If you want a glamorous and spectacular plant to bring an exotic look to your garden, and sweetly fragrant flowers, try growing kahili ginger. This showy subtropical plant is an attractive foliage plant even when it doesn’t have its terminal spikes of striking yellow and red fragrant flowers. To learn more about Hedychium gardnerianum, read this article…
With bold-textured, silvery blue foliage, honeybush (Melianthus major) makes a spectacular specimen plant in containers or in the border. This South African native is evergreen only in zones 9 and 10, but its rapid growth means it can be used as a seasonal ornamental to provide a lush, exotic look in cooler climates. Learn more about honeybush in this article…
Flowering maples aren’t real maples, but they have palmate leaves that look similar to that tree’s leaves, and much more spectacular flowers than true maples have. Also commonly referred to by just the genus name Abutilon, these tender sub-shrubs can be used as seasonal accent plants or grown indoors to bloom year-round. For more about flowering maples read this article…
Balloon plant is one of many common names for an African milkweed that develops showy, hairy, inflated seed pods that are a real conversation piece. Grown as an annual in our climate, this tender perennial can be a showpiece in the garden or interesting addition to floral arrangements. To learn more about Gomphocarpus physocarpus, read this article…
July brings out the fireworks, but if you’d rather have visual explosions in the garden than pyrotechnics in the sky, consider the annual purple fountain grass cultivar ‘Fireworks’. This ornamental grass offers pink variegated foliage in an arching form that provides great contrast in color and form. Learn more about ‘Fireworks’ grass in this article…
Need to cover a trellis with color for the summer? Black-eyed Susan vine is a good choice if you want lots of showy flowers in the yellow and orange range. Thunbergia alata is actually a tender perennial that grows fast enough to be used as an annual in cooler climates. To learn more about this African native, read this article…
If you want to grow something a little different, with grassy foliage and relatively large flowers, consider pink rain lily. This tender bulb gets its common name from the color of the flowers that burst into bloom after a good rain. Easy to grow in containers, it makes a good summer patio plant or a year-round houseplant. Learn more in this article…
Susan Mahr, UW Horticulture Revised: 5/11/2010 Item number: XHT1163 What are ornamental cabbage and kale? Ornamental cabbage and kale (also known as “flowering” cabbage and kale) are in the same species (Brassica oleracea) as edible cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. While ornamental cabbage and kale are edible, they tend to have a bitter flavor and are […]
Need an airy plant that blooms for a long time but is very low maintenance? Euphorbia Diamond Frost® is a great little plant that requires little care yet continues to flower all season and combines well with almost any other garden plant. Learn more about this tough but dainty looking tender perennial in this article…
If you want a tropical look in your garden, just add elephant ears! Lots of new ornamental cultivars of these tender perennials – that are frequently grown as annuals here in the Midwest – have been developed in recent years. To learn more about this group of plants with large, heart-shaped leaves, read this article…
If you’re looking for a multipurpose plant to cover a trellis or fence, provide some food, and have showy flowers, look no further than scarlet runner bean. Learn more about scarlet runner bean in this article…
Looking for dramatic foliage to make a bold statement in the garden? Consider cardoon, a relative of the artichoke that has large, spiny, blue-green leaves that provides huge contrast with most other garden plants. The purple thistle flowers are just a bonus if you can get it to bloom. Learn more about Cynara cardunculus in this article…
