RHS Award of Garden Merit® Plants

The 1" long, showy tubular flowers are red to red-orange at their base and quickly fade into bright sunny yellow and are held against a foil of dainty, glossy dark green foliage. The flowers are produced heaviest in fall and spring with intermittent flowers in between. The Brazilian Fuchsia or Firecracker Flower, Justicia rizzinii or now J. floribunda, is a naturally evergreen, small tropical shrub typically growing to up to 2-3' high and potentially as wide. It can be enjoyed as an indoor plant where it is sure to provide a little cheer during the cold dreary winter days in a warm sunny window. The flowers of the Brazilian Fuchsia attract hummingbirds and other pollinators in fall and spring as they migrate through when grown outdoors. Caterpillar host: White Peacock and Malachite. Utilize it as a porch or patio plant during the warmer months or in the ground in areas with mild, generally frost free winters like in zone 10 as it is reported to be hardy to brief dips to about 28^oF. Tolerant of full sun to light shade and provide an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Item# 12807

Spikes of 2" vivid fuchsia tubular fuzzy flowers emerge from dark colored calyxes and are held atop the dark green, glossy rounded foliage from spring to fall on this compact growing Salvia. Buchanan's Sage is an excellent choice for containers or the garden where it is sure to attract both hummingbirds and butterflies. A popular and easy to grow beauty that is now considered to be very rare if not extinct in its native habitat of Mexico. Item# 9857.

The Buddha's Belly Bush or Gout Plant produces long lasting clusters of bright reddish orange flowers that open a few at a time on sturdy stems held well above the large tri-lobed, rounded tropical foliage. The base of the plant develops into a swollen caudex providing the Buddha's belly. These are easily grown and rewarding plants that flower throughout the warmer months and will often flower sporadically through winter on established plants. Its drought tolerance lends it to a well-drained soil and is an excellent choice for the porch, patio, or even indoors. Item # 339.

Clusters of light pink, nicely fragrant, somewhat funnel-shaped to tubular flowers are held against a foil of coppery pink, long-lasting bracts and bright golden yellow foliage beginning in late spring to early summer and continuing into fall. Canyon Creek Glossy Abelia, an open pollinated seedling of Abelia chinense that was selected through Dr. Michael Dirr's breeding program at UGA, is a vigorous growing cultivar with some of the best yellow foliage of any shrub on the market today. The glossy, medium to fine-textured foliage starts out a contrasting coppery red and matures to bright sunny to golden yellow and finally to green in summer providing interest throughout the year and will have the best color where it receives at least a half a day or more of direct sunlight in a moderately fertile to rich soil. Utilize this tough and easy, evergreen to semi-evergreen medium to large shrub in the garden or landscape as a specimen plant or formal to informal hedge. The fragrance of the flowers in a bouquet can be enough to fill a room. Highly recommended. Item# 3073

2-3' high spikes of glowing scarlet tubular flowers are produced in late spring or summer on this US native wildflower. A rosette forming herbaceous perennial to biennial, the Red Cardinal Flower is commonly found along stream banks, marshes, and bogs and will perform well in average to wet garden soils. Attracts hummingbirds and other pollinators. Item # 1217.

Masses of bright yellow, 1" long trumpets herald the coming of spring and have a strong Jasmine-like fragrance that is produced in early evening and at night suggesting that they are pollinated by hummingbird or sphinx moths as well as by native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. *It is not a suitable nectar plant for honeybees. Carolina Yellow Jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens, is a native, twining, evergreen to semi-evergreen vine with glossy, dark green, narrow foliage that can climb up to 20' high but is just as happy on a 6' fence or other sturdy support. It is native to the southeastern US from eastern Texas, all along the Gulf Coast, north to Virginia, as well as in the southern half of Arkansas and about 3 counties in southcentral Tennessee. Provide Carolina Jasmine with a full sun to mostly sunny site in an average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum growth and to maximize flowering. Although, it is shade tolerant it doesn't flower as profusely. Tough and easy as well as drought, deer, and rabbit resistant. Its fragrance is enough to stop you in your tracks on an evening stroll! Item# 1208

An Earth-Kind® Rose selection, an RHS Award of Garden Merit Winner, and was inducted into the Old Rose Hall of Fame in 1988. It produces clusters of medium to light pink, fragrant, high centered, perfectly formed, tea-rose shaped buds that open to the typical strappy, 2" wide pom-pom like flower typical of the Polyanthas and flowers throughout the growing season. Cècile Brünner Rose, a.k.a. Mme. Cècile Brünner and The Sweetheart Rose, is a moderately vigorous heirloom garden rose maturing to about 3-4' high and wide. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, fertile soil with average or better drainage for optimum vigor and flowering. It was developed in 1881 by Joseph Pernet-Ducher and is still highly popular 150 years later. The sweet pink buds are almost perfect for boutonnières and have a nice typical rose fragrance. Item# 12832

Although this vine produces the typical pale pink trumpets with darker pink throats that are common to this species, flowering is just a bonus as the beautifully variegated foliage steals the show! The dark green glossy foliage is heavily edged, splashed, and flecked with soft yellow on new growth that ages to a creamy white at maturity. Charisma Variegated Pink Bower Vine is a naturally evergreen, twining, tropical vine that makes a fantastic statement on a trellis or other support and unlike some variegated plants it can handle full hot summer sun without burning. Where not hardy it can be easily maintained on a small 3' high or larger trellis but it is vigorous enough to cover a 12-15'H arbor or can spread to 30' across on a 6'H fence. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average to well-drained, fertile soil. Item# 12372

The dainty rounded foliage of this tight clinging evergreen vine creates a striking rich green tapestry on any wall and is common in gardens across the south. Very tough, vigorous, and easy to grow. Item # 364.

A vigorous tropical vine which produces huge clusters of soft pink wax-like blooms in summer. Interestingly enough this is considered to be the first Hoya species to be described. An excellent choice for hanging baskets where it can hang and climb as it is wont to do. Item# 9309. 

Loose clusters of sweetly fragrant white, star shaped blooms are born in mass in late spring and early summer on this vigorous and durable evergreen twining climber. Well established plants can provide intermittent flowering through summer. An excellent choice for arbors. Can be grown as a deep dense groundcover. Item # 10364.

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.

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

Huge 18-24" long spikes of deep coral-red to red-orange, 2" long pea-like flowers are produced in cycles throughout the warmer months of the year on new growth. The specialized flowers are designed for hummingbird pollination but may also be visited by larger bees and occasional butterflies. The Crybaby or Cockspur Coral Tree, Erythrina crista-galli, is considered to be one of the most cold hardy and free flowering of the Coral Trees. This is a rarely available and highly desirable fast-growing, heat and sunloving, deciduous tropical tropical tree to large shrub growing to about 15-20' high in zones 9B-10 but is typically closer to 10' high in zones 8B-9A. Once well-established, the plants are somewhat drought resistant and are slightly salt tolerant. Provide a full sun to mostly sunny site in an average moist to moist , fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Protect young plants from harsh freezing temperatures until the trunk becomes woody and has grown to about 5-6" diameter if planting out in zone 8B-9A. Young plants can be overwintered indoors in a warm sunny window until they get to an appropriate size for planting out. The huge flower clusters are utilized as cutflowers in its native range and it is also the national tree of Argentina, the national flower of both Uruguay and Argentina, and is the city tree of Los Angeles as it makes a fantastic, low-maintenance street tree. A Royal Horticulture Society Award of Garden Merit Award winner for its reliablity and flower power. Item# 9137

Sweetly fragrant, 2" wide, white star-like single flowers, pinwheel-style, are borne in large clusters atop the dark green compact foliage and stems. A dwarf to semi-dwarf Gardenia, Daisy has a naturally vase shaped to rounded habit. It responds well to shaping, therefore making it a full bushy shrub or small tree for containers or beds. Item# 980

Large, rounded clusters composed of nearly 1" wide, fragrant, pure white flowers sit atop sturdy stems in summer and are sure to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators. David's Garden Phlox has exceptional disease resistance and was selected as the 2002 Perennial Plant of the Year. Garden Phlox is also known as Summer Border Phlox or Fall Phlox, it is a hardy clump forming, upright growing herbaceous perennial found throughout much of the eastern and central US. Item# 10830.

A profusion of golden orange-yellow dark eyed daisies are produced in mid to late summer and into fall atop tall sturdy stems and attract a myriad of smaller pollinators and garden beneficials. Deam's Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii, is different from Goldstrum by having a clump forming habit, slightly larger flowers, and overall taller plants with better resistance to powdery mildew. Its reliability has garnered this US native perennial the coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit. Provide Deam's Black-Eyed Susan with a full to mostly sunny site in average to well-drained soils. Songbirds enjoy the ripe seed heads and it may reseed under good conditions on exposed soils making it a good addition to cottage gardens, meadows, prairies, and other naturalistic and informal settings. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 12115

An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! Medium-sized, creamy white to very pale pink, formal double, a.k.a. rose or perfect form, flowers are edged in sweetly contrasting deep pink and are produced over an extended period in mid and late season, January to April. Desire Camellia is a large flowered Japonica with a vigorous, densely branching, initially upright growth habit becoming rounded at maturity and developing into a large evergreen shrub to about 10-12'H x 6-8'W. Provide Camellias with a fertile soil rich in organic matter, with average moisture, and an organic mulch. Images courtesy of Cam Too Camellia Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13215

A Camellia Hall of Fame Award winner! The 3-4" wide, semi-double, rich pink flowers, often with a hint of purple, of Donation are born over an extended period in late winter and spring and show off a boss of yellow stamens. This is a large and vigorous, free flowering, upright growing Camellia hybrid with rich dark green, Sasanqua-like foliage. Item# 10632.

An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! The medium to large, semi-double, red to rose red flowers are blotched and marbled with starkly contrasting white and are centered by a boss of contrasting gold tipped stamens atop white filaments. Flowering occurs in midseason, January to February, and the pollen laden flowers attract bees and other pollinators on warm winter days. Donckelarii Camellia is a prized heirloom, large flowered Japonica with a dense habit and somewhat slow rate of growth making this a good candidate for container culture or bonsai as well as a useful large evergreen specimen plant in the garden and landscape. Provide Camellias with a fertile soil rich in organic matter, with average moisture, and an organic mulch. Images courtesy of Cam Too Camellia Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13216