Rose bushes (Rosa spp.) are deciduous shrubs grown for fragrant blossoms in red, pink, apricot, yellow, and white, with forms that stand erect, trail along the ground, or climb walls. They carry a reputation for being finicky, but much of that comes from gardeners chasing perfect show blooms. In practice, roses are tough survivors: plant […]
Silver Mound artemisia is one of the easiest perennials for a hot, sunny border. The cultivar Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’ forms a tidy dome of lacy silver leaves that holds its shape through the season, and it belongs on any list of deer-resistant perennial ground covers for low-maintenance landscaping. Gardeners plant it as edging, as
Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is a fast-growing evergreen shrub that produces clusters of white flowers in spring. Gardeners plant it for privacy because the dense, dark green foliage keeps its color through winter, and the sweet-scented blooms attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The red fruits that follow the flowers turn black when fully mature
Firebush is a bright, fast-growing shrub that brings tropical color to warm-climate gardens. Native to Mexico, south Florida, and Central and South America, it features vibrant green foliage and brilliant orange-red tubular flowers that open in spring and rebloom through autumn. The blooms draw butterflies and hummingbirds, which makes the plant a favorite in pollinator
Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense) is an evergreen shrub prized for delicate, fragrant blooms every spring and foliage that shifts from red to deep green through the year. Native to China, Japan, and the Himalayas, the plant has become a favorite in warm-climate gardens because it delivers color in every season with very little fuss.
Pilea peperomioides, the Chinese money plant, has a reputation as one of the easiest houseplants to multiply. Mature plants push small offshoots, called pups, out of the soil around the base, and stem cuttings root quickly in water or moist mix. The nickname friendship plant comes from this habit, because one healthy specimen produces enough
The American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is a deciduous hardwood shade tree native to eastern North America. It belongs to the Betulaceae, or birch, family and carries several nicknames, including blue beech, muscle beech, water beech, muscletree, musclewood, and ironwood. The muscle names come from the tree’s characteristic fluted trunk and branches, which look like bands
The cup plant, Silphium perfoliatum, is a sunflower relative that turns a wet corner of the yard into a wildlife stop. It grows four to eight feet tall with coarse, rough-textured leaves and clusters of yellow, daisy-like flowers that open from July through September. The common name comes from the leaf pairs, which wrap the
The silver dollar plant, known botanically as Lunaria annua, earns its common name from the flat, papery seed pods that remain after the flowers fade. Those silvery discs, technically called silicles, start green and dry to an off-white membrane with a sheen like a polished coin. Because lunaria is a biennial, it spends its first
The Persian violet, Exacum affine, packs a lot of flower power into a small plant. It grows six to eighteen inches tall and wide, with glossy, oval, dark green leaves and a steady supply of star-shaped blue-violet blooms that carry a light fragrance. Each flower centers on a bright yellow cluster of stamens. In USDA
