***Description for this perennial available with future update!***
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***
Hardy Hibiscus are US native plants that feature very large single petal flowers sometimes as large as a dinner plate. Colors include white, pink, red, magenta, purple with many different combinations. Foliage can range from green to reddish to dark purplish black. Hardy hibiscus breeding to produce improved cultivars has come a long way in the last 10 or 20 years. Hibiscus emerge later than most other perennials, needing the ground to heat up before growing in May. Hibiscus tolerate a wide range of soil conditions including clay and wetness but prefer rich garden soil. Drought is tolerated with established plants although flowering will be reduced. Generally, the 40 inches of rainfall in Eastern Kansas is sufficient. Full sun is best for optimal foliage coloring, growth habit, and flowers. When used in a landscape, hibiscus brings a tropical feel when flowering and are noticeable from very far away. Combine with hardy bananas (musa basjoo) and other contrasting flowers. Groupings of hibiscus are very effective around water gardens, rain gardens, backyard fences, pollinator gardens, and roadside areas where you only have a second to look when driving by. Modern hibiscus cultivars do not set seed and do not need to be deadheaded like old varieties; the result is continuous blooming from July till September. Cool autumn nights below 50 degrees F initiate beautiful fall foliage colors ranging from red and purple to fiery orange. Maintenance is pretty easy: just cut down dead stocks to the ground at some point in fall or winter. A yearly time-release fertilizer is appreciated from most heavily flowering plants. There are some occasional foliage pests for hibiscuses including leaf miners, grasshoppers, and Japanese beetles but these can be treated. If not treated, it generally won't kill the plant, especially if the plant is otherwise healthy and in good growing conditions. Summerific® 'Cranberry Crush' Rose Mallow is a naturally compact selection that works well in large containers. Large 7-8", deep scarlet red flowers are produced all over the dense, rounded clump of deep green, leathery, maple-like leaves. Since it is an indeterminate bloomer, the flowers are produced at the nodes all up the flowering stems rather than just at the top like some other cultivars. All Proven Winners® plants are legally propagated, healthy and vigorous, true to name, and tagged with color pictures and growing information.
Hardy Hibiscus are US native plants that feature very large single petal flowers sometimes as large as a dinner plate. Colors include white, pink, red, magenta, purple with many different combinations. Foliage can range from green to reddish to dark purplish black. Hardy hibiscus breeding to produce improved cultivars has come a long way in the last 10 or 20 years. Hibiscus emerge later than most other perennials, needing the ground to heat up before growing in May. Hibiscus tolerate a wide range of soil conditions including clay and wetness but prefer rich garden soil. Drought is tolerated with established plants although flowering will be reduced. Generally, the 40 inches of rainfall in Eastern Kansas is sufficient. Full sun is best for optimal foliage coloring, growth habit, and flowers. When used in a landscape, hibiscus brings a tropical feel when flowering and are noticeable from very far away. Combine with hardy bananas (musa basjoo) and other contrasting flowers. Groupings of hibiscus are very effective around water gardens, rain gardens, backyard fences, pollinator gardens, and roadside areas where you only have a second to look when driving by. Modern hibiscus cultivars do not set seed and do not need to be deadheaded like old varieties; the result is continuous blooming from July till September. Cool autumn nights below 50 degrees F initiate beautiful fall foliage colors ranging from red and purple to fiery orange. Maintenance is pretty easy: just cut down dead stocks to the ground at some point in fall or winter. A yearly time-release fertilizer is appreciated from most heavily flowering plants. There are some occasional foliage pests for hibiscuses including leaf miners, grasshoppers, and Japanese beetles but these can be treated. If not treated, it generally won't kill the plant, especially if the plant is otherwise healthy and in good growing conditions. Hibiscus 'Dark Mystery' is a Walters Gardens Inc. introduction. Incredibly dark, wine purple foliage contrasts beautiful with the large 8-9" white flowers. Each flower has a cherry red eye and dark pink veining. Heart-shaped leaves cover the round habit.
