2-3'H Perennials

A seemingly continuous display of upright to arching spikes composed of large showy maroon bracts from which the individual pink lipped tubular flowers emerge from spring to fall to year round under warm tropical conditions. This plant has exceptional flower power and makes a beautiful display as a container plant specimen and in mixed container gardens as well as in the garden and landscape. The common Red Shrimp Plant, Justicia brandegeeana, is a heat loving, naturally evergreen, bushy, tropical plant with dark olive green foliage and grows to about 24" high by about 18" wide. It is both full sun and bright shade tolerant but tends to have the densest branching habit where it receives at least 4 hours or more of direct sunlight. Provide an average to well-drained, moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Attracts hummingbirds and the occasional larger butterfly and is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Caterpillar host: Cuban Crescent, Texan Crescent, White Peacock, and Malachite. Item# 620

Red Spread Lantana produces clusters flowers that open orange and then darken to deep rich red on a mounding to spreading plant. Lantanas are excellent free flowering perennials that love the heat and the sun. Use Red Spread as a ground cover or allow it spill from large containers. Great for butterflies and other pollinators. Item# 10104

Ooh la la! This award winning Louisiana Iris boasts deep velvety red falls with just a touch of golden yellow at their base for contrast, and these are centered by three more deep rich velvety purplish-red standards. Awarded the highest award a Louisiana Iris cultivar can receive from the American Iris Society, Red Velvet Elvis won the Mary Swords DeBaillon Medal in 2005. Louisiana Irises generally flower between March and May. Item# 10814.

Rounded clusters of bright fiery orange flowers from which emerge a bright sunny yellow and orange speckled rolled lip creating a tube for feeding butterflies and hummingbirds. The Reed-Stem Epidendrum is truly one of the easiest to grow and flower orchids that can be grown as an informal groundcover under tropical conditions like zone 10. For us, this rewarding orchid flowers most heavily from spring through summer. Provide a well-drained soil, amend with peat moss in dry, very sandy soils. 4-5 plants per pot. Item# 11585

The show starts in early summer and may last nearly until the first frost with this reliable and fragrant Garden Phlox. It produces large domed clusters of bright purplish pink flowers on tall sturdy stems with mildew resistant, deep green foliage. Phlox is adored by butterflies and hummingbirds alike! Robert Poore is one of only a handful of Garden Phlox cultivars recommended for southern gardens by noted Texas plantsman Greg Grant. Item# 10161

The large flowers are composed of dark indigo-blue outer falls that are centered with dark blue inner standards creating full nearly rounded flowers. This is a vigorous and hardy, early to midseason flowering Louisiana Iris that is part of the Fallen Heroes series hybridized by Lee-Ann Connelly, now Shearhouse, and marketed by Ag3 Inc. A portion of the price of each plant is donated to the Fallen First Responders charity that aids the children of both Firefighters and Law Enforcement. Multiplies readily in average garden soils, moist to wet soils, or they can be set in water gardens where the container is just below the water's surface. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 9205

The dark colored nearly black spikes and calyxes provide a dark contrast to the brilliant glowing red two-lipped tubular flowers that are sure to draw hummingbirds for miles from spring to fall! Royal Bumble Salvia, a selection or hybrid of the native Littleleaf Sage, S. microphylla, is a 2015 Royal Horticulture Society Award of Garden Merit winner with excellent vigor and amazing flower power all on a compact well-branched plant. Considered by some to be the best red Salvia x jamensis/S. microphylla hybrid on the planet! Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile well-draining soil for optimum vigor and flower power. In areas that experience hard freezes plant this Salvia out between early spring to midsummer to ensure winter survival. Item# 12476

3-4" wide light pink to purplish pink coneflowers with drooping narrow petals are held high above the foliage on sturdy 18-24" high stems. Flowers begin in May and may continue through August and they attract bees, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. The Sanguin Purple Coneflower is a taprooted, clump-forming native with an easy to get-along-with and tough nature. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 9304

1-1/2" long, deep orange tubular flowers with lavender upper petals and exerted stamens give this cute Cuphea the 'batface' look and are produced throughout the warmer months of the year, or year round where winters are frost free. The flowers attract loads of hummingbirds and other long-tongued pollinators. This is a bushy shrub-like and herbaceous, tender perennial suitable for sunny outdoor locations and can be overwintered in bright indoor locations where not hardy. Enjoy Schumann's Cuphea as a container plant or in the garden. Provide a well-drained, moderately fertile soil for the best results. Item# 10702.

