Top Plant Picks October 2021
There’s so much more than mums to see during Cheekwood Harvest! Cheekwood’s Plant Collections Manager, Shanna Jones, shares her top plant picks for October.
Chinese Abelia (Abelia chinensis)
Bloom Time: August – October
Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Butterflies & bees
Tolerates: Deer
Native to North America: No
Zones: 7 – 9
Other: Makes an effective hedge when planted in mass.
Location: Bradford Robertson Color Garden
Toadlily (Tricyrtis hirta ‘Miyazaki’)
Bloom Time: August – October
Sun Requirement: Part shade – full shade
Water Requirement: Medium – wet
Wildlife: Butterflies, bees & hummingbirds
Native to North America: No
Zones: 4 – 8
Other: Plant where detailed flowers can be appreciated up close. Rabbits enjoy eating the new leaves and flower buds.
Location: Carell Dogwood Garden
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Bloom Time: April – May
Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Butterflies
Tolerates: Deer & drought
Native to North America: Yes
Zones: 4 – 8
Other: Seed heads provide attractive garden interest in the fall
Location: Wills Perennial Garden
Devil’s Walking Stick (Aralia spinosa)
Bloom Time: July – August
Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Birds
Tolerates: Drought
Native to North America: Yes
Zones: 4 – 9
Other: Leaves present a tropical effect. Fruit is an excellent food source for birds.
Location: Ann & Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail & Herb Study Garden
White Oak (Quercus alba)
Bloom Time: May – June
Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade
Water Requirement: Dry – medium
Wildlife: Acorns provide fruit for a variety of wildlife
Tolerates: Drought, dry soil
Native to North America: Yes
Zones: 3 – 9
Other: The white oak is commonly used as a street tree and makes a picturesque shade tree at maturity.
Location: Sigourney Cheek Literary Garden
Fig (Ficus carica ‘Chicago Hardy’)
Bloom Time: Spring – inconspicuous
Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Birds
Tolerates: Colder temps than any other F. carica
Native to North America: No
Zones: 6 – 10
Other: Produces fruit in late summer or early fall. ‘Chicago Hardy’ is the most cold-hardy of the species.
Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Bloom Time: June – July
Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade
Water Requirement: Medium – wet
Wildlife: Birds
Tolerates: Wet soil
Native to North America: Yes
Zones: 3 – 9
Other: Be sure to plant at least one male in a grouping to ensure berry production occurs.
Location: Ann & Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail & Howe Garden
Tartarian Aster (Aster tartaricus ‘Jindai’)
Bloom Time: September – October
Sun Requirement: Full sun
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Butterflies
Tolerates: Disease and insect damage
Native to North America: No
Zones: 4 – 8
Other: This cultivar seldom needs summer pinching to control height as long as it is grown in full sun.
Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden
