RHS Award of Garden Merit® Plants

The large deep purplish-blue star-shaped flowers open from balloon shaped buds look as though one flower was neatly tucked inside the other. The Double Blue Balloon flower is a clump forming taprooted perennial that produces more and more flowering stems as the plant ages. They begin to flower in about mid summer and continue nearly until fall. Double Blue is a larger growing variety that can reach about 30" high and also produces purple and yellow fall color. It was also one of the top-rated cultivars from the Chicago Botanic Garden's trials receiving 4 out of 4 stars. An easy, low maintenance, and conversation starting perennial for the garden and landscape. Item# 11629

This heirloom has long been a popular favorite among Southern gardeners! Clusters of 4-6" fully double, bright pink, peony-like flowers are born in late summer and into fall. The Double Pink Confederate Rose is a large deciduous shrub in mild climates or a vigorous perennial in the colder portions of its range. Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Tough, easy, and reliable! Item #386.

Clusters of 4-6" fully double peony-like flowers open white and quickly change to pink and to near red by the day's end creating the 3 color effect of this cultivar's Tricolor name. The Double White Confederate Rose begins it show in late summer and lasting into fall. A large deciduous shrub in mild climates or a vigorous perennial in the colder portions of its range. Tough, easy, and reliable! This heirloom has long been a popular favorite among Southern gardeners! Item# 389. 

An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! The elegant formal-looking, medium-sized, semi-double, white to very pale pink flowers deepen to pink at their out edges and are centered by a boss of gold tipped stamens on white filaments. Flowering occurs in mid to late season, January to April, and the pollen laden flowers are sure to attract bees and other pollinators. Dr. Tinsley Camellia is a large flowered Japonica type with a moderate rate of growth and a densley branching habit and develops into a large evergreen shrub. 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# 13218

Large 6-8" burgundy and cream, widely flaring Dutchman's Pipe shaped flowers are borne from summer to fall on this vigorous and easy to grow perennial vine. A fast growing root hardy perennial into zone 8, the Dutchman's Pipevine makes a quick summer screen and a definite conversation piece anytime it's in flower. This Pipevine is acceptable as a host plant for the Polydamas Swallowtail but not for the more common Pipevine Swallowtail. Click the image for more detailed information. Item# 394.

The sweetly contrasting bicolor flowers are composed of two large soft shell pink lower petals and a bright rosy pink tube and hood all emerging from maroon tinged calyxes and spikes. Dyson's Joy Salvia, or simply Joy Salvia, is likely a selection or hybrid of Salvia greggii or Autumn Sage, and develops into a compact rounded plant growing to about 2' x 2' that can be enjoyed as a container plant as well as in the garden and landscape. The brightly colored flowers attract low flying hummingbirds, occasional butterflies, and other pollinators with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! Images courtesy of Jadelty Plant Propagation Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13140

One of the earliest to begin flowering and an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! Clusters of lilac-pink tubular flowers are produced in abundance beginning in midspring and continuing into fall and are held against a contrasting foil of long-lasting showy deep bronze-red bracts and exceptionally dark green glossy foliage that takes on purple and bronze tones in winter. The flowers of Abelias attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Edward Goucher Glossy Abelia, considered to be a hybrid of Abelia x grandiflora x A. shumanii, has a naturally dense, rounded to vase-shaped habit on this medium-sized, evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub. Abelias are known for their toughness and adaptability to a variety of soil types provided they have average or better drainage. Deer resistant, somewhat salt tolerant, and mature, well-established plants are moderately drought resistant. Provide a full sun to part shade site with moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Long one of our personal favorites! Item# 3041

The very large flowers of this appropriately named Camellia consist of an anemone to semi-double white flower splashed, flecked, and striped with a dark pink to near red. Extravaganza Camellia flowers in mid season (March-April usually) on a compact upright to rounded shrub. Caution - may cause traffic jams if planted too close to the road! Item# 11331

Deep red to bronze foliage on a bromeliad that multiplies readily creating a dense beautiful basket of medium-sized cascading plants. The Fire Ball Bromeliad, a type of Neoregelia, makes an easy low maintenance tropical-looking hanging basket plant or grow it as an epiphyte on wood or cork. The more intense the lighting is the more this Bromeliad looks like it is on fire! Item# 415

2022 Missouri Botanic Garden Plants of Merit selection! 18" long arching spikes composed of numerous dark golden yellow flowers burst onto the scene in late summer and fall creating a much needed feast of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies including migratory Monarchs, and other garden beneficials. Fireworks is an award winning selection of the native Roughleaf Goldenrod, Solidago rugosa, and it won top marks in the Goldenrod trials at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. This is a hardy, clump-forming slowly spreading (a.k.a. short rhizomatous) herbaceous perennial that is both adaptable and manageable. Fireworks Goldenrod prefers a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist to moist fertile soil although it is tolerant of part shade, part sun conditions. Use this easy to grow native perennial in naturalistic settings and in mixed perennial gardens and landscapes. Item# 12313

This Almost Eden exclusive introduction boasts clusters of glowing deep reddish orange 2" upward facing tubular blooms that are perfect for hummingbirds and butterflies. Flowering from summer and often well into winter this hardy heat and sun-loving tropical can be grown as a shrub, vine, espalier, or can even be trained into tree forms. Where not hardy it makes an easy container plant. Item# 9565.

