Beach Morning Glory / Railroad Vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae) is the most rapidly growing annual in out library capable of growing 30-50' in one summer! (100-200' in native coastal dune habitats) It can fill a large annual planting bed with bright green foliage after 1 month when planted in May and taking advantage of early summer rains, heat and humidity. It is also great cascading down retaining walls or large pots! Deep root system will grow in pure sand or typical garden soil provided that regular moisture is available. In Eastern Kansas, typically our 40 inches of rainfall is sufficient without extra water in good soils. The magenta flowers are 2-3" across and absolutely beautiful and will get noticed; blooms sporadically in early summer but covered by late summer and early fall in Kansas. Who would have thought that a coastal sand dune stabilization plant would thrive or even grow at all in Kansas? It has been trialed here as a hanging basket plant, cascading wall plant, and mass groundcover in annual beds. If growing as a potted plant and trying to overwinter, it is very difficult as these plants do not like low humidity or low light; best to replace each year.
Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia) is a beautiful summer flowering shrub that dies down to the ground as a perennial each year in Zone 6 Kansas. Flower colors include bright red, pink, magenta, purple, and white. Many cultivars have been released improving foliage color, disease resistance, and flower blooming length. Newer cultivars now have maroon or reddish foliage adding interest before blooming. Beautiful fall color is often overlooked; shades of red, orange, and purple develop when Night temperatures reach into the 40s. In Kansas, crape myrtles grow best with hot south or west exposures or on south facing berms or hillsides. But they are suitable in any garden location as long as they are in full sun, they will build enough energy to come back from complete winter top-kill each year. Generally are 40 inches of rain per year is sufficient without extra watering, but if drought conditions occur, flowering will be reduced or shortened. Brief periods of excessive water and saturated soils are tolerated adding to their versatility. Many people from the south associate Crapemyrtles as a tree. That is true that in Texas and much of the Southeast, beautiful tree forms with exfoliating bark will occur because of mild winters. In Oklahoma and Arkansas for example crapemyrtles are usually grown as large shrubs experiencing major winterkill every 5-10 years. In Kansas and Missouri, or where temperatures regularly get to 0°, all top growth will die back and they will be grown as a woody perennial. After flowering and beautiful fall color is dropped, many people leave crapemyrtles throughout the winter to enjoy the winter interest of the dried seed heads. By March or April, cut plants close to the ground and watch for new growth. Flowering occurs on new wood and is much larger and more dramatic on sprouts from the ground. Flowers are often twice as big when grown this way. In the past, only fast-growing tree size cultivars for appropriate and Kansas because they have the ability to recover the fastest from complete winterkill and grow into a flowering-sized shrub by July. Now there are dwarf cultivars that are wood-hardy to -10 zone 6 for those not wanting to worry about winterkill. No disease or pest problems. Crapemyrtle are awesome for pollinators in the late season garden and especially effective when combined with vitex, butterfly bush, and/or caryopteris. Lagerstroemia 'Center Stage Coral' is a new Proven Winners® release. This 3-5' shrub features deep black foliage and pink flowers with yellow stamens; it truly will command center stage in your landscape. Note that this cultivar is wood hardy down to zone 6b. All Proven Winners® plants are legally propagated, healthy and vigorous, true to name, and tagged with color pictures and growing information.
Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia) is a beautiful summer flowering shrub that dies down to the ground as a perennial each year in Zone 6 Kansas. Flower colors include bright red, pink, magenta, purple, and white. Many cultivars have been released improving foliage color, disease resistance, and flower blooming length. Newer cultivars now have maroon or reddish foliage adding interest before blooming. Beautiful fall color is often overlooked; shades of red, orange, and purple develop when Night temperatures reach into the 40s. In Kansas, crape myrtles grow best with hot south or west exposures or on south facing berms or hillsides. But they are suitable in any garden location as long as they are in full sun, they will build enough energy to come back from complete winter top-kill each year. Generally are 40 inches of rain per year is sufficient without extra watering, but if drought conditions occur, flowering will be reduced or shortened. Brief periods of excessive water and saturated soils are tolerated adding to their versatility. Many people from the south associate Crapemyrtles as a tree. That is true that in Texas and much of the Southeast, beautiful tree forms with exfoliating bark will occur because of mild winters. In Oklahoma and Arkansas for example crapemyrtles are usually grown as large shrubs experiencing major winterkill every 5-10 years. In Kansas and Missouri, or where temperatures regularly get to 0°F, all top growth will die back and they will be grown as a woody perennial. After flowering and beautiful fall color is dropped, many people leave crapemyrtles throughout the winter to enjoy the winter interest of the dried seed heads. By March or April, cut plants close to the ground and watch for new growth. Flowering occurs on new wood and is much larger and more dramatic on sprouts from the ground. Flowers are often twice as big when grown this way. In the past, only fast-growing tree size cultivars for appropriate and Kansas because they have the ability to recover the fastest from complete winterkill and grow into a flowering-sized shrub by July. Now there are dwarf cultivars that are wood-hardy to -10 zone 6 for those not wanting to worry about winterkill. No disease or pest problems. Crapemyrtle are awesome for pollinators in the late season garden and especially effective when combined with vitex, butterfly bush, and/or caryopteris. Lagerstroemia 'Dark Roast' is a Walters Gardens, Inc. selection and part of its BARISTA® Collection. It features dark foliage with leaves having red undertones, especially near the tips of the stems. In late summer to early fall, bright fuchsia pink flowers are produced over the fully rounded, compact habit. This is a dwarf selection growing 18-30" tall and wood hardy to about zone 6b. (estimated)