The top performer in Baptisia trials at Mt. Cuba Center where they report the plants produced upwards of 350 flower spikes per plant! Dense spikes of bright yellow pea-shaped flowers are produced above the neat mounds of bluish green foliage in mid to late spring attracting bees and other garden beneficials. Screamin' Yellow Wild or False Indigo, is an award winning selection of the native Baptisia sphaerocarpa, scoring a perfect 5 of 5 stars in the Mt. Cuba Center's 2012-15 Baptisia Trials of 46 cultivars. It sports a neat, compact, rounded to mounding habit and amazing flower power on a long-lived, clump forming, taprooted herbaceous perennial. Baptisias are durable, pest and disease resistant natives that are equally suitable for the garden or landscape as well as for additions to more naturalized settings like meadows, prairies, and roadside plantings. Baptisias, considered to be the Lupine of the South, are somewhat drought resistant once fully established but generally prefer an average moist, well-drained soil and are adaptable to soil types. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Baptisias are also utilized as long-lasting additions to fresh cut flower arrangements. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11653

Slender arching stems that end in spikes of purple flowers emerge from the soft fine textured foliage of this dainty Liatris from late spring through early summer and may even flower into fall. The soft texture and and gently arching flower spikes make this beautiful Blazing Star a perfect candidate for the perennial garden where it sure to attract attention as well as butterflies and pollinators. Plant several together for the best effect. Item# 9865.

Possibly the most exciting native grass introduction on the market to date! In spring the narrow blades emerge heavily variegated with green and cream and are accented by pink tones, especially when weather is cooler. By summer it has grown into a 12-18" by 12-18" mass of arching boldly variegated white and green foliage. In late summer the flowering stalks begin to elongate showing off their variegated form and as summer temperatures begin to cool the white portions of the foliage and flowering stems deepens into pink and rose tones and finally into burgundy. Shining Star™ Little Bluestem, a beautifully variegated selection of our native Schizachyrium scoparium, is a widely distributed, clump forming, herbaceous perennial grass that is native to all but 2 of the lower 48 US states and is a major component of the Tall Grass Prairies of the midwest. Provide this lovely little grass with a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained soil for optimum vigor and growth. Images courtesy of Emerald Coast Growers, who discovered this new nativar, all rights reserved. Item# 13138

Medium to deep blue falls and standards with the falls being accented by contrasting gold crests at their base are produced in early to midseason, or March to April, atop 30-36" high stems. Sinfonietta Louisiana Iris has been highly popular since its introduction and was awarded an Honorable Mention in 1990 and the Award of Garden Merit in 1992 by the American Iris Society. Louisiana Irises are easy and adaptable, rhizomatous perennials with fans of deep green sword-like foliage and seem as at home in standing water as they do in average moist garden soils. Remember that these plants do most of their growing in fall and winter and so this is when they should be fed and fall is also a great time to divide plants if desired. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13339

Narrow, upright to arching, 24-30" high spikes of rich purple flowers are produced in mid to late summer and into fall attracting a host of pollinators. Smallhead Blazing Star, Liatris microcephela, is a cormous, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial with narrow, dark green, fine-textured foliage and produce a multitude of flower spikes per plant at maturity. This tough little deer and drought resistant native is typically found in sandy to clayey, well-drained soils in the southeastern US. Like all of our Liatris species, it is a key pollinator plant attracting bees, butterflies, flower flies, and likely occasional low-flying hummingbirds. Smallhead Blazing Star makes for a long-lasting cut flower and, unlike most Liatris, the flowers begin opening from the top downward. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in fertile, average moist to periodically dry soil. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 13266

Dense spikes of rosy pink tubular flowers are produced in late summer and fall atop sturdy stems attracting butterflies, larger bees, and hummingbirds. The Southern Fall Obedient Plant, Physostegia virginiana ssp. praemorsa, is a clump forming species of Physostegia, whereas most species spread via long rhizomes, this one is a much more mannerly native perennial better suited to garden culture. It will slowly multiply developing into a dense clump of foliage and flowering stems. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a wet to moist to average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12752

A low growing, clump forming to slowly spreading perennial the Southern Prairie Aster produces 1" wide, medium purple to lighter pinkish purple daisies with a yellow eye atop sturdy upright to arching stems beginning in late summer and lasting into fall. This is another Aster that is native to sandy dryer upland soils and so is somewhat drought resistant once well-established. Excellent for native pollinators.Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady.  Item# 10694.

