Bee Plants

Up to 3/4" diameter, lightly fragrant, dense Sputnik-like flower clusters are composed of numerous small creamy white to light pink, funnel-shaped flowers that are tipped in purple often giving the flowers a lavender cast and the long white styles and creamy white stigmas provide the spikey look. The nectar rich flowers are produced throughout the warmer months of the year, late spring and often into fall, attracting an array of pollinators. The Chinese Buttonbush or Glossy Adina, Adina rubella, is a deciduous, medium to large, fine textured shrub with a naturally rounded to arching habit and a moderate rate of growth. The very dark green foliage has a mirror like glossiness and creates a contrasting foil for the flowers. Like our native Buttonbush, this plant is naturally found growing along wet areas but has no problems adapting to average moist, fertile garden soils in full sun to light shade. Item# 10035

Up to 6" wide, fragrant, slightly rounded, white flower clusters arch away from their structure on semi-lax stems showing off numerous small white flowers that attract bees and butterflies. The dark green glossy foliage creates a strong contrast to the brilliant white flowers. This native Climbing Hydrangea is typically found growing where soils are consistently moist in shaded to filtered shade conditions. It is a hardy deciduous woody vine that uses a multitude of rootlets along its stems to grab onto structures for support and may be used as a groundcover as well. Only mature vertical growing stems produce the new growth that creates the early to midsummer flowering stems. A west central Louisiana selection. Item# 12066

The 3" wide, cornflower-like daisies open white, slowly work their way through shades of lavender, and finally deepen to a violet blue creating a rainbow of cool-colored flowers even on the same flower stalk. Colorwheel Stokesia is just as tough and reliable as its brethren creating a mound of foliage on a durable and dense clump forming native perennial. Stokesia Daisy is one of those plant it and forget it perennials, once they become established in nearly any garden or landscape they require almost no additional care. Image courtesy of North Creek Nurseries. Item# 10928.

Small clusters of large 4-petaled sunny yellow flowers are lightly fragrant and open in the evening to attract pollinating moths and may last until about noon the following day when they attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Ripe seeds are utilized by songbirds. Common Evening Primrose is a tall growing tap-rooted native biennial species found throughout most of the lower 48 states and into Canada. It is common in disturbed areas, meadows and prairies. The first year it produces a rosette of foliage and the second year it shoots up to 3-6' high and begins flowering in summer and may continue into fall under good conditions. The Common Evening Primrose will readily reseed on exposed soils. It is a good addition to naturilized areas or add it to the Moon Moth Garden. Item# 11761

The large creamy white flowers emerge from loose purple-black tinged spikes and calyxes from spring to fall attracting hummingbirds and other garden beneficials. Cool Cream Salvia, a selection or hybrid of the Little Leaf or Mountain Sage, Salvia microphylla, boasts excellent vigor and flower power with flowering beginning early and continuing reliably through summer and into fall. In areas where hard freezes do not occur, The Mountain Sages may develop a shrubby semi-woody base, while in zone 8 and colder, established plants act more like herbaceous perennials dying back to near ground level and returning in early spring. Enjoy these colorful pollinator attractors in the garden and landscape or as rewarding and forgiving container specimens. Provide full sun to partly shaded sites in well-drained, fertile soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Jadelty Plant Propagation Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13146

The large violet colored flowers emerge from loose purple tinged spikes and calyxes from spring to fall attracting hummingbirds and other garden beneficials. Cool Violet Salvia, a selection or hybrid of the Little Leaf or Mountain Sage, Salvia microphylla, boasts excellent vigor and flower power with flowering beginning early and continuing reliably through summer and into fall. In areas where hard freezes do not occur, The Mountain Sages may develop a shrubby semi-woody base, while in zone 8 and colder, established plants act more like herbaceous perennials dying back to near ground level and returning in early spring. Enjoy these colorful pollinator attractors in the garden and landscape or as rewarding and forgiving container specimens. Provide full sun to partly shaded sites in well-drained, fertile soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Jadelty Plant Propagation Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13148

Vibrant red, single Hibiscus blooms bring elegance and poise to the chaos of color brought on by the brilliantly variegated foliage which is randomly splashed in shades of burgundy, red, pink, white, and green. A vigorous growing Tropical Hibiscus. Makes a wonderful full bushy Hibiscus or small tree standard where it provides a loud summer long splash of tropical foliage color. For the best foliage colors grow Cooper's Variegated Hibiscus in full sunlight and where it gets plenty of warmth. Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Item # 806.