***Shrub descriptions available with future update!***Gibraltar Bush Clover, is also known as Lespedeza thunbergii 'Gibraltar'
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Stargazer Garden Lily, is also known as Lilium 'Stargazer'
Jane Magenta Flowering Magnolia (Magnolia 'Jane'), noted for its compact, upright habit, grows best in organically rich, medium-moisture soil that's neutral to slightly acidic. Reddish purple flowers with white interiors open later in spring to avoid frost damage. Flowers do seem to tolerate light freezes down to 28 degrees that have occured here at our Lawrence, KS display garden without damage. Flowers are a gorgeous tulip shape with a lightly scented fragrance. Leaves are medium to dark green turning a beautiful gold in the fall. Jane magnolia makes a great understory small tree, specimen plant, or background shrub slowly growing 10'-15' high. Grows best in full morning sun and partially shaded afternoons in hot climates. Avoid hot West or South exposures and winds. Magnolias in general are a family of plants that have been around for millions of years and are among the most primitive of all flowers. In fact, most magnolia flowers evolved before bees and are thus pollinated by beetles. Magnolias generally grow in moist, well drained soils in sun or shade. They have no serious pests or disease problems. Occasionally seen listed as Magnolia liliflora 'Reflorescens' x stellate 'Waterlily'
***Description for this plant available with future update!*** Magnolia x 'Felix' is also known as Felix Magnolia / Magenta-Pink Flowering Magnolia.
***Description for this plant available with future update!*** Magnolia x 'Genie' is also known as Genie Magnolia / Magenta Flowering Magnolia.
***Description for this plant available with future update!*** Magnolia x 'Vulcan' is also known as Vulcan Magnolia / Red-Magenta Flowering Magnolia.
***Description for this plant available with future update!*** Melocactus azureus is also known as Blue Turk's Cap Cactus (Tropical)>>>>> Cacti are known for their spines, unusual shapes and beautiful flowers. Both succulents and cacti store water in their fleshy tissues. And can survive long periods without water. Cacti and succulents are usually grown as a deck/patio plant or house plant in Kansas. Grow in full sun with little to no extra watering except that which comes from rainfall. Generally, plants may be brought out in Late May through Early October in our zone 6a Lawrence, KS climate. To play is safe, potted plants are best moved in before autumn leaves begin to drop and before night temperatures get below 45 degrees F. It is very important to avoid the combination of wet and cold. Move to a bright interior window over the winter with little to no watering and keep above 50 degrees F. As a winter house plant, it will look presentable all winter long with little to no waterings. As a permanent house plant, provide bright light and allow the soil to dry completely between waterings and you will get many years of carefree enjoyment. Plants grown permanently indoors may eventually begin to elongate stretching for light and lose their spine color. It can be hard to reproduce the intense UV sunlight they need when growing indoors so moving outside for the summer is best. Generally if moving outside for the summer, allow 1-2 weeks of part shade or morning sun before placing in full sun. Plants with time to acclimate will thrive in full sun but be careful not to rush it or sunburning may occur. Repotting may or may not be needed depending on how large you want the plant to grow; plants can continue to grow taller and tolerate extremely root-bound pots but may need wind bracing. If repotting, make sure to use a sharp draining low organic cactus mix with plenty of sand and perlite but avoid peat moss. The “soil” most commercial cacti are potted in to too peaty and light weight. This soil becomes hydrophobic and shrinks after becoming bone dry and difficult to re wet again. Cacti never grow in peat-based soils in nature; this “Soil” is only good for shipping because of the light weight. Potted plants are very low maintenance but watch for scale and mealybugs that may hide beneath the cover of spines. The best pest removal approach is to periodically wash the cactus off. Achieve this with a water nozzle or hose breaker turned mostly off to increase the pressure from the blast of water. This high-pressured water kills the pests without damaging the thick cactus skin. Here are some little-known or rare factoids about cacti: 1. The "spines" are actually modified leaves filled with sap at first, then quickly drying out to form the spines! 2. Many cacti have bright colored flowers that mainly attract bees, while some tubular flowering types attract hummingbirds and bats. 3. Late on the evolutionary timeline, cacti fossils are rare to non-existent. Cacti are native almost exclusively to the Americas, while succulents can include a much larger plant palette be from any dry area in the world. 4. Some cactus plants have been known to survive more than 2 years without water. 5. Some cacti first evolved in a dry climate that later became wetter again. For example: several jungle species live as epiphytes in trees to achieve the fast drainage they need.