Rounded clusters up to 5" wide are composed of a multitude of rich fiery red butterfly shaped flowers that may be produced nearly throughout the year on this rare and unusual tropical vine. The curved butterfly pollinated flowers are produced on a woody twining vine with large rounded deep green foliage. An excellent choice for tropical gardens, indoors, or anywhere a small manageable vine is needed although in the ground plants may reach 12' high. The Flaming Glory Bower Vine truly is one of the most beautiful and free flowering of all vining Clerodendrums. Item# 9346

Fragrant Pathways Gardenia is an exceptionally low growing and spreading form of the Dwarf Gardenia that produces fragrant, double white blossoms in late spring and early summer. The narrow, dark green, finer textured foliage of Fragrant Pathways adds to its interest as it creates a low evergreen groundcover. Considered to be slightly more cold hardy than G. radicans. Item# 11773

An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! Neatly formed, small to medium-sized, bell-shaped, red to coral-red flowers centered by a boss of contrasting gold tipped stamens on white filaments are produced over an extended period from early to midseason and are held against a foil of deep green, glossy, medium-textured foliage. Freedom Bell Camellia is classified as a non-Reticulata hybrid with Sasanqua-like foliage and is a vigorous growing, large evergreen shrub with a naturally upright, densely branching habit that rounds out with maturity. This should be a good choice as a screen, specimen, or accent plant. The pollen laden flowers attract bees and other pollinators. Item# 13224

An exceptionally cold hardy Gardenia, Frostproof puts on a show of wonderfully fragrant, 2" wide, white flowers in late spring with some flowers throughout summer on well-established plants. Frostproof was selected as a Louisiana Super Plant for 2011 for it's adaptability and reliability! An excellent evergreen shrub with a medium texture and rich green narrow foliage perfect for the landscape. Item# 10152.

A large growing deciduous shrub, producing a beautiful display of 1/2-3/4" double white star-like blossoms in spring. Very easy to grow and long-lived. Fuzzy Deutzia develops is a durable heirloom shrub with a fountaining habit. The deciduous foliage provides nice yellow fall color. Item# 795

A wonderfully free-flowering Gardenia that was selected by Greg Grant from seed collected from Rosedown Plantation and named in honor of the garden's owner and horticulturist Martha Turnbull. 2-3" sweetly fragrant, white star-like single flowers are born over a long period beginning in spring and lasting through summer. Cross-pollinated flowers will produce bright orange hips to provide winter interest. Item# 9867.

1 of only 5 Monardas to be selected as an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner, 1 of the top 10 in Mt. Cuba Center's 2014-2016 Monarda trials, and in the top 10 in trials at the Chicago Botanic Gardens in 1998! The extra large, 3-4" wide, clusters of 2" long, deep red tubular flowers are produced over an extended period beginning in late spring to midsummer, depending on your zone. Earlier in warmer climates and later in colder climates. Gardenview Scarlet Monarda or Beebalm, a hybrid selection of native US species, it is similar in many regards to Jacob Cline, still one of the most popular red cultivars, but has improved resistance to powdery mildew and a slightly more compact habit topping out at 3' high. This is a clump-forming, slowly spreading perennial  that enjoys ample sunlight in a moist but well-drained, fertile soil. Sure to be a hummingbird magnet! Item# 12818

The Giant Chenille Plant produces up to 18" long, drooping, fuzzy, scarlet catkins throughout the warmer months of the year or year round under warm warm tropical conditions. A naturally upright growing tropical shrub that is close kin to the Copper Plant, the Giant Chenille will grow and flower in full sun or under light shade. The large, heart-shaped, medium green foliage provides a nice backdrop for the bright red dangling flower clusters. Easy enough to grow in containers on the patio, by the pool, or in the ground in the warmest tropical climates. Item# 428

The most floriferous Esperanza that we grow! Gold Star Esperanza produces an endless display of large clusters of large golden yellow, lightly fragrant trumpets from late spring to frost. This Greg Grant selection is the standard by which all other Esperanza's are judged. Hardy, heat and sun loving, and with a nicely branched habit Gold Star Esperanza is great for tropical settings in containers and in the garden. Attracts pollinators including butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Item # 9902

A profusion of dark-eyed golden yellow, 3-5'', daisies are held above the tidy rosette of foliage throughout summer. A reliable, tough, and deservedly award winning clump forming perennial. Excellent for butterflies and the birds will enjoy the seedheads in winter. Item# 9155.