1/2" wide coral pink to orange flowers adorn the long spike-like flowering stems that are held above the foliage and the plants flower from spring to first frost or year round under warm frost free conditions. The nectar laden flowers are seemingly in constant use by hummingbirds, butterflies, and larger bees from just after dawn to near dusk. Coral Porterweed, Stachytarpheta mutabilis, is a vigorous growing, heat and sunloving, herbaceous shrubby tropical growing to about 4-5' high and wide by the end of summer. Porterweeds are a mainstay of butterfly houses due to their reliable and ample nectar production and it is an important nectar source for many overwintering hummingbirds in Central and South America. This species is also known as Pink Porterweed, Orange Porterweed, Pink Snakeweed. Item# 372

Dark near red and orange colored perfectly formed buds open to nicely fragrant apricot colored flowers that mature to a nice medium to coral pink and that are almost full enough to resemble a cabbage rose. Flowering is heaviest in spring and fall and well-established plants will produce additional flowers in between times. Cornelia is an heirloom Hybrid Musk Rose with good disease resistance and it is nearly thornless making it a good choice for arbors and near garden paths. It can be grown as a large fountaining shrub or as a medium-sized climber with canes can that reach 10'. Provide a full to mostly sunny location, although Cornelia is considered to be moderately shade tolerant, in an average moist moderately fertile soil with average or better drainage for optimum vigor and flowering. An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Item# 11669

Tall dense spikes of light blue-purple tubular flowers are held above the licorice-scented deep green foliage that is neatly edged in bright white. The nectar rich flowers are produced throughout the growing season and attract a seemingly endless procession of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Crazy Fortune Anise Hyssop, a selection of the award winning Blue Fortune, is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial with an upright bushy habit maturing to about 2-3'H and half as wide. The variegated foliage will be most noticeable where plants are upclose and personal making this an easy choice for containers on a sunny deck or patio or near the front of the garden or landscape. Provide a well-drained, fertile, average moist soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Concept Plants BV®, all rights reserved. Item# 13161

New for 2023! The large flowers are composed of deep fuschia hoods and tubes that are subtended by large creamy apricot colored lower lips providing a sweet contrast. Cuello Cream Pink Salvia, a hybrid developed by the UK's Salvia guru David Dyson of Dyson's Nurseries, was selected for its profusion of sweetly colored flowers, reliability, and bushy habit making it a useful container specimen as well as a colorful addition to a sunny garden or landscape. The flowers attract hummingbirds, larger bees, and the occasional butterfly. In areas where hard freezes do not occur, this sage may develop a shrubby semi-woody base, while in zone 8 and colder, established plants act more like herbaceous perennials dying back to near ground level and returning in early spring. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in well-drained, average moist, fertile soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Jadelty Plant Propagation Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13168

New for 2023! The large pink flowers are subtely two-toned with lighter pink lower lips complementing the near fuchsia colored hood and tube all borne from darker tinged spikes and calyxes and are produced from spring to fall. Cuello Pink Salvia, a hybrid developed by the UK's Salvia guru David Dyson of Dyson's Nurseries, was selected for its profusion of sweetly colored flowers, reliability, and bushy habit making it a useful container specimen as well as a colorful addition to a sunny garden or landscape. The flowers attract hummingbirds, larger bees, and the occasional butterfly. In areas where hard freezes do not occur, this sage may develop a shrubby semi-woody base, while in zone 8 and colder, established plants act more like herbaceous perennials dying back to near ground level and returning in early spring. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in well-drained, average moist, fertile soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Jadelty Plant Propagation Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13149