A 1958 Monrovia introduction, Spreading Sunset Lantana produces rounded clusters of nectar rich flowers that open yellow and fade through shades of orange to near red creating an overall orange effect. This a trailing Lantana that lends itself to use as a groundcover in the garden or landscape or as a spiller from large containers. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators especially butterflies and bees. Provide a full to mostly sunny position for the best results. Item# 11048

The rounded clusters of flowers open a bright golden yellow and mature through bright pumpkin orange and finally into deep red tones all the while attracting a wide variety of pollinators with their nectar reward from spring until fall. Star Landing Lantana was selected for its low mounding habit, excellent flower power, vigor and reliable zone 7B cold hardiness. Use it as a groundcover in the garden and landscape for traffic stopping color throughout the growing season as well as for low-maintenance container specimens. When planted alone it is reported to produce almost no seed. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in an average moist, average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12886

The 2-3" wide yellow sunflower-like blossoms are held on 2-3'H branching sturdy stems with flowering beginning as early as late winter or early spring and often continuing into fall. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and flower flies. Starry Rosinweed, Silphium asteriscus, is a tough and easy, rosette forming, native perennial that is fairly adaptable to growing conditions from full sun to part shade. It is a common component of Longleaf Pine ecosystems as well as the Cajun Prairie. Makes an easy addition to roadside plantings, prairies and meadows but is well behaved enough and floriferous enough to enjoy a spot at the back of the flower garden or for low maintenance naturalistic landscapes. Moderately drought resistant once fully established and seems to prefer soils with average or better drainage. Item# 9585

An eye-catching yet elegant combination of large lemony-yellow falls are accented by lime-green veining and signals and are topped by contrasting bright white standards that are tipped in yellow and are accented by complimentary green and yellow veining which are then topped by lime-green style arms that are broadly tipped and edged in yellow. Start of Something Big Louisiana Iris is a small to medium-sized plant growing to about 30" high and it flowers very late in the season, typically May. It received an Honorable Mention from the American Iris Society in 2015. Louisiana Irises are easy and adaptable, rhizomatous perennials with fans of deep green sword-like foliage and seem as at home in standing water as they do in average moist garden soils. Remember that these plants do most of their growing in fall and winter and so this is when they should be fed and fall is also a great time to divide plants if desired. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13346

Huge round clusters composed of extra large bell-shaped deep violet-blue flowers held on sturdy stems atop the narrow strap-like medium green foliage in late spring to early summer and potentially into fall on well-established clumps. Stevie's Wonder Lily of the Nile or Agapanthus is a vigorous, clump-forming perennial with a tropical look but this cultivar has proven to have excellent hardiness into zone 7. The flowering spikes are typically 2-3' high in areas that experience hardy winter freezes (zone 7-8) but they are reported to reach up to 6' high in zone 9 with reports that the flower clusters can reach near volleyball size! The flowers of Agapanthus attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Provide Stevie's Wonder Lily of the Nile a full to partly sunny site in a well-drained, average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Makes an easy and low-maintenance container plant where not hardy. May be fully winter deciduous. Item# 12467

6" wide rounded clusters of 1" wide deep blue-purple to dark purple trumpet shaped flowers are produced atop sturdy 3' high stalks in summer that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Though recent competition has increased when it comes to reliably cold hardy Agapanthus cultivars, Storm Cloud is still considered to be one of the most reliable, naturally winter dormant cultivars but it will benefit from a breathable mulch in any area that experiences freezing temperatures for extended periods. Somewhat drought resistant once well-established but generally prefers an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil in a full to mostly sunny site. Deer and rabbit resistant and moderately salt tolerant. Makes an easy and low maintenance container plant where not hardy. Item# 1144