'Firebird' is a prolific bloomer, covered with deep orange red flowers from mid summer until frost. It is a cross between A. coccinea and A. rupestris, hybridized by Richard Dufresne of North Carolina. An excellent choice for containers, raised beds and rock gardens. A favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds. For us this has been a very reliable returner when given good drainage.
Licorice Plant, so nicknamed by Dr. Allan Armitage, of the University of Georgia for the deliciously scented foliage - mmmm - let your customers rub it! Striking warm rosy orange verticillate flowers with silvery foliage sets this plant apart. It is upright, somewhat shrubby and quite cold tolerant. This is an outstanding plant, in flower from June until killing frost. Championed by Panayoti Kelaidis of the Denver Botanic Gardens.
This long-blooming, compact Amsonia selected from A. tabernaemontana seedlings at White Flower Farm is possibly a hybrid with the taxonomically challenged A. montana or perhaps with the Asian Rhazya orientale. Whatever its parentage, Blue Ice blooms longer and stronger than the species and forms a dense, compact mound of dark green leaves that turn brilliant yellow in the fall. Looks fantastic in a gallon!
Blue spikes of pea-shaped flowers resemble the tall racemes of lupines in May and early June. A slow to mature, but very rewarding native garden perennial. Found in open woods, river banks and sandy floodplains, New York to Nebraska to Georgia.
Bright pink flowers are held aloft above creamy white variegated foliage, very compact habit. The stems culminate in racemes of orchid like flowers that open a few at a time giving the plant the added bonus of a long blooming period.
A note concerning the nomenclature of this Gaura: The proper name of this Gaura is Gaura 'Colso'. The trademarked name is Sunny Butterflies. Oregon State website has an explination we like:A cultivar name is considered descriptive of the plant, and it may registered with the International Code of Nomenclature. A trademark name cannot be used in the Code of Nomenclature. Thus, a unique or novel name must be created in addition to the cultivar name to establish a trademark. Trademark names are considered "brand names", similar to Air Jordan being a brand of athletic shoes, and have no taxonomic validity. Furthermore, if a trademark name is used in international registers or printed matter as a cultivar name, the name becomes generic and losses the protection status for the inventor (breeder).
Thus, a trademarked plant often may have a trademark name and a cultivar name. In this case, the cultivar name is sometimes considered a "nonsense" name in that it is rarely used in commerce. The trademark name is the name promoted commercially. However, the so-called nonsense cultivar name is the name used in the Code of Nomenclature.
Fuzzy, chartreuse to lime green, nearly evergreen foliage erupts in September, with white fountains of pure white flowers, continues until frost. A very easy care plant tolerant of dry shade and a wide variety of conditions. A good, tough exciting meat and potatoes groundcover that doubles as a cut flower! Great for moist shade. Named and introduced by Bluemount Nurseries, Monkton, MD.
An easy-to-grow native with hundreds of salmon pink flowers in mid summer. A long-blooming and clean selection, Coral Reef attracts butterflies and hummingbirds with its sweetly scented flowers. Spreads enthusiastically in moist soil, but is more restrained in the average garden.
With the same silvery texture and excellent drought tolerance of the others, Little Spire rarely exceeds two feet tall and falls over only when trampled by your dog. The work of Dutch breeder Herbert Oudshoorn is responsible for this excellent, compact, long-blooming, low-maintenance landscape plant. Patent administered by Future Plants.
Silver blue scalloped foliage with clusters of star shaped, bright pink flowers in late September and October. Unique arching habit with the best winter resistance. Great groundcover for Daylilies. Also makes a great container plant. The entire plant turns light to deep pink with colder temperatures.