Hosta by far is the most popular and well-known shade plant in the United States. Many thousands of cultivars exist from original species native to China, Japan, and other forested areas in Asia. Hosta foliage arrises from a clump-forming root system and is often large and dramatic with many types of variegation. Flowers, born on tall stocks ranging in shades of white and purple, are equally attractive. Hostas grow best in rich, well-drained soils in full to partial shade. In Eastern Kansas with our average 40 inches of average rainfall, plants are drought tolerant if established in moisture-retentive high-quality soil. Dry-shade areas are best avoided. Afternoon sun with temperatures over 95 degrees F but likely burn the tips of hosta foliage rendering them unattractive for the rest of the year. There is no secondary growth by late summer after flowering and after buds have been set for next year. In northern parts of the country, hostas can handle full sun. In the Southern part of their range further South than zone 7, hosta can really struggle through the long summer heat unless conditions are perfect. Rabbits, deer, slugs, and snails can be a problem generally on small or un-established plants. Large-leaf robust varieties seem to outgrow browsing predators better than small dainty varieties. Methods of control are effective ranging from cages to deer repellents. Generally, a large established planting of hostas will be there for decades gradually getting thicker and denser without a need to divide. Many plantings have been in our display garden for 15-20 years with no weeds ever trying to grow in the shade of the foliage. Hosta foliage is susceptible to late spring freezes so try to cover if possible. During the Easter freeze of April, 2007, thousands of hosta were killed to the ground in eastern Kansas but all returned successfully by May from secondary buds. Hosta's newly unfurling foliage is considered edible when cooked like asparagus or eaten raw in salads.
***Description for this plant available with future update!***>>>>> Spring Meadows nursery says "As the name suggests, Incrediball Storm Proof smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) tackles the most common complaint people have with the genus: while other smooth hydrangeas flop, this incredibly stout and sturdy stemmed beauty holds its blooms upright during—and even after—heavy summer downpours. Though its blooms aren’t quite as gigantic as the original Incrediball®, they are so numerous and large in proportion to this compact variety that it absolutely lives up to the expectations associated with this now household name. It's a robust, vigorous, heavy bloomer with a rounder, denser habit than other smooth hydrangeas."
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) is a native shrub found along creeks and streams in the eastern United States. Foliage consists of a simple leaf, medium to light green, and usually glossy. White cascading flowers cover the plants in spring for about a month with pollinators flocking to the occasion. Fall color is outstanding shades of red and purple. Leaves cling to the stem and are very persistent down to about 10-15°F often finally dropping in December. Stems during the winter take on an attractive reddish-brown and green coloring. Sweetspire is truly a four-season shrub! In the landscape, combine with native plants, hardy tropicals, or summer flowering plants. These plants can tolerate saturated soils and are perfect for rain gardens or any other rich soil garden areas. North exposures are fine in zone 6 but not any further north as winter kill becomes a problem in zone 5. Water is usually the limiting factor in southern climates zone 7-9. Sweetspire is highly sensitive to iron chlorosis so avoid alkaline soils. In our eastern Kansas climate, we avoid afternoon sun and dry soils. Full shade is tolerated but not dry shade. Fall color will be reduced or nonexistent in full shade. Morning sun is best for avoiding leaf burn but still allowing fall coloring. Overall, this is a great garden plant when sited in the right conditions. Itea virginica 'Merlot' features more mounded, compact stature and more persistant burgundy fall color making it an improvement over older varieties such as the old favorite 'Henry's Garnet'. Flowers are scented!
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***
***Shrub descriptions available with future update!***Dream Catcher Beautybush, is also known as Kolkwitzia amabilis 'Dream Catcher'
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** >>>>> Blooms later (late summer to fall) than most other Liatris species. This species is distinguished from other Liatris species by its rough appearance and rounded individual flower clusters. Good winter drainage is important.
Kintzley’s Ghost Honeysuckle (Lonicera reticulata 'Kintzley’s Ghost') is a wild-looking plant is actually native to North America. Each season, it begins like any other honeysuckle, with typical dusty green leaves. As the season progresses, flower buds pop out like saucers. These rounded bracts look a lot like eucalyptus, but the flowers at the center feed native pollinators like hummingbirds! They turn into red berries in the fall, but won’t become a nuisance like other honeysuckles. Due to its size and interesting seasonal changes, it makes an incredible specimen.Top reasons to grow Kintzley’s Ghost honeysuckle. 1. A noninvasive native honeysuckle. 2. Interesting foliage, flower, and berry progression. 3.Tough landscape performance. We look forward to testing this variety in our zone 6 Lawrence, KS display garden... evaluation available with future update!
***Tree descriptions available with future update!***
***Description for this plant available with future update!***
Yellow Flowering Magnolia (Magnolia x brooklynensis 'Yellow Bird') is a rare jewel in the landscape: a tree with giant canary yellow flowers! Yellow Bird is an upright, conical to pyramidal, large deciduous tree that can grow 40 feet tall in Kansas. This magnolia would be a fine residential specimen in sheltered locations with moist, rich soil with plenty of space to spread. 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.
