Heirloom Plants

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

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

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

A reliable old favorite, Crepuscule produces clusters of 3-4" wide, fragrant, apricot colored, loosely double blossoms for much of the year. This disease resistant, free-flowering and nearly thorn-less heirloom rose can be trained as a climber or can be grown as a large shrub. An excellent choice for a trellis or pillar and deserving of a place where it can be fully enjoyed. Item# 10132.

The foliage of this Epiphyllum wants to twist and curl into great locks of of flat, rich green foliage. Small for an Epiphyllum, the 3" white flowers open at night and are often followed by small red, delicious, edible fruit. With this particular cultivar of Epiphyllum guatamalense the flowers may or may not open fully or at all but as it is self-pollinating it may produce fruit even so. An easy hanging basket plant and sure to be a conversation piece! Item# 10481.

The foliage of this Epiphyllum wants to twist and curl into great locks of of flat, rich green foliage. Small for an Epiphyllum, the 3" white flowers open at night and are often followed by small red, delicious, edible fruit. With this particular cultivar of Epiphyllum guatamalense the flowers may or may not open fully or at all but as it is self-pollinating it may produce fruit even so. An easy hanging basket plant and sure to be a conversation piece! Item# 11582

A Camellia Hall of Fame Award winner! One of the longest flowering Camellias in our garden beginning early in the season with flowers into late season. Debutante produces frilly double (peony form) medium pink 3-4" wide flowers showing few, if any, yellow anthers. This is an exceptionally vigorous Camellia and is considered by some to be one of the few large flowered Japonicas that can tolerate full sun. 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. 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

Masses of white petals fill each flower creating a peony-like effect throughout summer on this old favorite. Rose of Sharon is an easy and rewarding upright to vase-shaped deciduous shrub. Tolerant of most soils and drought tolerant once well established. Item# 9586.

8-10" long, double, creamy white, night fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers are produced throughout the warmer months of the year or nearly year round when grown in a greenhouse or conservatory. The Double White Angel's Trumpet, a form of Datura metel, is often grown as an annual or short-lived shrub-like perennial and it is easy enough to save a few seed from the large capsules once they split open to grow new ones for next year. These are fast growing small to medium-sized, shrub-like, frost tender tropical plants that are easy and rewarding. Also known as Devil's Trumpet, due to the poisonous properties of this member of the Nightshade family. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site, in a well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture for optimum vigor and flowering. The large white fragrant flowers should be a great addition to a moon-moth garden. Item# 12941

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. 

A profusion of 1/2", double, white blooms are produced seemingly constantly on this vigorous and healthy small shrub. An excellent low hedge. Item # 390.

This is a large to very large purple fig with good flavor. An heirloom fig that was brought to the US from Italy via Dr. Sam Monticello's grandmother. The soon to be Mrs. Decarlo was a 16 years old bride and on her way to meet her new husband. She wrapped the cuttings in newspaper to get them here as she traveled to the new world aboard ship. Dr. Monticello, a Lake Charles Master Gardener and retired physician, says that they have been grown in this area from the time his grandmother arrived here as well as in Kansas where part of their family migrated to. 

Ducher is considered by many to be the only white China rose. The ivory to white, fragrant, double flowers are produced from spring through fall and are held against soft green foliage. With a more diminutive and refined habit than many China roses, Ducher is small enough for containers or in the garden. Ducher was selected as an Earthkind rose through the Texas AgriLife Extension service. Item# 9709.

Elegantly cupped fragrant rose-pink flowers are produced non-stop throughout the growing season on this floriferous and disease resistant tea rose. Duchesse de Brabant has an upright to vase shaped habit and makes an excellent specimen or use it in mass or as a hedge to wonderful effect. Another Earthkind rose selected by the Texas AgriLife Extension service for it's reliability, disease resistance, and flower power. Item# 9711.

Coming again in 2022! Small clusters of 2-3" wide brilliant golden yellow trumpet shaped flowers are produced throughout the growing season to potentially year-round under warm tropical conditions and are mainly butterfly pollinated but also attract bees and other pollinators. The Dwarf Allamanda, Allamanda cathartica 'Compacta', is a small, naturally evergreen, tropical shrub growing to 2-3'H x 2-3'W and potentially slightly larger with age. The stems are adorned with whorls of glossy narrow foliage to about 3" long. This is an easy to grow, heat and sunloving tropical with good to excellent flower power and makes an easy container plant that is sure to add a tropical flair to any sunny garden setting. For optimum vigor and flowering provide the Dwarf Allamanda with a full sun to partly shaded location in a fertile, well-drained soil. It is important to allow the soil to become somewhat dry between waterings and the hotter it is generally the happier they are and will sulk under cool (below about 55-60^oF) and wet conditions. Item# 395

The dwarf form of it's much larger cousin and native to the sandy and sandy loam soils of much of the southeast US. The Dwarf Pawpaw produces 3-5" green-yellow elongated fruit that eventually turn brown to nearly black when ripe. It is reported to have a banana custard-like flavor, some say that fully ripe fruit of the Dwarf Pawpaw is equal to the Pawpaw, while others firmly disagree. Produces small maroon to greenish flowers flowers in spring. A small to medium-sized, spreading to upright, moderately slow growing, native deciduous shrub. A caterpillar host plant of the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly. Seedling grown. Plant two for pollination. Item# 10232.

The Dwarf White Crown of Thorns produces a nearly year-round display of clusters of dainty, rounded pure white 'flowers', whose paired, rounded petals are actually bracts that surround the tiny true greenish to yellowish flowers. This is a dwarf and compact selection of the Crown of Thorns, Euphorbia milii, with a naturally dense bushy habit. An excellent choice for mixed container gardens, windowsill culture, as well as on a sunny to brightly lit porch or patio. Like the standard Crown of Thorns this diminutive dwarf is extremely easy to care for. Item# 9963

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 starry soft primrose yellow, wavy edged flowers are centered by a deeper yellow star shaped throat that is tinged with orange at its edges and are produced in clusters of 3-4 atop light green sturdy stems in late winter to early spring. Evan's Yellow Amaryllis, Hippeastrum evansiae, is a rare and endangered Bolivian Amaryllis species that readily produces offsets at the tips of the fleshy roots during winter dormancy. It is from a relatively dry region and does best in soils with excellent drainage and will prefer a dry winter rest period of 6-8 weeks prior to flowering. Evan's Yellow Amaryllis is considered to be one of the smallest Hippeastrum species and is a naturally deciduous tropical species. It is reported to be hardy into zone 9B, although, it is possible it will withstand colder regions but we have not yet tried it in the ground. Grown from offsets of our parent plants and are planted one flowering-size bulb per 4.5" pot. Item# 12278