Wild Perennial Four O'Clock (Mirabilis multiflora) is a beautiful mound-forming native wildflower found from Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and West to California. Flowers, born over a long period, are bright pink with a magenta center. Foliage is an attractive mint green to grey-green with hints of pink on new growth. This tap-rooted herbaceous perennial can grow up to 2 feet tall and 6 feet across but completely dies back in the fall and does not root as it spreads. A mature plant can have hundreds of flowers blooming at the same time! Flowers last only 1 day but more will follow tthe next day. Self-seeding is rare in our Kansas display garden. Typical landscape uses in Kansas are as follows: annual plantings, parking lot islands, hot West and South exposures, south facing berms, and xeriscape gardens. It will thrive in most soils but not poor drainage. Having desert heritage, it resents poor drainage and winter moisture. To counteract that in Kansas, plant in full sun on berm or south-facing wall with poor sandy or rocky soil with no irrigation. It would be very useful as a vine-like perennial cascading over the top of a retaining wall! Amazing that a perennial native to areas receiving 4-10" of rain per year can grow in a climate receiving 4-10 times more rain!
Create a tropical effect in your landscape with fast-growing cold hardy Pink Velvet Hardy Banana (Musa veluntina)! Leave in ground and mulch 6-9" thick and they will return as perennials every year. In Eastern Kansas, typically our 40 inches of rainfall is sufficient without extra water in good soils. This species will tolerate some degree of drought but fastest growth will occur in rich well-drained soils with extra water and fertilizer provided during the summer. Great for wet areas in full sun or around swimming pools (creates no messes). Plants are typically grow 5-8 feet by the end of summer and flower in only 6-8 months! Gorgeous pink and red flowers are followed by inedible pink fruits! Banana trees will slowly divide and send up offsets; this is a desirable sign that the banana tree is establishing well. The flowering trunk will die but many new offsets will take its place. Bananas will not tolerate excessively wet soils during dormancy. Sunburning can happen with summer temperatures over 100 degrees F but it will quickly outgrow the damage. Bananas need at least 1/2 day of full sun and protection from excessive winds to properly grow. Listed by many sources as hardy to zone 7, with proper mulching and placement near a foundation, you can easily grow this in zone 6. An large established grove exists at OSU Botanical Gardens in Stillwater, OK. This grove has proven hardy with no mulch (only frozen back top growth) and lows down to -14 degrees F on Feb 16th, 2021. The longevity of this cold blast was also impressive: 12 days on a row with highs below 32 degrees F, 7 nights of lows in the single digits and negatives and 48-60 hours of 5 degrees F and mostly lower. A hard ground freeze was inevitable with no rhizome or lower stem damage.
Create a tropical effect in your landscape with fast-growing cold hardy Pink Velvet Hardy Banana (Musa veluntina)! Leave in ground and mulch 6-9" thick and they will return as perennials every year. In Eastern Kansas, typically our 40 inches of rainfall is sufficient without extra water in good soils. This species will tolerate some degree of drought but fastest growth will occur in rich well-drained soils with extra water and fertilizer provided during the summer. Great for wet areas in full sun or around swimming pools (creates no messes). Plants are typically grow 5-8 feet by the end of summer and flower in only 6-8 months! Gorgeous pink and red flowers are followed by inedible pink fruits! Banana trees will slowly divide and send up offsets; this is a desirable sign that the banana tree is establishing well. The flowering trunk will die but many new offsets will take its place. Bananas will not tolerate excessively wet soils during dormancy. Sunburning can happen with summer temperatures over 100 degrees F but it will quickly outgrow the damage. Bananas need at least 1/2 day of full sun and protection from excessive winds to properly grow. Listed by many sources as hardy to zone 7, with proper mulching and placement near a foundation, you can easily grow this in zone 6. An large established grove exists at OSU Botanical Gardens in Stillwater, OK. This grove has proven hardy with no mulch (only frozen back top growth) and lows down to -14 degrees F on Feb 16th, 2021. The longevity of this cold blast was also impressive: 12 days on a row with highs below 32 degrees F, 7 nights of lows in the single digits and negatives and 48-60 hours of 5 degrees F and mostly lower. A hard ground freeze was inevitable with no rhizome or lower stem damage.
***Description for this water plant available with future update!***>>>>>Maggie Belle Slocum Pink Water Lotus, is also known as Nelumbo 'Maggie Belle Slocum'
***Description for this water plant available with future update!***>>>>>Attraction Red Water Lily, is also known as Nymphaea 'Attraction'
***Description for this plant available with future update!*** Opuntia basilaris is also known as Beaver Tail Cactus (Cold Hardy) >>>>>> With extremely well drained soils and proper siting, this cactus seems to take our excess rainfall in Eastern Kansas. These and other hardy barrel cacti are perfect for a dry mounded xeriscape gardens under south facing roof overhangs where it gets no winter moisture. We are also testing this outside in our Lawrence, KS (zone 6a) crevice garden among other cold-hardy cacti, succulents, and yucca! Watch for future updates-Jan-2025
***Description for this plant available with future update!*** Opuntia ficus-indica is also known as Indian Fig Opuntia / Nopales / Tunas (Tropical).