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Eastern Beebalm / Monarda, is also known as Monarda bradburiana. >>>>> Monarda bradburiana is often considered a superior beebalm for the garden. Attributes include its mildew resistance, short stocky stature, earlier bloom time and less aggressive spreading than other Monardas. Monarda fistulosa has similar appearance and culture and could be substituted in some situations if a longer blooming time is desired but with higher incidence of powdery mildew if air circulation is poor.
***Shrub descriptions available with future update!***Morella cerifera, also known as Hardy Southern Wax Myrtle is a new evergreen addition to our Lawrence, KS zone 6 display garden. Very salt tolerant for areas near roads where salting is frequent in winter. ***Description for this plant available with future update!***
Create a tropical effect in your landscape with these large fast-growing cold hardy Musa basjoo! (also called Japanese fiber banana) Each leaf can be 6 feet long and 2 feet wide. Leave in ground and mulch 6" thick and they will return as perennials every year. If planting on the south side of a house in full sun, little protection is needed. These have proven hardy in Lawrence, KS (zone 6a) for over 20 years. 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 summer wet areas in full sun or around swimming pools (creates no messes). Plants are capable of growing 15-18 feet by the end of summer when established and happy! A more realistic height is 7-12 feet under average conditions. Banana trees will slowly divide and send up offsets; this is a desirable sign that the banana tree is establishing well. If 1-2 feet of trunk is protected with a large pile of leaf mulch, you will get a flower followed by small inedible bananas the 2nd year on the largest trunk. The flowering trunk will die but the offsets will grow. 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 6 or 7, with proper mulching and placement near a foundation, you can easily grow this into zone 5 or possibly lower. In our trial gardens in Lawrence, KS (zone 6a), two well established specimens have thrived for 15 years and counting. 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 straight hours of 0 degrees F and mostly lower. A hard ground freeze was inevitable; hundreds of plants around town survived this event returning a little late the following spring but otherwise just fine. Some were mulched with ground up leaf mulch, some were not.
Nepeta (Catmint) Is one of the most adaptable, permanent perennials available in our climate and in your landscape! Definitely a "once it's their plant if there forever". Originally native to the Caucasus, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, there are numerous cultivars now with improved flowering and growth habit. Generally, the mint green foliage is fine textured and compact. Spring emergence in Kansas zone 6a is very early (usually in March) and will tolerate late freezes. This creates very early season interest in the garden while other plants are still dormant. Usually within a month of emerging, lavender-blue flowers cover the plant for up to six weeks. Pollinators enjoy the feast especially when catmint is used as a mass planting groundcover. Following spring flowering, many varieties develop attractive foliage and continual sporadic flowering. Some varieties have another big flower show in the fall especially if they are trimmed back and deadheaded once in late summer. Foliage is persistent and remains attractive late into the fall down to about 20° F providing late-season interest. Winter dried foliage is a somewhat attractive light gray and will eventually need to be cut or mowed to the ground before new growth emerges in the spring. Catmint is tolerant of almost any kind of soil including clay but will not tolerate poorly drained soil. Frequent watering is OK in normal garden soils but there is a risk of excessive growth and flopping. Catmint looks best in full sun but will still flower and look decent with part shade or 1/2 day full sun. This makes it adaptable to any side of the house even called northside if it gets full sun by mid-summer when the sun angle gets high. Cold hardiness or heat stress is not a problem at all in zone 6. Combine with just about any other perennial or shrub with a different flower and leaf color. It's hard to imagine a perennial or pollinator garden in Kansas without Catmint! Contrary to popular belief, cats do not destroy or eat this plant but may be attracted to it and create a nest beside it. They are really after catnip, a closely related plant. Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' is a long blooming perennial that's perfect in small areas of the landscape. Indigo blue flowers are produced all the way from the soil to the tips, providing an intense splash of color when it's in bloom. Rosy purple calyxes extend the color when the blooms are past peak. All Proven Winners® plants are legally propagated, healthy and vigorous, true to name, and tagged with color pictures and growing information.
