Hardy hibiscus delivers dinner-plate blooms in climates where tropical hibiscus cannot survive outdoors. Unlike tropical cousins that need warm winters, hardy types die back to the ground each fall and regrow from the roots in late spring, so they behave as perennials in USDA zones 4 through 9. Gardeners get the dramatic flowers without moving […]
Staghorn ferns (Platycerium bifurcatum) are epiphytes that grow without soil, pulling moisture and nutrients from rain, air, and the organic debris that collects behind their fronds. In their native Asia and Australia, they cling to tree trunks and rock faces, and indoors they make dramatic wall displays when mounted on boards or grown in wire
Bee balm (Monarda) is a North American perennial that earns its keep in any garden. Its whorled blooms come in red, pink, purple, and white, it draws bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and the aromatic foliage has a long history in tea and cooking. The plant belongs to the mint family, which explains both its vigor
Ivy is one of the most adaptable plants in the landscape, working as ground cover, a climbing vine, or a container houseplant depending on the type you choose. True ivies belong to the Hedera genus, but the common name also covers look-alikes such as Boston ivy and Virginia creeper from the Parthenocissus group. Some types
The smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria) is a deciduous shrub that earns a permanent spot in residential and commercial landscapes with two signature features: airy plumes of pink-purple flowers that read as smoke from a distance, and, in cultivars such as Royal Purple, foliage so deep it anchors an entire planting bed. Property owners and landscape
Forsythias are deciduous shrubs known for bright yellow flowers that signal the arrival of early spring. The plants belong to the olive family and can vary in size from a few feet to 10 feet tall, making them versatile for borders, privacy hedges, and erosion control. Their upright, arching form delivers a burst of color
Celosia, a member of the amaranth family, is known for vibrant and diverse blooms, including the well-loved cockscomb species with ruffled heads that resemble coral. Plume types send up feathery spikes in red, orange, yellow, pink, and magenta. These annuals flourish in warm climates, showing color from midsummer to the first frost. Because celosia completes
Acid-loving plants flourish in soil with a pH below 6.5, and the group includes some of the most colorful performers in the landscape. Azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, blueberries, and hollies all prefer this low-pH range, and so do dozens of perennials and ground covers. Neutral soil typically measures between 6.5 and 7.3, which means many yards
Dahlias bloom from midsummer until the first frost and come in an enormous range of colors, patterns, and sizes, from small pompons to dinner-plate blooms a foot across. They are perennials in warm climates and are treated as annuals everywhere the ground freezes, because the tuberous roots cannot survive winter in cold soil. The same
White mushrooms that appear in a lawn overnight can look alarming, especially after a rainy stretch. In most cases they are harmless, and they often signal that the soil below the grass is alive and working. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi whose main body, the mycelium, spreads through the soil. The same conditions
