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Pelargonium
'Lord Bute'
Perhaps the most lusted after Regal Pelargonium of all! Scrumptious purple-maroon – almost black – 2.5” blooms with bright cerise edging bloom bountifully late spring thru fall. A great LOW MAINTENANCE patio, window-box or container plant. To 12-18” tall and wide. Best in rich, well drained soil. Remove spent blooms and fertilize a couple of times for best show.
Perennial USDA Zones 9-11
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Pelargonium
'Veronica Contreras'
We first discovered this bloomiferous “Pansy Faced Pelargonium” at Strybing Arboretum and had to have it. So very charming, the flowers appear in 2” wide rosy plum purple bordered clusters and almost completely smother the lemon-scented, evergreen leaves. Shockingly EASY to grow – it’s tolerant of low-water, deer, and neglect! The habit can be either shrubby or trailing, depending on how you coach its growth.
Perennial USDA Zones 9-10
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Buddleja
'Grand Cascade'
Sporting possibly the largest flowering panicles of any Butterfly bush, Grand Cascade is simply stunning when in full bloom. Unlike most Buddlejas, this variety has pronounced arching branches, so heavy when in bloom that they nearly touch the ground. Panicles are 12-14” long and a hefty 4” wide, giving hummers and butterflies an endless supply of yummy nectar. Add in the intense fragrance of the light purple flowers and you have quite possibly the showiest flowering shrub you will ever grow! To 6'H x 8'W, it’s fast growing and prefers full sun. Prune in late winter to maintain a symmetrical look. Excellent cut flower.
Perennial USDA Zones 5-11
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Buddleja davidii
'White Profusion'
One of the most prolific “Butterfly Bushes, ‘White Profusion’ explodes into an extravagance of fragrant, clear white panicles up to 12” long from early summer - fall. So simple to grow! Deadhead to keep it blooming like crazy or cut regularly for prized bouquet material. Fast growing to 6-8’ tall by 5-7’ across it’s excellent in a mixed bed or along a pathway where you can enjoy its scent. Tolerant of heat, drought, clay and poor soil but better, of course, in rich loamy soil with regular water. Cut back to 12” tall in early spring. Deer resistant! Butterfly and hummingbird magnet!
Perennial USDA Zones 5-9
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Cuphea
'Blackberry Sparkler'
NEW! This colorful and long, heavy blooming cuphea is a real hummingbird magnet! Featuring cigar-shaped 1.5” flowers that are a pale gold, offset with black tips, this hardy perennial bloomi from early summer well into fall. This small shrub’s mounding habit makes it perfect for spilling over a low wall or for featuring in a hanging basket. Happy in sun or light shade and very drought tolerant. Evergreen in zones 10 and 11.
Perennial USDA Zones 8-11
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Cuphea
'Hummingbird's Lunch'
NEW! This colorful Aussie Cuphea is a tidy 2' tall by 3' wide, that come summer, puts out an endless parade of 1.5” reddish pink, nectar rich flowers that attract scads of hummers, as well as bees and butterflies. This LOW MAINTANANCE shrub can handle a variety of ground soils or is happy in a container, giving you the luxury of locating it for maximum visual effect. Happy in sun or light shade and very drought tolerant once established.
Perennial USDA Zones 8-11
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Photos by Forest Starr
Eriophyllum lanatum
'Siskiyou'
A NEW and rarely seen Western Native perennial, native “Woolly Sunflower” produces hundreds of 2” golden daisies from spring into fall. With its lush gray green wooly foliage, this EASY perennial is a magnet for butterflies and bees, and is a host plant for the painted lady butterfly. Found in dry areas, it grows between 6-10” tall and forms a dense, fragrant mat that can get up to 3 feet wide. It likes good drainage but can grow in clay. Drought tolerant once established.
Perennial USDA Zones 7-10
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Helianthus laetiflorus
'Lemon Queen'
A big, bold, beautiful and EASY PERENNIAL sunflower! Starting in late summer this Midwest native shoots out masses of 2” wide lemon yellow flowers and grows to an impressive 6-8’ tall and 3’ wide. Flowering continues for 6-8 weeks attracting bees, butterflies and hummers. Seeds follow, attracting songbirds. Sun-loving, it’s an excellent backdrop for shorter perennials. Excellent as a cut flower. Grows in almost any soil but performs best in average soil and minimum water. Prune stems to near ground level in Winter to refresh plants.
Perennial USDA Zones 4-10
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Aloysia virgata
"Incense Bush"
One of the loveliest perfumed shrubs you’ll grow! Flowers non-stop from June until first frost with upward-reaching clusters of 6-8” spires encrusted with tiny white flowers that exude an intense vanilla almond scent! Bees and butterflies too are irresistibly drawn to it. Originally from Argentina, this dense, attractive, herbaceous shrub can reach up to 15’ tall and 8’ wide, but can be pruned to any desired height or shape. A sun lover that wants regular moisture and fertile well-drained soil. Pinch off spent flower spires to promote even more blooms. Does surprisingly well in a large container (half wine barrel or larger), but will not reach full size. Can be grown as an annual in colder climates. Deer resistant.
Perennial USDA Zones 8-10
(Annual Elsewhere)
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Thunbergia battiscombei
"Blue Glory Vine"
NEW! Add a touch of the tropics with this colorful vining shrub that hails from East Africa and produces the most amazing purplish-blue, 3” trumpet-shaped flowers! Buds bloom summer thru late fall. Half shrub, half vine, this tender perennial can be pruned to be free standing or let it scramble up a trellis. This beauty makes a great focal point plant. Plant in full sun to light shade in fertile, well-drained soil. No need to deadhead but cut back to 1' in late winter in order to flush out vital new growth.
Perennial USDA Zones 9-11
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Ajuga genevensis
"Carpet Bugle"
We love this hard to find, dependable almost indestructible “Bugleweed” for its larger spikes of flowers & glossy, low, ground-hugging foliage. Spreading to 2’ across, it’s not stoloniferous & therefore NOT INVASIVE so you can use it for smaller areas & alongside pathways. Massive 6-12” tall gentian blue spikes appear all summer long. Wonderful at the edge of a bed & in rock gardens. Appreciates good drainage, plus – it thrives in both sun & bright shade. VERY COLD HARDY!
Perennial USDA Zones 3-10
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