Nepeta (Catmint) Is one of the most adaptable, permanent perennials available in our climate and in your landscape! Definitely a "once it's their plant if there forever". Originally native to the Caucasus, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, there are numerous cultivars now with improved flowering and growth habit. Generally, the mint green foliage is fine textured and compact. Spring emergence in Kansas zone 6a is very early (usually in March) and will tolerate late freezes. This creates very early season interest in the garden while other plants are still dormant. Usually within a month of emerging, lavender-blue flowers cover the plant for up to six weeks. Pollinators enjoy the feast especially when catmint is used as a mass planting groundcover. Following spring flowering, many varieties develop attractive foliage and continual sporadic flowering. Some varieties have another big flower show in the fall especially if they are trimmed back and deadheaded once in late summer. Foliage is persistent and remains attractive late into the fall down to about 20° F providing late-season interest. Winter dried foliage is a somewhat attractive light gray and will eventually need to be cut or mowed to the ground before new growth emerges in the spring. Catmint is tolerant of almost any kind of soil including clay but will not tolerate poorly drained soil. Frequent watering is OK in normal garden soils but there is a risk of excessive growth and flopping. Catmint looks best in full sun but will still flower and look decent with part shade or 1/2 day full sun. This makes it adaptable to any side of the house even called northside if it gets full sun by mid-summer when the sun angle gets high. Cold hardiness or heat stress is not a problem at all in zone 6. Combine with just about any other perennial or shrub with a different flower and leaf color. It's hard to imagine a perennial or pollinator garden in Kansas without Catmint! Contrary to popular belief, cats do not destroy or eat this plant but may be attracted to it and create a nest beside it. They are really after catnip, a closely related plant.
Nepeta (Catmint) Is one of the most adaptable, permanent perennials available in our climate and in your landscape! Definitely a "once it's their plant if there forever". Originally native to the Caucasus, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, there are numerous cultivars now with improved flowering and growth habit. Generally, the mint green foliage is fine textured and compact. Spring emergence in Kansas zone 6a is very early (usually in March) and will tolerate late freezes. This creates very early season interest in the garden while other plants are still dormant. Usually within a month of emerging, lavender-blue flowers cover the plant for up to six weeks. Pollinators enjoy the feast especially when catmint is used as a mass planting groundcover. Following spring flowering, many varieties develop attractive foliage and continual sporadic flowering. Some varieties have another big flower show in the fall especially if they are trimmed back and deadheaded once in late summer. Foliage is persistent and remains attractive late into the fall down to about 20° F providing late-season interest. Winter dried foliage is a somewhat attractive light gray and will eventually need to be cut or mowed to the ground before new growth emerges in the spring. Catmint is tolerant of almost any kind of soil including clay but will not tolerate poorly drained soil. Frequent watering is OK in normal garden soils but there is a risk of excessive growth and flopping. Catmint looks best in full sun but will still flower and look decent with part shade or 1/2 day full sun. This makes it adaptable to any side of the house even called northside if it gets full sun by mid-summer when the sun angle gets high. Cold hardiness or heat stress is not a problem at all in zone 6. Combine with just about any other perennial or shrub with a different flower and leaf color. It's hard to imagine a perennial or pollinator garden in Kansas without Catmint! Contrary to popular belief, cats do not destroy or eat this plant but may be attracted to it and create a nest beside it. They are really after catnip, a closely related plant. Nepeta x faassenii 'Cats Pajamas' in a new variety from Proven Winners® Unlike older varieties that only produce flowers at the top of the stems, this improved Catmint has blooms from the soil to the tips of the stems. Even when the flowers are past peak, the color of the rosy purple calyxes give your garden an additional splash of color. Compared to "Cats Meow", its flowers are the same but overall plant height is about 1/2-2/3rds. Plus, it stands strong with no flopping, getting wider and growing to a broad mound as the season progresses. All Proven Winners® plants are legally propagated, healthy and vigorous, true to name, and tagged with color pictures and growing information. PERENNIAL OF THE YEAR in 2021!
