|
|
Plants Of Merit 2008
Over 50 outstanding and
dependable plants suitable for the St. Louis region.
Annuals
|
| floss flower - - - Annuals |
| Ageratum houstonianum 'Blue Horizon' |
| |
| Floss flower describes the thread-like appearance of the fluffy lavender-blue flowers on this annual that grows to 18-24 inches tall on stems with soft green leaves. Flowers bloom freely from spring to fall. Best growth occurs in rich, consistently moist, well-drained soils. This is a superb annual for beds, borders, edgings, mixed plantings, cutting gardens and containers. Plants may be grown from seed. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| blood flower - - - Annuals |
| Asclepias curassavica |
| |
| This tropical bloodflower is a 2-3 feet tall sub-shrub that is grown as an annual. Showy reddish-orange flowers with yellow hoods bloom in clusters from late spring to early autumn. This is a larval and nectar plant for monarch butterflies. Best growth occurs in full sun with light, evenly moist soils. Container plants may be cut back and brought inside in winter. Deer resistant. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| kale - - - Annuals |
| Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group) 'Redbor' |
| |
| This kale is primarily grown in the cool weather of spring or fall as an ornamental foliage plant. Upright red leaves with curled and frilled edges add intense color and interest to gardens. As fall temperatures drop, the leaf color darkens and intensifies. Plants may be grown from seed. Best performance occurs in rich moist loams in full sun. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| canna - - - Annuals |
| Canna 'Striata' |
| |
| This large tropical canna grows 4-6 feet tall. It thrives in high heat and will serve as an excellent free-flowering annual for sunny garden areas or containers. Large, upright, paddle-shaped, yellow and green striped leaves are magnificent, especially when backlit by sun. Orange flowers bloom in racemes atop purplish stems from summer to early autumn. Rhizomes should be planted in the garden after last spring frost date and lifted in fall after the first frost for overwintering indoors. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| ornamental pepper - - - Annuals |
| Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl' |
| |
| Attractive pearl-like black fruits appear on this ornamental pepper in summer, but the real show begins when those fruits mature to cherry red in sharp contrast with the plant’s superb, season-long, glossy black foliage. Plants typically grow in pyramidal shaped mounds to 18 inches tall and exhibit good tolerance for high heat and humidity. This is an excellent selection for beds, borders or containers. It may be grown from seed. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| plains coreopsis - - - Annuals |
| Coreopsis tinctoria |
| |
| This annual coreopsis brings native flair to home gardens over a long late spring to fall bloom. Solitary, 2-inch wide, daisy-like flowers with yellow rays and reddish-brown centers bloom atop stiff branching stems rising to 2-3 feet tall. Each yellow ray is toothed at the tip and reddish-brown at the base. Plants will self-seed in optimum growing conditions and are excellent when naturalized in native wildflower gardens, meadows or prairies. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| cuphea - - - Annuals |
| Cuphea 'David Verity' |
| |
| Each tubular reddish-orange flower is suggestive of a lit cigar or firecracker. Flowers bloom profusely throughout the growing season on this densely branched sub-shrub to 20-30 inches tall. Best growth is in full sun with consistent moisture. This is a versatile annual for beds, borders, edgings, containers, hanging baskets or as a houseplant. One of the best hummingbird plants. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| dichondra - - - Annuals |
| Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls' |
| |
| Branching silver stems with soft, rounded, fan-shaped, silver leaves spread rapidly on this creeping/trailing foliage plant. In a single season, stems will cascade from a hanging basket to 3-6 feet or will creep along the ground rooting at the nodes to 3-4 feet. It may be purchased in spring as a bedding plant or grown from seed. Tiny greenish-yellow spring flowers are not showy. It is the dense, metallic foliage that impresses. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| spurge - - - Annuals |
| Euphorbia hypericifolia 'Inneuphe' DIAMOND FROST |
| |
| This vigorous spurge produces a profuse non-stop bloom of tiny white flowers from spring to frost on plants growing 12-18 inches tall on generally upright stems with gray-green leaves. Plants require sharply drained soil that is allowed to dry between waterings. This annual is an abundant bloomer for border fronts, hanging baskets or containers. Containers may be overwintered indoors. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| scarlet bush - - - Annuals |
| Hamelia patens |
| |
| Scarlet bush is sometimes called firecracker shrub because its tubular orange-red flowers resemble firecrackers. Grown as an annual locally, the flowers will bloom in showy clusters from summer to fall on shrubby plants rising to 2-3 feet tall. Whorls of pointed, oval, gray-green leaves with pinkish veins turn red in fall. Flowers are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. Container plants may be overwintered as houseplants, albeit with some difficulty. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| cypress vine - - - Annuals |
| Ipomoea quamoclit |
| |
| Grown as an annual locally, this twining tropical vine in the morning glory family typically reaches 6-10 feet in length in a single season. Although thin-stemmed and fragile, it provides superb ornamental cover for decks, trellises, fences and other structures around the home. Scarlet tubular flowers that are star-shaped at the mouth bloom freely from early summer to fall. Deeply cut leaves in threadlike segments give the foliage a ferny appearance. Hummingbirds and butterflies love the flowers. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| ruby grass - - - Annuals |
| Melinis nerviglumis 'Pink Crystals' |
| |
| Growing in tufts to 24 inches tall, this tropical grass adds a fresh look to sunny borders. Ruby-pink flowers in panicles covered with silky hairs are showy late summer to late fall on stems rising from a clump of erect blue-green leaves. Flowers fade to white over time and the foliage turns reddish-purple in fall. This grass may be grown from seed, and it looks great in containers. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| pennisetum - - - Annuals |
| Pennisetum orientale 'Tall Tails' |
| |
| This vigorous fountain grass grows in an upright clump to 4-5 feet tall. Pinkish-white flowers in showy bristle-like spikes (purportedly resembling tall tails) appear from summer to early fall atop stems arching above a clump of narrow, linear, deep green leaves. Flower stems push upward and outward in a manner reminiscent of water spraying from a fountain. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| yellow bells - - - Annuals |
| Tecoma stans GOLD STAR |
| |
| Trumpet-shaped, slightly fragrant, bright yellow flowers bloom from early summer to frost on this 3-4 foot evergreen shrub with odd-pinnate medium green leaves. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom. Flowers are followed by narrow bean-like capsules filled with papery-winged seeds. Plants are commonly sold in patio containers that may be brought indoors before first fall frost for overwintering. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| spider lily - - - Annuals |
| Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea' |
| |
| After serving for a number of years as an attractive houseplant, this spiderwort relative is now experiencing increased usage in outdoor applications as an annual ground cover or container plant. It typically grows to 8 inches tall with a trailing habit, featuring rich violet-purple stems and leaves. Three-petaled pink flowers bloom in small clusters mid-summer. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| tannia - - - Annuals |
| Xanthosoma 'Lime Zinger' |
| |
| Huge 18-inch lime green leaves reminiscent of elephant ears adorn this tropical foliage plant that grows from a tuberous rhizome to 3-4 feet tall. Plants are grown for their interesting foliage and not their flowers which are produced infrequently. Leaves may scorch in full sun or turn a flat medium green in too much shade. Rhizomes are planted in the ground or in containers in spring after last frost date and dug up in fall before first frost for overwintering indoors in a cool, dry place. |
| (More information). . .(Plant Sources) |
| |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2008
|