Eastern Prickly Pear Cacti (Opuntia humifusa) have attractive green pads, brilliant yellow flowers in June, and pinkish maroon edible fruits afterward that last into winter. They are native to eastern woods of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and much of the Southeast United States. This cold hardy succulent occupies an unusual niche: growing in poor shallow sandstone based soils in open woods and on sunny rock cliffs that dry out too quickly for most other plants to colonize. Pads are sometimes carried off by animals and take root elsewhere. Grow this small native gem in rock gardens, dry shade areas, in parking lot medians, in cracks between rocks, or on top of or in a retaining wall. This species will grow in full sun or full shade! Although not picky about soils, just ensure that drainage is good. If grown in exterior pots and kept on the dry side, you may leave out all winter allowing to freeze solid; plants will go completely dormant and resume growth in the spring. Although these prickly pear do not have spines, they do have glochids. (painful bristles that come off and irritate the skin for a few days) Great low maintenance cold hardy and very versatile succulent.
Eastern Prickly Pear Cacti (Opuntia humifusa) have attractive green pads, brilliant yellow flowers in June, and pinkish maroon edible fruits afterward that last into winter. They are native to eastern woods of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and much of the Southeast United States. This cold hardy succulent occupies an unusual niche: growing in poor shallow sandstone based soils in open woods and on sunny rock cliffs that dry out too quickly for most other plants to colonize. Pads are sometimes carried off by animals and take root elsewhere. Grow this small native gem in rock gardens, dry shade areas, in parking lot medians, in cracks between rocks, or on top of or in a retaining wall. This species will grow in full sun or full shade! Although not picky about soils, just ensure that drainage is good. If grown in exterior pots and kept on the dry side, you may leave out all winter allowing to freeze solid; plants will go completely dormant and resume growth in the spring. Although these prickly pear do not have spines, they do have glochids. (painful bristles that come off and irritate the skin for a few days) Great low maintenance cold hardy and very versatile succulent.
Plains Prickly Pear Cacti (Opuntia macrorhiza) have attractive green pads, brilliant yellow flowers in June, and pinkish maroon edible fruits afterward that last into winter. They are native to much of the Great Plains from Texas to Minnesota. Pads are sometimes carried off by animals and take root elsewhere. Grow this small native gem in rock gardens, dry shade areas, in parking lot medians, in cracks between rocks, or on top of or in a retaining wall. Although not picky about soils, just ensure that drainage is good. If grown in exterior pots and kept on the dry side, you may leave out all winter allowing to freeze solid; plants will go completely dormant and resume growth in the spring. Although these prickly pear have spines and glochids. (painful bristles that come off and irritate the skin for a few days) so be careful around children and pets. Great low maintenance cold hardy and very versatile plant!
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** Origanum 'Amethyst Falls' is also known as Amethyst Falls Ornamental Oregano.
Peonies (Paeonia), along with roses are one of the most universally well-known flowers. The toughness and durability of this plant can be seen in cemeteries or around abandoned houses, surviving decades even 100 years or more without care. Peonies are native to China in cold continental climate areas but also do well in Kansas. Large flowers come in different shades of white, red, and pink. Peonies bloom usually around Memorial Day hence their popularity and cemeteries. Blooming lasts about 2 weeks but can be short-lived if a thunderstorm happens during the last week of blooming when petals are fully open. In zone 6 and south, the foliage is glossy green and attractive throughout the first half of summer. Usually, by late summer, foliage is tattered from drought stress and diseases. This has no ill effect on the health of the plant as it is already set its growth buds for next year. In northern areas (USDA zones 3-5), Peony foliage lasts all summer and turns a brilliant red and orange color in the fall. Due to its need for cold winters, peonies will not grow well further south than zone 8b. Gardeners in south Florida have had success getting peonies to bloom by dumping a bag of ice on the dormant plant every day for 5-6 weeks in winter: sounds like a lot of work huh! Due to its cold tolerance, peonies may be grown in above-ground pots or raised planters year-round. When planting outside, be careful to plant at the correct depth with pink buds slightly below the soil or plants will not bloom. Overall, peonies are a very reliable long-lived plant in Kansas surviving everything. But they do require some maintenance to look their best. Ultra cold-hardy plants from northern climates normally dislike our long hot humid summers; although we are on the Southern edge of this plant's adaptability, it still survives reasonably well here. Look for a cold microclimate planting location such as East or North exposure. Paeonia lactiflora 'Kansas' features double flowering magenta-carmine-red blooms are displayed on the bold, erect stems.