Multitudes of large showy deep rose pink, semi-double daisy-like flowers sport a nicely contrasting golden yellow eye and rise above a neat mound of deep green foliage on sturdy stems beginning in late summer and continuing into late fall. Curtain Call Deep Rose Japanese Anemone makes a wonderful specimen in containers or as part of the perennial border providing a much needed blast of color when many other perennials are beginning to fade. The flowers are followed by airy decorative fuzzy white seed heads. This is a slowly spreading rhizomatous perennial that develops into a large dense clump of foliage and flowers. The Japanese Anemones are easy low maintenance and long lived perennials that only get better with age. Tolerant of *full sun in cool summer climates, elsewhere provide midday and afternoon shade or filtered shade. Provide an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum flowering and vigor. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12252

The large to very large white semi-double flowers with ruffled petals that surround a boss of gold tipped stamens that shine against the backdrop of rich dark green foliage. Daijokhan Camellia flowers in midseason (Feb-Mar) and develops into a large evergreen shrub with a naturally upright to rounded habit. Image courtesy of Bobby Green and Green's Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11824

Pure white 1" wide daisies with a nicely contrasting yellow center are produced beginning in late spring and through summer often continuing into fall atop a neat mound of deep green foliage. Daisy Mae Japanese Aster is a tidy under-used clump-forming perennial selected for its exceptionally long flowering season that is sure to add delightful color to the garden and landscape but it also makes easy and exceptionally long-flower container specimens. The flowers are sure to attract a multitude of pollinators. Provide a full to mostly sunny site with a well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Heat, sun, and humidity tolerant. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 12178

A CSU Trial Gardens 2020 Top Performer! The dark burgundy to near black, glossy foliage is to die for but wait it gets better as in late spring or early summer, tall sturdy spikes ascend above the dark foliage and are composed of lavender to purple, 1" long, nectar rich, tubular flowers that eventually develop into decorative dark purple round seed pods. DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon, a flower child of Penstemon digitalis, is more compact than and has darker foliage than Dark Towers and Mystica Penstemons and it has more purple colored flowers and improved reliability easily surviving for 3 years in CSU's trials. Provide this easy to grow perennial, a nativar (a cultivar from native species), with a moist to average moist, well-drained, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor, flowering, and for the deepest foliage colors. Pair DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon with chartreuse foliaged plants for a wonderful contrast. The flowers attract a variety of polliinators including hummingbirds, bees, and occasional larger butterflies. Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12856

Dense whorls of nectar rich, purple to dark blue-purple, tubular flowers seemingly cover up the upper most portions of the plant for weeks beginning in mid to late summer and continuing into fall. Dark Knight Bluebeard, a.k.a. Black Knight, is a vigorous and easy sunloving free-flowering clump forming shrub-like perennial that quickly develops into a dense mound of fragrant and deer resistant gray-green foliage. In zones 5-6 it tends to act more like a clump forming die-back perennial and becomes more shrub-like where winters are milder although it benefits from hard late winter or early spring pruning since it flowers on new growth. Somewhat drought resistant once well-established and prefers a sunny site in a well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12117

Deep wine-red foliage provides a wonderful foil for the tall sturdy spikes of light pink tubular flowers in late spring and early summer attracting bees, hummingbirds, and the occassional butterfly. Dark Towers Penstemon, an offspring of Penstemon digitalis, was developed by Dale Lindgren at the University of Nebraska from his original selection of Husker Red. Dark Towers has darker foliage that keeps its color better through summer and it has pink flowers versus white on Husker Red. Provide this easy to grow clump forming perennial, a nativar (a cultivar from native species), with a moist to average moist, well-drained, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor, flowering, and for the deepest foliage colors. Pair Dark Towers Penstemon with chartreuse foliaged plants for a wonderful contrast. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12469

Spikes of comparatively large, two-lipped tubular flowers are a brilliant dayglow pink with a contrasting small white throat and are produced from late spring or summer into fall attracting hummingbirds, larger bees, and occassional butterflies. Dayglow Salvia is new to the US in 2021, an Autumn Sage and Littleleaf Sage hybrid, with a long flowering habit, sturdy disposition and a naturally upright to rounded habit. This shrub-like perennial may remain evergreen in mild winter climates, like zones 9B-10, but acts like a die-back perennial where temperatures fall much below about 30^oF. Perfectly suited for use as a low-maintenance container specimen or add it to a sunny garden or landscape for traffic stopping, summer-long color. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained, average moist, fertile soils for maximum flower power. Item# 12550