Spike-like racemes composed of numerous 1-1/2" long, tubular, deep pinkish purple flowers are produced from spring to frost to potentially year-round under warm tropical conditions potentially attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Purple Fountains Skullcap, a selection of Scutellaria longifolia, is a mounding, naturally evergreen, herbaceous perennial perfectly suited for hanging baskets or container culture as a spiller or filler and is considered to be a root hardy, dieback perennial into zone 8. It can also be utilized as a groundcover for near the front of the border or landscape. Hanging basket culture will bring the nectar rich flowers within easy reach for hummingbirds. Provide an average moist to moist, fertile soil in full sun to partly shaded conditions for optimum vigor and flowering. Provide an organic mulch to protect the crown in areas where freezes occur if it is intended to be grown as a perennial. Item# 862

Small clusters of unusual looking, funnel-shaped deep red flowers are tipped with contrasting white and green with the insides of the flowers being streaked and flecked with brown. The flowers are produced in early to midsummer atop 2-3' high stems and attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. The Parrot Lily, Alstroemeria psittacina, is an old pass-a-long heirloom perennial whose rhizomatous habit may be too aggressive for most garden settings but in the right location it makes an easy and rewarding informal groundcover. Alstroemerias prefer an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil and tend to be sturdiest where they receive atleast 4 hours of direct sunlight. *Where summers are hot, consider providing shade or filtered shade during the hottest part of the day. These also serve as long-lasting and popular fresh cut flowers. Item# 12831

A CSU Trial Gardens 2020 Top Performer! The dark burgundy to near black, glossy foliage is to die for but wait it gets better as in late spring or early summer, tall sturdy spikes ascend above the dark foliage and are composed of lavender to purple, 1" long, nectar rich, tubular flowers that eventually develop into decorative dark purple round seed pods. DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon, a flower child of Penstemon digitalis, is more compact than and has darker foliage than Dark Towers and Mystica Penstemons and it has more purple colored flowers and improved reliability easily surviving for 3 years in CSU's trials. Provide this easy to grow perennial, a nativar (a cultivar from native species), with a moist to average moist, well-drained, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor, flowering, and for the deepest foliage colors. Pair DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon with chartreuse foliaged plants for a wonderful contrast. The flowers attract a variety of polliinators including hummingbirds, bees, and occasional larger butterflies. Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12856