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Red Creeping Phlox, is also known as Phlox subulata 'Red Wing'
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Vivid Purple Obedient Plant, is also known as Physostegia virginiana 'Vivid'
***Shrub descriptions available with future update!*** Ribes odoratum is also known as Golden Currant / Gooseberry.
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** Salvia darcyi x microphylla 'Windwalker Royal Red' is also known as Windwalker Royal Red Autumn Sage >>>>>>>>>>>>Red sage is a wonderful heavily flowering perennial found in Texas and higher election Mexico. Foliage is evergreen to about 0°, Beyond that, it becomes a deciduous perennial hardy to about -15 before complete death would occur. During years in which the foliage remains evergreen, and blooms on old word covering the plants during the month of April. If dieback occurs, blooms will still be dramatic but will be delayed until May on new growth. If Diback does not occur naturally, it is recommended to cut back anyways every 2 to 3 years to maintain bushiness. During the summer, foliage maintains very well with heat and drought with sporadic blooming. Another flush of heavy flowering occurs in fall and continues until hard freezes sometimes into November in our Lawrence Kansas zone6 climate. In the landscape, Red Sage is best on a hot south or west side of a house, on a south side of a berm, or any sunny garden area with some North wind protection. The flower power is so great that it would even be worth using red sage as a short-lived perennial or annual though. Growth in containers is amazing when used as an annual. As with any zone6 perennials, be sure to mulch 2 to 3 inches deep to guard against temperatures below -10F. Red sage needs well drained soils on the dry side but summer irrigation is OK. There is quite a bit of variability within the salvia Greggy species with lots of different colors and heights ranging from 1 to 4 feet. This is a true butterfly magnet; I have seen hundreds of yellow sulfur butterflies visiting at the same time as shown in one of our pictures.
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** Salvia greggii 'Furmans Red' is also known as Furmans Red Autumn Sage >>>>>>>>>>>>In Lawrence, KS (zone 6a), many dozen established specimens survived -17 degrees F. During the arctic blast of February, 2021, lows down to -17 degrees F on Feb 16th, 2021 were recorded. The longevity of this cold blast was also impressive: 10 days on a row with highs of 10-15 degrees F or lower, 8 nights of lows in the single digits and negatives, and 36 strait hours of 0 degrees F and mostly lower. All survivors had winter sun with South exposures, those without perrished. Repeated or successive cold winters with complete foliage loss seem can be an issue with this and many evergreen zone 6/7 plants. One occasional difficult winter followed by mild winters is more tolerable. This is, however, a very vigorous growing plant so generally will recover in one summer. Avoid North-facing exposures, North sides of a berm, and spots with excessive snow accumulation.
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** Salvia greggii 'Wild Thing' is also known as Wild Thing Magenta Autumn Sage >>>>>>>>>>>>In Eastern Kansas, this cultivar performs WELL with just about everything nature has to challenge it! Extreme heat and drought are tolerated. Cold tolerance is no problem in our zone 6. If winter die-back occurs, cut back in March/April and flowers will occur on new growth this year. No disease or pest problems. Great plant for berms, hot West or South exposures, and most any other garden situations in full sun. Will tolerate clay soils and extra moisture in summer. Combine with caryopteris, crapemyrtle, and butterflybush to create a late season "all you can eat" buffet for pollinators!
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Improved Dragon's Blood Sedum, is also known as Sedum spurium 'Fuldaglut' / 'Fulda Glow'
Dragon Fruit cacti are grown for delicious nutritious fruits. This tropical jungle cactus has a few requirements in order to thrive but nothing too hard. Give them bright indirect light and water only when dry. They are usually grown as a house plant in Kansas but can be moved outside if kept in part shade to shade. Leaves can sunburn but morning or filtered sun is ok! Dragon Fruit, like all true cacti, originates in the Americas. It is a sprawling or vining, terrestrial or epiphytic cactus. They climb trees and walls by use of aerial roots and can reach a height of 30 feet in the wild. Protect from temperatures below 45 degrees F and move into a bright window over the winter with no watering. As a winter house plant, it will look presentable all winter long with just a few waterings. Repotting may or may not be needed depending on how large you want the plant to grow; plants can continue to grow in the same pot for years. If repotting, make sure to use a sharp draining highly organic cactus mix with plenty of sand and perlite. This is relatively uncommon plant never seen at the big box stores and will command a higher price than most other houseplants. Plants are usually grown in hanging baskets and take up alot of space. Fruit may or may not occur in this climate; I have seen flowering but not fruit.
