2-3'H Perennials

Rounded clusters of bright fiery orange flowers from which emerge a bright sunny yellow and orange speckled rolled lip creating a tube for feeding butterflies and hummingbirds. The Reed-Stem Epidendrum is truly one of the easiest to grow and flower orchids that can be grown as an informal groundcover under tropical conditions like zone 10. For us, this rewarding orchid flowers most heavily from spring through summer. Provide a well-drained soil, amend with peat moss in dry, very sandy soils. 4-5 plants per pot. Item# 11585

The show starts in early summer and may last nearly until the first frost with this reliable and fragrant Garden Phlox. It produces large domed clusters of bright purplish pink flowers on tall sturdy stems with mildew resistant, deep green foliage. Phlox is adored by butterflies and hummingbirds alike! Robert Poore is one of only a handful of Garden Phlox cultivars recommended for southern gardens by noted Texas plantsman Greg Grant. Item# 10161

The large flowers are composed of dark indigo-blue outer falls that are centered with dark blue inner standards creating full nearly rounded flowers. This is a vigorous and hardy, early to midseason flowering Louisiana Iris that is part of the Fallen Heroes series hybridized by Lee-Ann Connelly, now Shearhouse, and marketed by Ag3 Inc. A portion of the price of each plant is donated to the Fallen First Responders charity that aids the children of both Firefighters and Law Enforcement. Multiplies readily in average garden soils, moist to wet soils, or they can be set in water gardens where the container is just below the water's surface. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 9205

The dark colored nearly black spikes and calyxes provide a dark contrast to the brilliant glowing red two-lipped tubular flowers that are sure to draw hummingbirds for miles from spring to fall! Royal Bumble Salvia, a selection or hybrid of the native Littleleaf Sage, S. microphylla, is a 2015 Royal Horticulture Society Award of Garden Merit winner with excellent vigor and amazing flower power all on a compact well-branched plant. Considered by some to be the best red Salvia x jamensis/S. microphylla hybrid on the planet! Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile well-draining soil for optimum vigor and flower power. In areas that experience hard freezes plant this Salvia out between early spring to midsummer to ensure winter survival. Item# 12476

3-4" wide light pink to purplish pink coneflowers with drooping narrow petals are held high above the foliage on sturdy 18-24" high stems. Flowers begin in May and may continue through August and they attract bees, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. The Sanguin Purple Coneflower is a taprooted, clump-forming native with an easy to get-along-with and tough nature. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 9304

1-1/2" long, deep orange tubular flowers with lavender upper petals and exerted stamens give this cute Cuphea the 'batface' look and are produced throughout the warmer months of the year, or year round where winters are frost free. The flowers attract loads of hummingbirds and other long-tongued pollinators. This is a bushy shrub-like and herbaceous, tender perennial suitable for sunny outdoor locations and can be overwintered in bright indoor locations where not hardy. Enjoy Schumann's Cuphea as a container plant or in the garden. Provide a well-drained, moderately fertile soil for the best results. Item# 10702.

The top performer in Baptisia trials at Mt. Cuba Center where they report the plants produced upwards of 350 flower spikes per plant! Dense spikes of bright yellow pea-shaped flowers are produced above the neat mounds of bluish green foliage in mid to late spring attracting bees and other garden beneficials. Screamin' Yellow Wild or False Indigo, is an award winning selection of the native Baptisia sphaerocarpa, scoring a perfect 5 of 5 stars in the Mt. Cuba Center's 2012-15 Baptisia Trials of 46 cultivars. It sports a neat, compact, rounded to mounding habit and amazing flower power on a long-lived, clump forming, taprooted herbaceous perennial. Baptisias are durable, pest and disease resistant natives that are equally suitable for the garden or landscape as well as for additions to more naturalized settings like meadows, prairies, and roadside plantings. Baptisias, considered to be the Lupine of the South, are somewhat drought resistant once fully established but generally prefer an average moist, well-drained soil and are adaptable to soil types. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Baptisias are also utilized as long-lasting additions to fresh cut flower arrangements. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11653

Slender arching stems that end in spikes of purple flowers emerge from the soft fine textured foliage of this dainty Liatris from late spring through early summer and may even flower into fall. The soft texture and and gently arching flower spikes make this beautiful Blazing Star a perfect candidate for the perennial garden where it sure to attract attention as well as butterflies and pollinators. Plant several together for the best effect. Item# 9865.

