but big-leaved hydrangeas only have blue flowers when planted in acid soils. In alkaline soils, such as those in most of the Chicago region and the Great Plains, the flowers will be pink.
LATE SUMMER PERENNIALS
The best summer perennials have bold flower shapes that withstand heat and humidity
Cranberry Crush Hibiscus
Noted for its long blooming season, Hibiscus ‘Cranberry Crush’ is a vigorous, compact deciduous shrub with large, slightly cupped, deep scarlet-red flowers, up to 8″ across, with nicely overlapping petals. A statement plant!
Garden Phlox
Nothing beats the appeal of garden phlox plants. These tall, eye-catching perennials are ideal for sunny borders. In addition, the large clusters of pink, purple, lavender or white flowers bloom for several weeks in summer, and make excellent cut flowers. Ask about our new varieties – mildew resistant phlox.
Obedient plant also known as false dragonhead, is a flowering plant in the mint family that is easy to grow. True to its name, the plant’s individual flowers are “obedient” and can bend in any direction. Unfortunately, this fast-growing perennial is not so obedient in the garden, where it can spread quite aggressively by rhizomes. Its other common name, false dragonhead, likely came about because of the flowers’ resemblance to snapdragons.
Black Eyed Susan
Dependable and easy-care black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) have become a garden staple. Daisy-like rays of bright yellow petals and dark center disks rise over broad ovate green leaves with a rough texture.
Purple Coneflower
A native to the eastern United States, purple coneflowers are found in many flower gardens. Planting purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in the garden or flower bed draws bees and butterflies, ensuring that nearby plants have plenty of pollinators. The plant also provides a tall background or repeating rows of large, often 6 inches across, purple, daisy-like flowers.
These permanent, structural pantings require planning, and BEI’s amazing design build services are always available to you. Our design imagination is at your disposal.
We will make sure your flowerbeds, planters and gardens are vibrant and striking.