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Foxglove Beardtongue / Native Penstemon, is also known as Penstemon digitalis. >>>>>
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Dakota Burgundy Penstemon, is also known as Penstemon digitalis 'Dakota Burgundy'
Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is a perfectly well-adapted plant from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia. It is the perfect match to hot Kansas summers, cold winters, rocky alkaline soils, and drought. Fine-textured foliage is upright and shrub-like consisting of a mint green to blush green color. Lavender to bluish flowers emerging in mid-summer are extremely long-lasting. In fall, Russian sage foliage dies back with the first hard freeze and becomes a whitish-gray color adding awesome winter interest. Imagine this combined with ornamental grasses or bright winter-colored plants like Color Guard Yucca. The only maintenance is cutting the plant back to you about 6 to 8 inches in the spring. New buds emerge from the root system and lower parts of the woody growth. New cultivars of Russian sage do not spread by rhizomes like the species. Russian sage thrives in dry well-drained soils with plenty of full sun and air circulation. They are suitable for hot west or south exposures, berms, parking lot islands, hell strips along roads, and other inhospitable locations. They tolerate poor soil including rock, sand, clay, and alkalinity. They do not tolerate poor drainage and will be floppy even in part shade. Russian sage flowers are highly attractive to honeybees. There are several improved cultivars with improved blooming, improved growth habit, and elimination of spreading. "Tough as steel! A new seed introduction by PanAm Seed with a sturdy, controlled habit in the landscape. 'Blue Steel' combines the best summer-blooming lavender-blue colour with outstanding late-season garden performance and has aromatic, silvery foliage carrying clouds of small blue flowers on strong silver stems that do not break or split easily. It is very hardy and Heat/drought tolerant." - PanAm Seed
Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is a perfectly well-adapted plant from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia. It is the perfect match to hot Kansas summers, cold winters, rocky alkaline soils, and drought. Fine-textured foliage is upright and shrub-like consisting of a mint green to blush green color. Lavender to bluish flowers emerging in mid-summer are extremely long-lasting. In fall, Russian sage foliage dies back with the first hard freeze and becomes a whitish-gray color adding awesome winter interest. Imagine this combined with ornamental grasses or bright winter-colored plants like Color Guard Yucca. The only maintenance is cutting the plant back to you about 6 to 8 inches in the spring. New buds emerge from the root system and lower parts of the woody growth. New cultivars of Russian sage do not spread by rhizomes like the species. Russian sage thrives in dry well-drained soils with plenty of full sun and air circulation. They are suitable for hot west or south exposures, berms, parking lot islands, hell strips along roads, and other inhospitable locations. They tolerate poor soil including rock, sand, clay, and alkalinity. They do not tolerate poor drainage and will be floppy even in part shade. Russian sage flowers are highly attractive to honeybees. There are several improved cultivars with improved blooming, improved growth habit, and elimination of spreading. Here's a Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Rocketman') that doesn't get too tall, has stronger stems and a more upright habit than most. Its aromatic, grey-green leaves are entirely like those of 'Little Spire', clinging to the silvery stems. Each stem is topped with large, fluffy textured, lavender blue flowers beginning in midsummer. Like most Perovskias, the colorful calyxes remain on the stems long after the flowers are spent, making it look like it is still blooming long after it is actually done. You'll have great color on this plant from about July through October in the Midwest. A perfect perennial for hot, dry climates and also exceptionally cold hardy. Perovskia can be used in a wide variety of environments with little attention through the season - a reason they have long been a staple of landscapers. Expect these plants to be a little later to emerge in spring, but also to offer color well into fall. Rocketman Russian Sage is a Walters Gardens Inc. introduction.
***Description for this plant available with future update!***Staghorn / Elkhorn Fern (Tropical), is also known as Platycerium bifurcatum
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Chinese Mayappple >>>>> ***Description for this perennial available with future update!***
They say life is just a bowl of cherries...and Easy As Pie bush cherry (Prunus x) will give you bowls and bowls of fresh fruit every summer without any spraying or fussy pruning. This is an easy-going, easy-growing bush cherry that takes up just a fraction of the space as a cherry tree but produces abundant crops of very juicy, very tart cherries. It also has none of the disease issues that plague cherry trees, making it an easy choice for any sunny spot in a landscape or garden. Plant one as a standalone, as no pollinator is needed, or imagine an edible hedge with enough fruit for cooking, baking, and canning. White flowers in spring and vivid yellow and orange fall foliage keep it interesting all season long. All Proven Winners® plants are legally propagated, healthy and vigorous, true to name, and tagged with color pictures and growing information.
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** Mexican Hat, is also known as Ratibida columnifera
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Grey-headed Coneflower, is also known as Ratibida pinnata
***Shrub descriptions available with future update!***Fine Line Columnar Buckthorn, is also known as Rhamnus frangula 'Fine Line'
Gro-low sumac (Rhus aromatica 'Lacette') is a dwarf spreading cultivar of Rhus aromatica native to much of the central United States including Kansas. It differs from "Gro-low' with its fine textured leaves. It features bright foliage that turn brilliant red in the fall. Light yellow flowers and occasional red berries are also ornamental features. This sumac 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. However, fall color is quite a bit reduced in full shade. 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. It is important to keep on the dry side to discourage root rot disease. This plant also does well in hot dry parking lot islands or along busy roads. Plants adapt well to hot south or west sides of the house enduring temperatures of over 100 degrees F with no foliage burn. 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. Unlike other sumac, 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 most versatile and best plants for solving your most difficult landscape challenges.
Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) is a giant annual grown for its large star shaped leaves and highly ornamental summer flowers and spiky seed pods. Being one of the fastest growing plants, it will germinate from a seed and can reach 5 feet tall in one month. Ultimate height at the end of the season is usually 8 to 12 feet. Growth rate, however, is directly proportional to available water and soil quality. In poor dry soil areas, a height of 3 feet may be achieved with some flowering by fall. In the landscape, this amazing annual can be used for lots of coverage is needed quick. Maintenance is considered medium. Staking by mid-summer may be necessary to prevent plants from blowing over. All dead foliage should be removed right before or promptly after the first fall freeze. At that time, seeds can be clipped off and immediately planted if you would like castor beans to return next spring. Seeds may also be harvested and stored and will not survive winter outside unless planted or covered by a deep layer of mulch. If planting seed in the spring, wait till soil warms up in early May. Seeds germinate quickly and extremely easily with almost no effort. Castor Bean plants do not easily overwinter indoors as a house plant due to their need for tropical growing conditions and high humidity. Another word of caution is that castor bean seeds are extremely toxic. However there is almost never any poisonings because the seed tastes so bad if chewed that anyone in their right mind would spit it out. Seeds that are swallowed whole usually survive the digestive system and not cause poisoning. The plant itself is not very toxic so there is no reason not to grow it. If you are concerned about the beans, or you have small children, just cut off and dispose of the flowers after they bloom and before seeds ripen. You'll have plenty of time (1-2 months) before the bright red spiky seed pods open and turn brown. Purple Castor Bean (Ricinus communis 'New Zealand Purple') features bright purple foliage and dark red seed pods.
Spice up your landscape! Oso Easy® Paprika rose is a landscape classic - and now, it has a modern update. Meet Oso Easy Hot Paprika® - like its namesake, it flowers from early summer through frost on a versatile, low-growing plant. It also shares its outstanding hardiness and disease resistance. Its flowers, however, light up the garden in an electric glowing orange for a bold new look. Available in better garden centers in spring 2018. In Lawrence Kansas, performance has been impressive and low maintenance. Currently, no serious pest problems exist but we are careful not to recommend planting roses in large mass groupings in case a pest or disease like Rose Rosette Virus (RRV) becomes a problem. Mixed small plantings of roses and non-host plants may slow the spread of RRV in landscape plantings. As with most roses, thorns may be an issue with children or pets. Usually rose thorns are short and don't cause any serious injury: it creates more of a life lesson about respecting and being careful around the dangers in our world. All Proven Winners® plants are legally propagated, healthy and vigorous, true to name, and tagged with color pictures and growing information.
Imagine your garden with non-stop pink roses! Oso Easy® Double Pink rose is simply an unstoppable bloomer. In our many years evaluating it, it was rarely without its fully petaled, true pink blooms - it just wants to flower and flower and flower. All roses that we consider must prove to be resistant to common rose maladies like powdery mildew and black spot and Oso Easy Double Pink passed that test with flying colors! If you want to enjoy months of flowers with minimal effort, this rose deserves a spot in your landscape. In Lawrence Kansas, performance has been impressive and low maintenance. Currently, no serious pest problems exist but we are careful not to recommend planting roses in large mass groupings in case a pest or disease like Rose Rosette Virus (RRV) becomes a problem. Mixed small plantings of roses and non-host plants may slow the spread of RRV in landscape plantings. As with most roses, thorns may be an issue with children or pets. Usually rose thorns are short and don't cause any serious injury: it creates more of a life lesson about respecting and being careful around the dangers in our world. All Proven Winners® plants are legally propagated, healthy and vigorous, true to name, and tagged with color pictures and growing information.
Rosemary is one of the most well-known herbal and edible plants. It features grayish green aromatic and evergreen foliage with small white flowers. Blooming is usually short-lived and not a main reason to grow Rosemary. This plant is native to Mediterranean climates with average moisture in the summer and dry, mild winters. Because of its heritage, it resents cold wet winters and needs well-drained sandy, silty, or rocky soil. In the short term, it will typically grow in any soil during the summer making it very useful even as an annual. In Kansas landscapes, it is commonly used as an annual or short-lived perennial with winter kill (below 0 to -10 degrees F) being it's number one enemy. It does not have very good ability to come back from the lower portion of the stem or root system like other perennials after winter-kill. Root rot is also likely when placed in poor draining soil and sometimes even in rich garden soil. Summer heat not a problem; to have a chance of survival as a perennial, plant in a protected area on a South or West wall. Rosemary is actually a woody shrub in mild zone 8 and 9 climates and grown like a in perennial in zone 6/7. When grown as a perennial, every so often you do need to trim it back to a few inches off the ground. Rosemary combines nicely with any other flowers or where needing a perennial with evergreen winter color. In Kansas, Rosemary is commonly grown as an outdoor patio plant that you move in for the winter to enjoy fresh clippings. When grown that way, remember that Rosemary is cold hardy to about 0 degrees F so you can skip the first few freezes before moving it in if you forget. This delay is probably beneficial because if you keep it in the house too long especially with poor light it will display poor quality elongated growth and die. Keep in a bright window and do not let it dry out completely. Strangely enough being from a desert climate, rosemary doesn't really warn you by wilting, if the soil gets extremely dry for too long, it just suddenly dries up and dies. Despite all of these pointers, rosemary is very easy to overwinter in the house when placing back out in the following spring. 'Arp' is exceptionally cold hardy; possibly the most cold hardy rosemary being a treu perennial in zone 6 with dark blue hummingbird feeding flowers.
