Perennials - All

From flattened iris-like bluish-green fans emerge spikes of deep coral 1" wide flowers that have a contrasting splotch of dark orange-red at the base of the three lower petals that acts as a 'bee guide' and the flowers are produced over an extended period in late winter, early spring, to spring depending on your zone. Woodland Painted Petals or Flowering Grass, Freesia laxa, is an easily grown cormous heirloom perennial and RHS Award of Garden Merit winner which readily multiplies via seed to make a loose groundcover. Provide an average to well-drained soil in a full to partly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Freesia laxa is suitable for container culture as well as in the garden and landscape. Naturally winter dormant. Typically 2-3 or more bulbs per pot. Item# 12370

Light blue narrow rays surround the eye of contrasting yellow disc flowers sit atop the neat mounds of foliage beginning in late summer and continuing into fall. The nectar rich flowers attract a variety of smaller pollinators. Wood's Light Blue New York Aster, a selection of Symphyotrichum novi-belgii or Aster novi-belgii, is a 8-12" x 8-12" compact selection of the species that is a good choice as a replacement for fall mums and can be enjoyed as both a container plant as well as near the front of the border in the garden and landscape. Provide a full to partly shaded site in an average moist, average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 13151

Clusters of medium to large cupped white flowers that are centered by a deep burgundy eye are produced in summer and sit atop a sturdy stems cloaked in grayish to nearly white foliage. The Woolly Rose-Mallow or Swamp Mallow, a form of Hibiscus moscheutos var. lasiocarpos, is sure to be a standout hardy clump-forming perennial that will produce more and more flowering stems each year eventually developing into a rounded mass of nearly white foliage topped by clusters of flowers. The flowers normally remain open until about midday but may stay open nearly all day on overcast or cloudy days. The Woolly Rose-Mallow is adaptable to moist to wet to average moist, fertile soils and is an easy choice for pondside and bog plantings. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12197

The Yellow Firecracker Fern produces loads of 1" creamy yellow tubular flowers that are born in large loose clusters throughout the warmer months of the year or nearly year round where winters are mild. Excellent for Hummingbirds! Plant it with the red for a colorful show. 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 is listed as a Texas A&M Outstanding Coastal Plant. Item # 752.

A rare or uncommon color form of the common Red Shrimp Plant, the Yellow Queen Shrimp Plant produces a continuous display of upright to arching spikes composed of large showy light yellow to chartreuse colored bracts from which the individual white tubular flowers emerge in spring and summer to year round under warm tropical conditions. It displays the same habit and exceptional flower power of its maroon-red bracted cousin making a beautiful display as a container plant specimen and in mixed container gardens as well as in the garden and landscape. The common Shrimp Plant, Justicia brandegeeana, is a heat loving, naturally evergreen, bushy, tropical plant with dark olive green foliage and grows to about 24" high by about 18" wide. It is both full sun and bright shade tolerant but tends to have the densest branching habit where it receives at least 4 hours or more of direct sunlight. Provide an average to well-drained, moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Attracts hummingbirds and the occasional larger butterfly and is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Caterpillar host: Cuban Crescent, Texan Crescent, White Peacock, and Malachite. Item# 1170

Yellow iris-like 2" flowers with brown markings are borne on tall stems practically all year where protected from frost. As a garden plant in areas where winters are cold, like zone 9, the foliage can freeze back at temperatures below about 28^oF. The upright sword-like medium green foliage grows to 24-30" high. As the 'walking' portion of the name implies, the Yellow Walking Iris produces young plantlets on the spent flowering stems and once they are large and heavy enough the supporting stem will be pulled to the ground where the young plantlets can root into the soil and grow. Makes an easy and low maintenance container plant for the porch or patio. Item# 758

Tall spikes of bright yellow pea-like blossoms are held above the gray-green foliage. Baptisia's are durable pest and disease resistant native taprooted perennials and could be considered the Lupine for the south. An excellent addition to the perennial border or cut-flower garden that is drought tolerant, deer resistant, durable, and easy. Item# 9813.

2" wide medium pink flowers are held on sturdy stems just above the arching rich green straplike foliage. Zephyranthes zeyheri is a rare species of rainlily that begins flowering in early spring. There seems to be very little information available about this plant. Multiple plants per pot. Item# 10935