***Shrub descriptions available with future update!***Double Play Candy Corn Spirea, is also known as Spiraea japonica 'Double Play Candy Corn'
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Hummelo Stachys (small), is also known as Stachys monieri / officinalis 'Hummelo'
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Hummelo Stachys (flat), is also known as Stachys monieri / officinalis 'Hummelo'
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Hummelo Stachys (large), is also known as Stachys monieri / officinalis 'Hummelo'
Magical Treasure Snowberry / Coralberry (Symphoricarpos doornsbosii ‘Magical Treasure’) is a spreading dwarf shrub native to much of the northern and central United States. It features mint green leaves that remain attractive all summer. Light pink flowers are barely noticeable but attractive upon close inspection. Ornamental clusters of magenta berries in the fall are the main attraction! The berries are very freeze-hardy clinging onto the leafless stems throughout most of the winter regardless of the minimum temperatures. This creates quite a show providing excellent color and interest to the winter landscape. While edible for some birds including robins, they seem to avoid the fruits unless it's a last resort. Coralberry is commonly grown as a spreading groundcover shrub for difficult areas. It will grow in full sun or full shade in medium to dry soils including dry-shade. It tolerates moist soil and floods for short periods of time. Fall leaf color is non-existent but ok because of the berry display. A brief window of time exists in the fall where the plant has beautiful green foliage and contrasting magenta berries at the same time. In the landscape, it is commonly used as large mass planting on hills. Because of its tolerance for adverse conditions including poor soil and rock, it is often one of the last resort plants that will survive in certain areas. It competes well under large shade trees and helps absorb leaf litter allowing it to break down and add nutrients back to the soil. This plant also does well in full sun; berry density is much greater in full sun. Plants can also be planted on the north side of a house, being extremely cold hardy with no winterkill. Another great spot is planting on top of a retaining wall allowing it to cascade down. We do not recommend planting in small areas or in spaces that it will overrun neighboring plants. It only spreads above ground as horizontally growing stems touch the ground and root. This does make maintenance easier to control the spread of the plant versus digging out rhizomes. Considered one of the best plants for solving your most difficult dry-shade landscape challenges. Magical Treasure Snowberry / Coralberry in a dwarf variety maxing out at 18-24" tall. Berries are larger and more colorful than the species, providing a great source of autumn cut stems for fall arrangements. Full sun will increase ornamental autumn fruit production without as much foliage furn.
Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) is a spreading dwarf shrub native to much of the central and eastern United States including Kansas. It features mint green leaves that remain attractive all summer. Light pink flowers are barely noticeable but attractive upon close inspection. Ornamental clusters of magenta berries in the fall are the main attraction! The berries are very freeze-hardy clinging onto the leafless stems throughout most of the winter regardless of the minimum temperatures. This creates quite a show providing excellent color and interest to the winter landscape. While edible for some birds including robins, they seem to avoid the fruits unless it's a last resort. Coralberry is commonly grown as a spreading groundcover shrub for difficult areas. It will grow in full sun or full shade in medium to dry soils including dry-shade. It tolerates moist soil and floods for short periods of time. Fall leaf color is non-existent but ok because of the berry display. A brief window of time exists in the fall where the plant has beautiful green foliage and contrasting magenta berries at the same time. In the landscape, it is commonly used as large mass planting on hills. Because of its tolerance for adverse conditions including poor soil and rock, it is often one of the last resort plants that will survive in certain areas. It competes well under large shade trees and helps absorb leaf litter allowing it to break down and add nutrients back to the soil. This plant also does well in full sun; berry density is much greater in full sun. Plants can also be planted on the north side of a house, being extremely cold hardy with no winterkill. Another great spot is planting on top of a retaining wall allowing it to cascade down. We do not recommend planting in small areas or in spaces that it will overrun neighboring plants. It only spreads above ground as horizontally growing stems touch the ground and root. This does make maintenance easier to control the spread of the plant versus digging out rhizomes. Considered one of the best plants for solving your most difficult dry-shade landscape challenges.
This tiny perennial wildflower (Talinum / Phemeranthus calycinum) produces ascending stems 2-6" long topped with bright magenta flowers. The cluster of bright green foliage at the base is only a few inches tall and resembles round tubes giving it a succulent look. Blooming occurs in mass, each flower lasting only 1 afternoon, but repeating all summer with available moisture. Fame Flower is native to a large area of the great plains to the eastern woods of Missouri and Arkansas. This cold hardy succulent occupies an unusual niche: growing in extremely shallow sandstone based soils and on sunny rock cliffs that dry out too quickly for most other plants to colonize. A good question is how does it find such isolated areas to colonize in the first place? Grow this small native gem in a rock garden, in cracks between rocks, or on top of or in a retaining wall. It will re-seed to thicken the colony but only germinate in bare thin soils with no mulch. It will not tolerate competition in rich moist soils as other plants will shade it out. If grown in pots and kept on the dry side, you may leave out all winter allowing to freeze solid; plants will either return from dormant stems or reseed in the same pot. Great low maintenance cold hardy succulent. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT CREVICE GARDENING: In nature, some of the most interesting xeric plants grow in tough places such as inhospitable rock outcroppings with almost no soil. We can recreate that specific and exclusive growing environment with a crevice garden. Crevice gardening allows you to grow cold-hardy cacti and succulents that are normally cold hardy to our climate (Lawrence, KS zone 6a) but not normally tolerant of excessive moisture (40"/year), especially in the winter. This technique provides optimal xeriscape growing conditions by limiting the amount of soil and water around the roots and reducing the potential of root rot. Start with a raised mound of fast draining soil mix consisting mostly of decomposed granite, coarse sand, gravel, and a small amount of organic matter. Incorporate vertical rock formations such as flagstone into a raised landscape bed creating narrow 1-2" wide crevices filled with the soil mix. This helps quickly channel rain and snow melt water down more deeply into the soil encouraging deeper root growth while keeping the soil dry around the base of the plant. It is important that the entire mound is well above grade level to avoid drainage problems; crevice gardens typically range from 12"-36" tall. After installing the plants, mulch with a thin layer of pea-gravel or decomposed granite. In our Lawrence Kansas zone 6a winters with occasional polar vortexes or arctic blasts, this technique works well in any hot microclimate such as a south facing side of a berm or under a south or west facing roof overhand of a house or building. Kansas Plant Farm LLC built a trial crevice garden in 2022 and we have now had enough time to evaluate the plants after a true winter cold spell. During the arctic blast of January 2024, low nighttime temperatures got down to -11 degrees F (Jan 10th,2024). The longevity of this cold blast was also impressive: 4 days on a row with single digit highs including 1 day with a daytime negative high(-2F), 4 nights of lows in negatives (-8For lower), and 48 straight hours of 0 degrees F and mostly lower. A light snow cover helped insulate the ground but wind blew off most powdery snow on the foliage exposing the top parts of the plants to some extreme temperatures with surprisingly little damage. In our crevice trial gardens in Lawrence, KS (zone 6a), this variety survived harsh winters for 20 plus years.