Possibly the most exciting native grass introduction on the market to date! In spring the narrow blades emerge heavily variegated with green and cream and are accented by pink tones, especially when weather is cooler. By summer it has grown into a 12-18" by 12-18" mass of arching boldly variegated white and green foliage. In late summer the flowering stalks begin to elongate showing off their variegated form and as summer temperatures begin to cool the white portions of the foliage and flowering stems deepens into pink and rose tones and finally into burgundy. Shining Star™ Little Bluestem, a beautifully variegated selection of our native Schizachyrium scoparium, is a widely distributed, clump forming, herbaceous perennial grass that is native to all but 2 of the lower 48 US states and is a major component of the Tall Grass Prairies of the midwest. Provide this lovely little grass with a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained soil for optimum vigor and growth. Images courtesy of Emerald Coast Growers, who discovered this new nativar, all rights reserved. Item# 13138

Medium to deep blue falls and standards with the falls being accented by contrasting gold crests at their base are produced in early to midseason, or March to April, atop 30-36" high stems. Sinfonietta Louisiana Iris has been highly popular since its introduction and was awarded an Honorable Mention in 1990 and the Award of Garden Merit in 1992 by the American Iris Society. Louisiana Irises are easy and adaptable, rhizomatous perennials with fans of deep green sword-like foliage and seem as at home in standing water as they do in average moist garden soils. Remember that these plants do most of their growing in fall and winter and so this is when they should be fed and fall is also a great time to divide plants if desired. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13339

Narrow, upright to arching, 24-30" high spikes of rich purple flowers are produced in mid to late summer and into fall attracting a host of pollinators. Smallhead Blazing Star, Liatris microcephela, is a cormous, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial with narrow, dark green, fine-textured foliage and produce a multitude of flower spikes per plant at maturity. This tough little deer and drought resistant native is typically found in sandy to clayey, well-drained soils in the southeastern US. Like all of our Liatris species, it is a key pollinator plant attracting bees, butterflies, flower flies, and likely occasional low-flying hummingbirds. Smallhead Blazing Star makes for a long-lasting cut flower and, unlike most Liatris, the flowers begin opening from the top downward. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in fertile, average moist to periodically dry soil. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 13266

Dense spikes of rosy pink tubular flowers are produced in late summer and fall atop sturdy stems attracting butterflies, larger bees, and hummingbirds. The Southern Fall Obedient Plant, Physostegia virginiana ssp. praemorsa, is a clump forming species of Physostegia, whereas most species spread via long rhizomes, this one is a much more mannerly native perennial better suited to garden culture. It will slowly multiply developing into a dense clump of foliage and flowering stems. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a wet to moist to average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12752

A low growing, clump forming to slowly spreading perennial the Southern Prairie Aster produces 1" wide, medium purple to lighter pinkish purple daisies with a yellow eye atop sturdy upright to arching stems beginning in late summer and lasting into fall. This is another Aster that is native to sandy dryer upland soils and so is somewhat drought resistant once well-established. Excellent for native pollinators.Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady.  Item# 10694.

A 1958 Monrovia introduction, Spreading Sunset Lantana produces rounded clusters of nectar rich flowers that open yellow and fade through shades of orange to near red creating an overall orange effect. This a trailing Lantana that lends itself to use as a groundcover in the garden or landscape or as a spiller from large containers. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators especially butterflies and bees. Provide a full to mostly sunny position for the best results. Item# 11048

The rounded clusters of flowers open a bright golden yellow and mature through bright pumpkin orange and finally into deep red tones all the while attracting a wide variety of pollinators with their nectar reward from spring until fall. Star Landing Lantana was selected for its low mounding habit, excellent flower power, vigor and reliable zone 7B cold hardiness. Use it as a groundcover in the garden and landscape for traffic stopping color throughout the growing season as well as for low-maintenance container specimens. When planted alone it is reported to produce almost no seed. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in an average moist, average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12886

2-3" bright yellow sunflower-like flowers are held on 3'H branching sturdy stems from late spring to fall. The flowering stalks emerge from a rosette of wide medium green foliage on this fibrous rooted native perennial. Great for butterflies and pollinators. Item# 9585.