Blackberry (Rubus sp.) is an "easy to grow" edible fruit that is worth growing in Kansas. Store-bought blackberries are expensive and don't taste as good as garden grown fruits. All cultivars of blackberries have perennial roots, but most top shoots only live for two years. (meaning shoots grow in the first growing season and fruits grow on those shoots during the second growing season) The cycle is repeated; maintenance involves removing old canes after decline or death. Raspberries are vigorous and can be locally invasive in the garden but rarely invasive in the wild. They propagate by basal shoots (also known as suckers) spreading some distance from the main plant. After establishment, it is high maintenance if it has already filled the space and you don't want it to spread any further so plan accordingly. In the landscape, raspberry and blackberry mix well into garden designs with ornamental plants as long as you create it's own area (like a background fence to train plants on) The main difference between raspberry and blackberry are that the fruit releases from the raspberry differently. The "torus" or inside center of the fruit is hollow and releases from the stem with raspberry. With Blackberry, the "torus" or center "picks with" the fruit giving a solid fruit to eat. (just in case you have always wondered) Our supplier, Spring Meadows Nursery has this to say about this new PROVEN WINNERS plant: Taste of Heaven blackberry (Rubus 'Ponca') is the sweetest, most flavorful blackberry on the market - and now you can grow it at home. We know, that's a tall claim, but you don't need to take our word for it: this article in the journal HortScience confirms it. And we know because we tasted literally hundreds of different blackberry varieties before deciding this would be the one to make it on to further testing. Taste of Heaven is a vigorous, thornless blackberry that produces large, luscious fruits over several weeks in summer. It's a floricane variety, fruiting only on second-year canes, and does not strictly require trellising or support, though in the garden, it is easier to care for and harvest with something in place.
***Description for this plant available with future update!*** >>>> Good variety for customers with irrigation systems that water too much for other Black-eye Susan varieties.
***Description for this plant available with future update!***
***Description for this grass available with future update!***Hardy Pampas Grass / Plume Grass, is also known as Saccharum / Erianthus ravennae
***Description for this plant available with future update!***
***Description for this plant available with future update!***
Extra wide blue-green speckled leaves from this Whale Fin Sansevieria (Sansevieria / Dracaena masoniana) make an excellent architectural statement. Most Sansevieria are native to are native to rocky, dry habitats in tropical Africa but used as a patio or house plant in Kansas. Grow in full sun to part sun with optional extra watering including that which comes from rainfall. Plants with plenty of time to acclimate will thrive in full sun but be careful not to rush it or sunburning will occur. Generally if moving outside for the summer, allow 2-3 weeks of part shade or morning sun before placing in full sun. Or just keep in part shade or under an overhang. Repotting may or may not be needed depending on how large you want the plant to grow; plants can continue to grow and tolerate extremely root-bound pots but may need wind bracing. Some species root systems will build up enough pressure and will simply break the pot as a friendly reminder when it's time to re-pot! Protect from temperatures below 45 degrees F and move into a bright window over the winter with no watering. Do not allow Sansevieria to freeze or even get close to freezing especially if soil is wet or death may occur. As a winter house plant, it will look presentable all winter long with just a few monthly or no waterings if you forget. As a permanent house plant, provide bright light and allow the soil to dry between waterings for many years of carefree enjoyment. Potted plants are very low maintenance needing only old leaves trimmed once per year. Whale Fin Sansevieria is one of the more slow-growing and most sought-after snake plants often grown as a specimen house plant. Largest leaves of all sansevierias! Whale Fin is rare and will command a higher price than most other houseplants.
