Perennials - All

Spikes of deep red upward facing funnel-shaped flowers are produced non-stop from mid to late spring to fall atop the rich glossy deep green foliage attracting hummingbirds, occasional butterflies, and long-tongued bees. San Antonio Red Hummingbird Bush, a selection of Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii, is a small decidous native shrub from South Texas with excellent flower power. This easy and reliable heirloom has an upright to spreading busny habit rarely exceeding 3-4' in height (3'x3' is fairly typical in our zone 8B gardens) and it revels in the heat and sun of summer and is undaunted by the high humidity and high rainfall of the southeastern US. In the northernmost portion of its hardiness range, zones 7A-8A, the Hummingbird Bush may freeze back to near groundlevel in the hardest winters but readily returns to flowering by mid to late spring. Provide a full sun to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Small and tough enough for container culture but it also makes a low-maintenance addition the garden and landscape. Caterpillar host: Crimson Patch Item# 10034

From dark colored spikes and calyxes emerge vivid hot fuchsia colored two-lipped tubular flowers that are produced throughout the growing season on a mound forming, heat and sunloving perennial. San Carlos Festival Littleleaf Sage, a Yucca Do selection of Salvia microphylla from the mountains of Tamaulipas, Mexico, has proven to be a top garden performer with excellent season long flower power and reliable cold hardiness. The brightly colored, nectar rich flowers are sure to draw hummingbirds as well as bees and the occassional butterfly. Provide this tough perennial Salvia with a well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture, although, fully established plants are somewhat drought resistant the plants will flower best where they have at least some moisture available during the growing season. In areas that experience hard freezes plant this Salvia out between early spring to midsummer to ensure winter survival. Item# 12477

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

A dwarf form of the popular Mexican Sage bush that grows to only 2'H. Santa Barbara Dwarf Purple Mexican Sage is a durable drought tolerant perennial that puts on amazing show of velvety purple flower spikes beginning in late summer (just in time for the Hummingbirds) and lasting until frost. Item# 9094

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

Dense spikes of golden yellow flowers cover the upper 2/3's of this plant for an extended period beginning in mid to late summer and continuing into fall. Seaside Goldenrod is a clump forming native perennial common in coastal areas whose nectar rich flowers provide a much needed food source to fall migrating Monarch butterflies along with other butterflies, bees, and many garden beneficials. Deep green smooth foliage adorns the stems. This is a salt tolerant species that is more compact in poor and salt laden soils but in rich garden soil it is known to reach 6-8' high. Pinching out the growing tips in late spring will help to create a fuller more compact plant. Provide a full to mostly sunny location but it is otherwise adaptable to a wide variety of soil types from wet clay to sand. Item# 11627

An easy groundcovering perennial, Selfheal produces dense spikes of contrasting coppery tinged green bracts from which row after row of white tubular flowers with a purple 'hood' emerge. It begins flowering in early to mid spring lasting for several weeks providing nectar to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. This member of the mint family is easy to establish and requires little care once established in the garden. Use Selfheal as a groundcover, on roadsides, as a component of the meadow, prairie and other naturalistic settings. Selfheal can be used to good effect spilling over walls or even in containers if you feel you need to contain it. Deer, rabbit, and pest resistant. Mainly a winter and spring growing perennial that moves into dormancy after seeds set in summer. Item# 11176

Large balloon-like buds open to purplish-blue star-shaped cup-like flowers. A longtime favorite in the perennial garden, Sentimental Blue Balloon Flower is a selection that boasts a compact habit and plenty of flower power that starts in early summer and can last into fall. An easy to grow perennial that may reseed under good conditions. Provide a moist but well-drained soil with a half a day or more of sun. Balloon Flowers are easy and long flowering clump forming tuberous rooted perennials that seem to just get better with age and require little care. Item# 10549

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

Forget those brittle old fall mums that need pinching and special treatment! Deep indigo, dense, fully double flowers are produced over an extended period in late summer and fall atop neat compact naturally rounded plants with deep green foliage. Forget about the throw away garden mums for fall, find an aster instead! Showmakers® Blue Bayou Dwarf New York Aster or Michaelmas Daisy, a selection of Aster novi-belgii or now Symphyotrichum novi-belgii, is a dense dwarf, hardy, clump-forming, native herbaceous perennial that develops into a neat rounded mass of flowers and foliage to about 12" high and wide with no pinching required. These were developed with container culture in mind but are sure to make statement in the garden or landscape as well. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in an average moist, average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Midday shade may be desirable in hot summer climates. Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady. Images courtesy of Syngenta Flowers, all rights reserved. Item# 13165

Vibrant yellow and red flowers are borne from Spring to frost on an upright to spreading perennial. Raise Monarch Butterflies in your own backyard! The Monarchs migrate through our area just as the Asclepias begin to awaken in spring, just in time for the females to lay their eggs on the new growth. Caterpillar host: Queen and Monarch. Item # 3078.

Solid yellow blooms are borne from spring to fall on this vigorous and fast growing upright perennial. Raise Monarch Butterflies in your own backyard! The Monarchs migrate through our area just as the Asclepias begin to awaken in spring, just in time for the females to lay their eggs on the new growth. Caterpillar host: Queen and Monarch. item # 643.

Silver Mound Lantana is a low growing, mounding lantana that produces an abundance of soft yellow flowers that mature to white and are borne from spring to fall attracting a variety of other smaller pollinators as well as butterflies. An old favorite with the vigor and flower power of the ever popular New Gold as it spends its energy on flower production instead of seed production. An excellent low maintenance groundcover or for the front of the garden or landscape. Item# 10896.

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

2-3" long, light bluish purple, slightly flaring tubular flowers are produced in large hanging clusters designed for hummingbird pollination. Sky King is a reliably free flowering selection on a vigorous growing upright to spreading, naturally evergreen tropical shrub. This miniature cousin of the Angel's Trumpet is easily enjoyed as a container plant where not hardy. Provide good drainage and fertile, average moist soil in partial to filtered sun for the best results. Iochroma, Tubeflower, or Mini Angel's Trumpets flower on new growth so keep them growing and healthy for and endless display. Item# 790

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

This low growing, mat forming perennial covers up in 1/2" wide white daisies with yellow eyes in late summer and fall attracting bees and smaller pollinators. Snow Flurry White Heath Aster, a selection ofSymphyotrichum ericoides , is a 4-8" high, sprawling, groundcovering selection of this normally 3' high native perennial with dark green narrow heath or juniper like foliage. This species is found most commonly throughout much of the central US as well as into the northeastern and northwestern regions. Provide this easy perennial with a full to mostly sunny site and well-drained, semi-dry soils. 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# 12246