This tiny perennial wildflower (Talinum / Phemeranthus calycinum) produces ascending stems 2-6" long topped with bright magenta flowers. The cluster of bright green foliage at the base is only a few inches tall and resembles round tubes giving it a succulent look. Blooming occurs in mass, each flower lasting only 1 afternoon, but repeating all summer with available moisture. Fame Flower is native to a large area of the great plains to the eastern woods of Missouri and Arkansas. This cold hardy succulent occupies an unusual niche: growing in extremely shallow sandstone based soils and on sunny rock cliffs that dry out too quickly for most other plants to colonize. A good question is how does it find such isolated areas to colonize in the first place? Grow this small native gem in a rock garden, in cracks between rocks, or on top of or in a retaining wall. It will re-seed to thicken the colony but only germinate in bare thin soils with no mulch. It will not tolerate competition in rich moist soils as other plants will shade it out. If grown in pots and kept on the dry side, you may leave out all winter allowing to freeze solid; plants will either return from dormant stems or reseed in the same pot. Great low maintenance cold hardy succulent. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT CREVICE GARDENING: In nature, some of the most interesting xeric plants grow in tough places such as inhospitable rock outcroppings with almost no soil. We can recreate that specific and exclusive growing environment with a crevice garden. Crevice gardening allows you to grow cold-hardy cacti and succulents that are normally cold hardy to our climate (Lawrence, KS zone 6a) but not normally tolerant of excessive moisture (40"/year), especially in the winter. This technique provides optimal xeriscape growing conditions by limiting the amount of soil and water around the roots and reducing the potential of root rot. Start with a raised mound of fast draining soil mix consisting mostly of decomposed granite, coarse sand, gravel, and a small amount of organic matter. Incorporate vertical rock formations such as flagstone into a raised landscape bed creating narrow 1-2" wide crevices filled with the soil mix. This helps quickly channel rain and snow melt water down more deeply into the soil encouraging deeper root growth while keeping the soil dry around the base of the plant. It is important that the entire mound is well above grade level to avoid drainage problems; crevice gardens typically range from 12"-36" tall. After installing the plants, mulch with a thin layer of pea-gravel or decomposed granite. In our Lawrence Kansas zone 6a winters with occasional polar vortexes or arctic blasts, this technique works well in any hot microclimate such as a south facing side of a berm or under a south or west facing roof overhand of a house or building. Kansas Plant Farm LLC built a trial crevice garden in 2022 and we have now had enough time to evaluate the plants after a true winter cold spell. During the arctic blast of January 2024, low nighttime temperatures got down to -11 degrees F (Jan 10th,2024). The longevity of this cold blast was also impressive: 4 days on a row with single digit highs including 1 day with a daytime negative high(-2F), 4 nights of lows in negatives (-8For lower), and 48 straight hours of 0 degrees F and mostly lower. A light snow cover helped insulate the ground but wind blew off most powdery snow on the foliage exposing the top parts of the plants to some extreme temperatures with surprisingly little damage. In our crevice trial gardens in Lawrence, KS (zone 6a), this variety survived harsh winters for 20 plus years.
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Red Creeping Thyme, is also known as Thymus serpyllum 'Coccineum'
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** Vernonia baldwinii is also known as Western Ironweed.
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** Vernonia baldwinii is also known as Western Ironweed.
