Division of Extension
Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’, Perennial Plant Association Plant of the Year in 2012, features light blue flowers in spring and bright, silvery, crackled-looking foliage. This plant is a great addition to most gardens. Learn more about this special cultivar in this article.
Persian shield is a tender perennial grown as an annual in our climate that has been used since Victorian times for its very attractive ornamental foliage. To learn more about this exotic, but easily grown plant, read this article.
Dendrobium lindleyi is a compact miniature orchid with a big show of golden flowers. Learn more about this exotic yet easy-to-grow plant in this article.
Cycads are an ancient group of plants no longer as numerous as they once were. These cone-bearing plants hail primarily from the tropics, but many are easily grown as container plants. Learn more about cycads in this article.
Pachystachys lutea, Golden shrimp plant, is native to the tropics that can be grown as an annual or houseplant. Upright, bright yellow to orange inflorescences contrast nicely with glossy, dark green foliage. Learn more about growing it this article.
Rosemary is an aromatic culinary and medicinal herb easily grown in containers that can be moved indoors for the winter. To learn more about rosemary, read this article.
Hibiscus schizopetalus is a Hibiscus species that has very different, pendant flowers with elaborately dissected and recurved petals. It is a tender plant that cannot survive our winters but can be grown as a houseplant. To learn more about this species, read this article.
Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) is a low clumping ornamental grass with blue-green foliage. This cool season grass can be used as a specimen or in masses. This article provides more details on growing this attractive grass in the landscape.
Solomon’s seals are woodland plants with arching stems and small hanging attractive but relatively inconspicuous flowers. Learn more about the many plants of genus Polygonatum used as landscape foliage plants in this article.
Lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) are used in Midwestern gardens for their silvery foliage, with the cultivar ‘Big Ears’ having extra-large leaves. Learn more about this big-leafed beauty in this article.
Looking for a fall-bloomer other than mums or asters? The genus Chelone is a native perennial with the common name of turtlehead from the resemblance of the flowers to the shape of a turtle’s head with its mouth partly open. The various species all bloom in late summer to fall, for a spark of pink, red or white flowers on dark green plants. You can learn more about this genus in this article…
With billowy white or purple flowers, sweet alyssum is a good addition to annual flower beds or containers. This low-growing plant native to the Mediterranean makes a good ground cover and the sweetly fragrant flowers are attractive to many beneficial insects. Learn more about sweet alyssum in this article.