Himalayan Sweet Box (Sarcococca hookeriana) is planted for its evergreen dark green foliage and white flowers. Foliage maintains well all year provided that certain cultural conditions are met. Native to shaded mountain areas in forests, valleys or along streams in the Himalayas, it needs moist soil rich in organic matter avoiding too much clay. It is somewhat drought tolerant once established. If low temperatures hit -5 to -10 degrees F, foliage finally dies back to the ground and re-emerges in early spring. Generally this plant can decline after a few years of Kansas climate but is worth a try in perfect soils in well-tended shade gardens. If low temperatures hit -10 degrees F, it may kill an un-mulched plant; protect any zone 6 plant with thick layer of mulch. Lack of moisture and competition with weeds seem to be an issue but it survives just fine. Growth is extremely slow. This is one of the most deep shade tolerant plants available.
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a prominent prairie grass usually found in the short to medium grass prairies of Kansas and most common in the midwest and Great Plains. It also occurs sporadically throughout most of the United States in open areas where trees cannot grow. The spring and summer foliage is mint green to blue green. Depending on the variety, they gradually turn a reddish purple color in late summer progressing to deeper reddish purple, red, or orange by fall. At this time when the seed heads have extended, it is at its prettiest. As cold weather sets in and freezes occur, dried foliage turns a pinkish orange with tan and red shades again depending on the variety. Winter color is persistent and lasts until spring cut back in March. Little bluestem is very tolerant of different soils but prefers dry, sandy, loam, or clay soils with plenty of full sun. If planted in rich soil or given too much water, plants tend to grow too tall and flop by late summer. However, there are now improved cultivars that resist flopping. Good air circulation and some wind is needed to avoid rust diseases in humid areas. Sometimes if planted too shallow or if mulched too thickly, plants can heave and die in the winter. In the landscape, little bluestem looks best when planted in medium to large groups giving the look of a miniature prairie. It also combines very well with many other plants that have different textures and colors. Generally if given the proper placement and growing conditions, little bluestem will last indefinitely. Little bluestem as one of the four major grasses (along with Big bluestem, Indiangrass, and Switchgrass) covering millions of acres and Kansas including the Flint Hills. Where and when conditions are safe, it can be burned in late winter or early spring in a prairie or meadow before new growth appears. Many cultivars have been released improving foliage color and flop resistance. Standing Ovation Little Bluestem Grass (Schizachyrium scoparium 'Standing Ovation') is characterized by its wide leaf blades and its blue foliage with red tips throughout the growing season that change to red and maroon in fall with rich purple coloring at the base. It is upright and has a rigid habit that is retained without lodging when plants are grown in rich soils or during container production. Standing Ovation is a North Creek Nurseries Inc. introduction from Pennsylvania.
***Description for this perennial available with future update!*** NEEDS EDIT>>>>>> Sedum Prima Angelina has a denser, more compact habit and more vivid golden color than Angelina. According to Plant Delights nursery, "Sedum rupestre 'Prima Angelina' is a superb new improvement of the wildly popular, Sedum 'Angelina'. This compact, better-branched, brighter colored sport was discovered by Ohio's Jared Hughes. Sedum 'Prima Angelina' has thrived in our hot, humid summers. We particularly like that this new gem remains bright gold in cold weather, where its' parent takes on an orange cast in winter. So far, no flowers have been observed on the sport."
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Native White Sedum, is also known as Sedum ternatum
Purple Heart (Setcreasea / Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart') is the most versatile plant in out library: it can be an annual, perennial, patio plant, house plant, or hanging basket in wet or dry soil in full shade or full sun. It can handle growing in standing water or bone dry. In dry soils, it shows no drought stress, continuing to grow with a deeper purple shade. In moist soils, this plant will grow rapidly. In shade, the foliage becomes more greenish but still looks attractive. In Kansas, it is usually grown as an annual. Brilliant purple leaves contrast small pink flowers in the summer! Plants will quickly fill an annual bed with bright purple color all summer til first hard freeze. In the ground, it is possible to overwinter these in the ground in Kansas by placing a 6-8" mound of mulch over deeply planted rhizomes. Not sure what's easier, buying and moving that much mulch or replanting in spring?: you decide. If growing as a potted plant and trying to overwinter, allowing the foliage to frost is ok, it will not kill the root system. However, do not allow the pot with rootball to freeze solid or go below 20 degrees for more than a few hours. Allow to go dormant as needed with little care, just cut off dead foliage and place back out in April or May with a time-release fertilizer. Many plants will die back slowly and remain attractive inside for most of the winter. Purple heart plants have no insect, disease or animal pests. Botanical name has recently changed from Setcreasea to Tradescantia. A variegated form is also available. This plant survived in our Lawrence, KS display garden down to -16 degrees F and a week of single digit highs in February, 2021 with mulch.
***Description for this perennial available with future update!***Spigelia / Indian Pink, is also known as Spigelia marilandica