Narrow-leaf Ironweed (Vernonia lettermannii) is a relatively new plant to horticulture; originally discovered in Arkansas along gravel stream beds in the wild. The Iron Butterfly cultivar (Vernonia lettermannii 'Iron Butterfly') is a dwarf compact cultivar introduced by Dr. Allan Armitage at the University of Georgia. This is a true four-seasons perennial that belongs in almost every perennial garden. In the spring, narrow dark green foliage resembling Amsonia hubrichtii creates a compact shrub-like appearance. The growth is so dense that no weeds have a chance of invading a mature stand of plants. By mid to late summer, gorgeous deep purple fine-textured flowers cover the plant for 4-6 weeks. Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators flock to the occasion. Following the bloom, the flower stocks are sturdy and hold up very well for fall and winter interest. The flowers themselves produce mostly non-viable seed and cling to the plant creating a silvery shine whenever sunlight hits it. This can be very useful and dried flower arrangements as well as winter interest gardens. At some point in the winter, all top growth will need to be cut back as this is the only maintenance required. Despite being native to gravel and sand bars along rivers, Iron butterfly Vernonia surprisingly can handle very dry clay, gravelly, or sandy soils along with short periods of flooding. Permanently wet soil is not favored but it can handle the upper portions of a rain garden. Iron butterfly has only one pest problem and that is rabbits! If rabbits are an issue, just put a bowl-shaped chicken wire cage around the plants for the first year. By year #2, the rapidly growing foliage will outgrow any detrimental rabbit browsing. This is definitely one of the most adapted landscape plants in Kansas zone 6a with no problems with heat or cold, dry or wet! It's hard to imagine a perennial garden without this plant!
Narrow-leaf Ironweed (Vernonia lettermannii) is a relatively new plant to horticulture; originally discovered in Arkansas along gravel stream beds in the wild. The Iron Butterfly cultivar (Vernonia lettermannii 'Iron Butterfly') is a dwarf compact cultivar introduced by Dr. Allan Armitage at the University of Georgia. This is a true four-seasons perennial that belongs in almost every perennial garden. In the spring, narrow dark green foliage resembling Amsonia hubrichtii creates a compact shrub-like appearance. The growth is so dense that no weeds have a chance of invading a mature stand of plants. By mid to late summer, gorgeous deep purple fine-textured flowers cover the plant for 4-6 weeks. Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators flock to the occasion. Following the bloom, the flower stocks are sturdy and hold up very well for fall and winter interest. The flowers themselves produce mostly non-viable seed and cling to the plant creating a silvery shine whenever sunlight hits it. This can be very useful and dried flower arrangements as well as winter interest gardens. At some point in the winter, all top growth will need to be cut back as this is the only maintenance required. Despite being native to gravel and sand bars along rivers, Iron butterfly Vernonia surprisingly can handle very dry clay, gravelly, or sandy soils along with short periods of flooding. Permanently wet soil is not favored but it can handle the upper portions of a rain garden. Iron butterfly has only one pest problem and that is rabbits! If rabbits are an issue, just put a bowl-shaped chicken wire cage around the plants for the first year. By year #2, the rapidly growing foliage will outgrow any detrimental rabbit browsing. This is definitely one of the most adapted landscape plants in Kansas zone 6a with no problems with heat or cold, dry or wet! It's hard to imagine a perennial garden without this plant!
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** Vernonia lettermannii 'Summers Swan Song' is also known as Summers Swan Song Narrow-leaf Ironweed >>>>> Narrow-leaf Ironweed (Vernonia lettermannii) is a relatively new plant to horticulture; originally discovered in Arkansas along gravel stream beds in the wild. The Iron Butterfly cultivar (Vernonia lettermannii 'Iron Butterfly') is a dwarf compact cultivar introduced by Dr. Allan Armitage at the University of Georgia. This is a true four-seasons perennial that belongs in almost every perennial garden. In the spring, narrow dark green foliage resembling Amsonia hubrichtii creates a compact shrub-like appearance. The growth is so dense that no weeds have a chance of invading a mature stand of plants. By mid to late summer, gorgeous deep purple fine-textured flowers cover the plant for 4-6 weeks. Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators flock to the occasion. Following the bloom, the flower stocks are sturdy and hold up very well for fall and winter interest. The flowers themselves produce mostly non-viable seed and cling to the plant creating a silvery shine whenever sunlight hits it. This can be very useful and dried flower arrangements as well as winter interest gardens. At some point in the winter, all top growth will need to be cut back as this is the only maintenance required. Despite being native to gravel and sand bars along rivers, Iron butterfly Vernonia surprisingly can handle very dry clay, gravelly, or sandy soils along with short periods of flooding. Permanently wet soil is not favored but it can handle the upper portions of a rain garden. Iron butterfly has only one pest problem and that is rabbits! If rabbits are an issue, just put a bowl-shaped chicken wire cage around the plants for the first year. By year #2, the rapidly growing foliage will outgrow any detrimental rabbit browsing. This is definitely one of the most adapted landscape plants in Kansas zone 6a with no problems with heat or cold, dry or wet! It's hard to imagine a perennial garden without this plant!
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** Vernonia baldwinii is also known as Western Ironweed.