An eye-catching yet elegant combination of large lemony-yellow falls are accented by lime-green veining and signals and are topped by contrasting bright white standards that are tipped in yellow and are accented by complimentary green and yellow veining which are then topped by lime-green style arms that are broadly tipped and edged in yellow. Start of Something Big Louisiana Iris is a small to medium-sized plant growing to about 30" high and it flowers very late in the season, typically May. It received an Honorable Mention from the American Iris Society in 2015. Louisiana Irises are easy and adaptable, rhizomatous perennials with fans of deep green sword-like foliage and seem as at home in standing water as they do in average moist garden soils. Remember that these plants do most of their growing in fall and winter and so this is when they should be fed and fall is also a great time to divide plants if desired. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13346

Huge round clusters composed of extra large bell-shaped deep violet-blue flowers held on sturdy stems atop the narrow strap-like medium green foliage in late spring to early summer and potentially into fall on well-established clumps. Stevie's Wonder Lily of the Nile or Agapanthus is a vigorous, clump-forming perennial with a tropical look but this cultivar has proven to have excellent hardiness into zone 7. The flowering spikes are typically 2-3' high in areas that experience hardy winter freezes (zone 7-8) but they are reported to reach up to 6' high in zone 9 with reports that the flower clusters can reach near volleyball size! The flowers of Agapanthus attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Provide Stevie's Wonder Lily of the Nile a full to partly sunny site in a well-drained, average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Makes an easy and low-maintenance container plant where not hardy. May be fully winter deciduous. Item# 12467

6" wide rounded clusters of 1" wide deep blue-purple to dark purple trumpet shaped flowers are produced atop sturdy 3' high stalks in summer that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Though recent competition has increased when it comes to reliably cold hardy Agapanthus cultivars, Storm Cloud is still considered to be one of the most reliable, naturally winter dormant cultivars but it will benefit from a breathable mulch in any area that experiences freezing temperatures for extended periods. Somewhat drought resistant once well-established but generally prefers an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil in a full to mostly sunny site. Deer and rabbit resistant and moderately salt tolerant. Makes an easy and low maintenance container plant where not hardy. Item# 1144

Dense rounded clusters of starry periwinkle blue flowers are produced in late spring to early summer atop the fine-textured deep green foliage that transforms to a deep golden yellow in fall. String Theory Blue Star, a hybrid of or selection of Amsonia hubrichtii, has all of the wonderful traits of Arkansas Blue Star but with a more refined compact habit. This is a clump-forming, long-lived, herbaceous native perennial with an almost formal habit at maturity reaching about 18-24"H x 30-36"W. It can be utilized as an informal hedge or backdrop and will look great paired with native grasses in fall. This Proven Winners© selection is tough and easy, low-maintenance, sunloving, heat tolerant, and deer and rabbit resistant. The flowers of the Blue Stars attract larger bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and hummingbird moths. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12891

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The large 7-8" wide white to light pink flowers are centered by a deep red eye that radiates outward along the veins of the petals and the light colored petals darken slightly at the outer edges and are a standout against the darkly contrasting deep maroon foliage. SUMMERIFIC® Perfect Storm Perennial Hibiscus flowers throughout summer and is an indeterminate type meaning that they flower all up and down the stems instead of just on the upper half of the plants creating a knockout display in the garden and landscape. It matures to about 3' high and spreads out to 4-5' wide at maturity. Provide a full to mostly sunny location in moist to average moist to wet, moderately fertile soils. Catepillar host: Gray hairstreak. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12192