Heirloom Plants

Tall candles to 18" high that are composed of golden yellow blossoms and buds rise well above the foliage of this popular pass along plant from mid to late summer well into fall for an outstanding show. The Candlestick Tree, Senna alata, is a moderately fast growing and vigorous sun loving tropical that is excellent for the back of the border, as a specimen plant singly or in mass, and even as a large container plant. Attracts butterflies. Caterpillar host: Ceraunus Blue, Barred Yellow, Mexican Yellow, Sleepy Orange, and Cloudless Sulphur.Reseeds readily or save seeds in fall to replant in spring. The Candlestick Tree is a heat and sunloving easy to grow tropical to tender perennial where winters are mild. Item# 10017.

Medium to large somewhat spidery trumpets are white with a glowing pink stripe down the center of each petal. The large clusters of flowers are held on sturdy stalks above the medium green strap-like foliage. This beautiful Crinum hybrid is suspected to be a Thad Howard cross. Item# 3142.

Clusters of small, inconspicuous, greenish flowers are produced in spring and are followed by 1/4-3/8" diameter, red berries that ripen to glossy black in fall and are prized by songbirds. Carolina Buckthorn, Frangula caroliniana and previously Rhamnus caroliniana, is a small, native, deciduous tree to large shrub with large, glossy, ovate foliage and typically grows to about 10-15' high. It is native to much of the southeastern US from central Texas to central Florida and as far north as central Missouri. It is adaptable to most soil types provided they have good drainage and is moderately drought resistant once fully established. Provide the Carolina Buckthorn with a full sun to partly shaded site in an average moist, fertile soil for optimum growth and vigor. Caterpillar host: American Snout Butterfly. Item# 13555

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

Sweetly fragrant, 6" wide, clusters of deep pink flowers with deep magenta throats are held atop the dark glossy green heart-shaped foliage. The fragrant flowers attract mainly butterflies but other pollinators may show up as well. Cashmere Bouquet, Clerodendrum bungei, is an upright typically single stemmed perennial growing to about 2-4' high, occassionally to 6-8' high under freeze free conditions, and will spread vigorously if grown in the ground via underground runners creating a dense groundcover. Planted outdoors in areas where hard freezes occur, like in zones 7-9, the stems of the plant typically freeze to the ground and at the very least are typcially deciduous anywhere hard frosts occur. Cashmere Bouquet can also be enjoyed as a low maintenance container plant where it will remain more confined, click here to learn more. Item# 11316

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

Celeste is the standard by which all other figs are judged on sweetness and flavor. If you've ever eaten one you know why it is also called the Honey or Sugar fig. It produces small to medium sized pear shaped violet to light violet fruit with red pulp and white to amber flesh. Very reliable for the South and Southeastern US and excellent cold tolerance. Small productive and hardy trees for the home orchard. Caterpillar host: Ruddy Daggerwing. Item# 355

Large 3" wide dark reddish-purple trumpet shaped flowers are borne throughout summer to year-round under warm tropical conditions adorn the vine-like stems of this tropical. Cherries Jubilee Allamanda, a selection of Allamanda blanchetii, is a naturally evergreen, scandent (a.k.a. vine-like) large arching to shrub to vine-like shrub that revels in the heat and sun of summer. The flowers may be visited by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. It can be trained as an espalier, trellis, or even as a tree form and can be allowed to trail along fences and up arbors in freeze free climates. Cool winter temperatures and frosts may cause some leaf drop. Provide Cherries Jubiliee Alllamanda with a full to partly sunny site in an average moist but never soggy wet, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Where not hardy it is easily overwintered in a warm sunny window.  Item# 356

Huge, rounded, white Hydrangea-like flowers are borne in early spring and last for several weeks. The color show starts with small rounded clusters of apple-green buds and so the Chinese Snowball Bush entertains us for weeks in anticipation of spring. Mature plants will often produce flowers in late summer as well although the best show is typically in spring. These are easy to grow large shrubs with a medium to fast rate of growth and a naturally upright to vase shaped habit when young eventually growing as wide as high once mature. Chinese Snowball Bush was selected as a 2006 Georgia Gold Medal Winner! The huge flowers make excellent long lasting cut flowers for a vase as well. Item# 10362.

A very disease resistant and free-blooming antique climbing rose producing lightly fragrant 2" cherry red blooms for up to 10 months of the year here in zone 8B once it is well established. A great rose for arbors, fences,and trellises. Item# 1016.

Dense clusters of upward facing, short, tubular whitish flowers are touched with purple or lavender and are accented by large silvery to whitish bracts and are produced over an extended period in summer. The flowers attract a variety of smaller pollinators especially small native bees and flower flies. Clustered Mountainmint, Pycnanthemum muticum, is a native, branching, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial growing to about 2-3' high and 1-2' wide. This may be the strongest scented of the Mountainmints and the foliage can be used in teas and cooking. Provide a full sun to mostly sunny site in an average moist, fertile soil. Easy and reliable and can be enjoyed as a container plant as well as in more naturalistic settings like prairies and meadows. Item# 10029

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. Item# 10928.

Coming again for 2022! The Coral Firecracker Fern produces loads of 1" salmon tubular flowers that are born in large loose clusters along the arching ferny stems throughout the warmer months of the year or nearly year round where winters are mild. Excellent for Hummingbirds! Plant it with the red and yellow for a colorful combination. This is a durable and long-lived, clump forming perennial that requires little additional care once well-established. The Firecracker Fern has excellent heat and sun tolerance as well as moderate drought resistance once well-established. It is even listed as being suitable for xeriscaping. Firecracker Fern, Russelia equisetiformis, is listed as a Texas A&M Outstanding Coastal Plant as it has excellent resistance to soil and wind born salts, though it could use some protection from harsh, drying winds. It is also an RHS Award of Garden Merit selection. It can be used as a low informal hedge, allow it to spill over walls, enjoy it as a hanging basket, window box, or container specimen, as well as in mixed container gardens. Item# 992

Craimoisi Superieur is still one of the most vigorous, reliable, and freely flowering old garden roses on the market. It produces a near endless display of cupped cherry red flowers often with a blotch or streak of brightly contrasting white in the center of the flowers. My grandfather called this the "eleven-month" rose because in many years here in zone 8B it can flower that long. Classified as a China Rose, Craimoisi Superieur has good disease resistance and quickly develops into a 4-5'H x 4-6'W shrub. It can be used as a specimen or as colorful hedge. Provide a full to mostly sunny location in an average to well-drained moderately fertile soil for optimum health and flowering. Item # 874

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

A Camellia Hall of Fame Award winner! Medium-sized, medium pink, dense peony form flowers showing few if any yellow anthers are produced over one of the longest flowering seasons of any of the Japonicas with flowering occuring as early as November and as late as March or April. Debutante Camellia is a vigorous growing, large evergreen shrub with a medium dense branching habit that matures into an 8-10' high by 6-8' wide plant with a naturally upright and rounded habit. Debutante is also known to be one of the more reliable Japonicas that can tolerate full sun. Provide Camellias with a fertile soil rich in organic matter, with average moisture, and an organic mulch. See our Camellia Growing Guide for in-depth planting and care instructions. Item# 3153

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.

2-3" wide clusters of up to 1/2" diameter, bright white, fully double flowers are produced in early spring all along the softly arching branches just before and during the emergence of the bluish-green, soft-textured new foliage. Double Reeve's Spiraea, Spiraea cantoniensis 'Lanceata', is an heirloom shrub that has long been intermingled with the large type Indica Azaleas for a wonderful spring show. This is a medium sized, 6'x6' shrub with arching branches that when left unpruned looks like a cascading waterfall of flowers. Utilize this tough, easy, and low-maintance shrub as an informal hedge or screen, as individual specimen plants, and as mentioned among large type early flowering evergreen Azaleas. Provide this Spiraea with a full to mostly sunny site in an average to well-drained, average moist, fertile soil for optimum growth and vigor. Deer and rabbit resistant with moderate drought resistance once fully established and somewhat salt tolerant. Adaptable and listed as an Outstanding Shrub for Texas Gardens for all areas of the state by Texas A&M. Item# 12892

The large, double, pure white, carnation-like to peony-like flowers are produced in great abundance all summer long on this easily grown deciduous shrub. The Rose of Sharon, a cold hardy shrubby Hibiscus species, has a naturally vase shaped habit when young but becomes rounded and full with age and it can also be trained into a tree form with careful pruning. These heirloom pass-along plants are quite tolerant of most well-drained, fertile soils in sunny sites and are resistant to periodic, short term drought once well-established. The flowers, even though double, attract bees, hummingbirds and the occassional butterfly. Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Item# 9586

Clusters of 4-6" wide, double, peony-like flowers open pure white on the first day, change to pink on the second day, and turn near red once they fade creating the tricolor effect. Flowering begins in late summer and fall and can continue for weeks on mature plants. The Double White Confederate Rose, a selection of Hibiscus mutabilis, is a multistemmed, large deciduous shrub to small tree that can grow to 15' x 15' where winters are mild and the stems are not frozen back to near ground level. In zones 8-9, the Confederate Rose acts like a die-back perennial, freezing to near ground-level and returning the following spring and can still grow to nearly 10' x 10' in a single season under good conditions. A tough and easy heirloom that has long been popular in zones 8-10. Provide a full to mostly sunny site, in an average to well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 389