Drought Resistant Plants

Steel blue spring and summer foliage is topped by nicely contrasting tan colored airy panicles in late summer and fall. In fall the foliage changes to yellow and finally beige creating winter interest and providing food, habitat, and nesting material for a variety of birds and other fauna. Gunsmoke is a selection of our native Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, with an initially upright to vase shaped habit becoming rounded once flowering begins. This is a naturally clump-forming herbaceous perennial that is found throughout much of the US and into Canada, except for the westernmost states, and is a major component of the Tall Grass Prairies. Switchgrass was also used by native Americans to build long-lasting, rain resistant shelters. The foliage is a larval host to the Delaware Skipper, Arogos Skipper, Tawny Edged Skipper, Northern Pearly Eye, and Dotted Skippers. Adaptable to a wide variety of soil types and moisture regimes. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12305

A repeat flowering Banana Magnolia with a more intense sweet banana fragrance! Hagiwara Everblooming Banana Magnolia produces sweetly fragrant cupped soft yellow flowers for much of summer on this large evergreen shrub to small tree. Easy to grow and enjoy in most well-drained acidic soils. Caterpillar host: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Western Tiger Swallowtail. Images shown are of typical Banana Magnolia flowers. Item# 11481

Dense clusters of dainty white to lavender tubular flowers top the hairy blue-green to green fragrant foliage in summer. The small nectar rich flowers of Hairy Mountain Mint attract a wide variety of pollinators, and are especially important to native bees. This is a rhizomatous native perennial that will readily spread especially in moist soils. Hairy Mountainmint, Pycnanthemum verticillatum var. pilosum, is native to the northcentral US, mainly Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas, eastern Tennessee, eastern Kentucky and as far south as northern Mississippi. It is typically found in moist, calcareous soils but can tolerate drier sites where it is less likely to spread aggressively. Item# 11763

Arching loose spikes of dangling orange-red, 1" long tubular flowers are born over an extended period in summer on this durable perennial. The flowers may be produced nearly year round under warm frost free conditions. This truly hardy Gloxinia is a hummingbird magnet that attracts a variety of bees and butterflies as well! Velvety, rich green, quilted foliage adorns the upright to arching stems of this hardy perennial that grows from a large fuzzy potato-like corm. Provide excellent drainage and moderate amounts of sunlight for the best results. Mulch in winter to protect the corm from freeze damage or grow as an easy and low maintenance container plant. Click the "More Details & Growing Info" or the plant's image to see additional flower colors. Item# 10516.

The large rounded clusters of peach colored buds open to yellow tones and quickly mature into a medium purplish pink. HEARTLAND™ Blue Moon Lantana is a new more vigorous cousin to the HAVANA™ series growing to about 18-24" high and wide making these great choices for colorful containers as well as in the garden and landscape. This series is a better choice for a smaller growing Lantana where growing seasons tend to be cooler and shorter. The HEARTLAND™ Lantana series are nearly sterile producing almost no fruit or viable seed thus these plants can spend their energy on flower and nectar production. They start flowering earlier giving you a longer season of color from spring into fall attracting a myriad of pollinators throughout the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Images courtesy of Dümmen Orange, all rights reserved. Item# 13311

The large rounded clusters of flowers open a bright yellow and quickly deepen through shades of orange and red into magenta and purple tones. HEARTLAND™ Neon Lantana is a new more vigorous cousin to the HAVANA™ series growing to about 18-24" high and wide making these great choices for colorful containers as well as in the garden and landscape. This series is a better choice for a smaller growing Lantana where growing seasons tend to be cooler and shorter. The HEARTLAND™ Lantana series are nearly sterile producing almost no fruit or viable seed thus these plants can spend their energy on flower and nectar production. They start flowering earlier giving you a longer season of color from spring into fall attracting a myriad of pollinators throughout the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Item# 12813

The large rounded clusters of flowers open a golden yellow and quickly deepen through shades of orange into fiery reds. HEARTLAND™ Really Red Lantana is a new more vigorous cousin to the HAVANA™ series growing to about 18-24" high and wide making these great choices for colorful containers as well as in the garden and landscape. This series is a better choice for a smaller growing Lantana where growing seasons tend to be cooler and shorter. The HEARTLAND™ Lantana series are nearly sterile producing almost no fruit or viable seed thus these plants can spend their energy on flower and nectar production. They start flowering earlier giving you a longer season of color from spring into fall attracting a myriad of pollinators throughout the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Images courtesy of Dümmen Orange, all rights reserved. Item# 12814

The rounded clusters of flowers open a deep yellow and quickly deepen through shades of orange and finally maturing into pink tones. HEARTLAND™ Sunset 2024 Lantana is a new more vigorous cousin to the HAVANA™ series growing to about 18-24" high and wide making these great choices for colorful containers as well as in the garden and landscape. This series is a better choice for a smaller growing Lantana where growing seasons tend to be cooler and shorter. The HEARTLAND™ Lantana series are nearly sterile producing almost no fruit or viable seed thus these plants can spend their energy on flower and nectar production. They start flowering earlier giving you a longer season of color from spring into fall attracting a myriad of pollinators throughout the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Item# 13312

Steely blue-gray spring and summer foliage is topped by nicely contrasting tan colored airy panicles in late summer and fall. In fall the foliage changes to yellow and finally beige creating winter interest and providing food, habitat, and nesting material for a variety of birds and other fauna. Heavy Metal Switchgrass, a selection of the native Panicum virgatum, with an with a strongly upright, columnar, dense habit that remains upright even through heavy rains. This is a naturally clump-forming herbaceous perennial that is found throughout much of the US and into Canada, except for the westernmost states, and is a major component of the Tall Grass Prairies. Switchgrass was also used by native Americans to build long-lasting, rain resistant shelters. The foliage is a larval host to the Delaware Skipper, Arogos Skipper, Tawny Edged Skipper, Northern Pearly Eye, and Dotted Skippers. Adaptable to a wide variety of soil types and moisture regimes. Item# 12854

Texas big blooms are a hallmark of this rich orange flowered crossvine. This is an absolute show stopper when in full bloom! Produces a huge mass of 2-1/2" orange trumpets with yellow throats in late spring with some flowers throughout summer. A vigorous and disease free southern native. 'Helen Fredel' is another excellent introduction from noted Texas horticulturist and author Greg Grant. Attracts hummingbirds and other pollinators. Item# 9576.

Spikes up to 16-20" high are topped by clusters of tubular blue to blue-violet flowers with a contrasting white bee-guide are produced beginning as early as late spring but mainly in summer, occasionally into fall, and attract a variety of native bees along with larger butterflies. Helmet Skullcap, Scutellaria integrifolia, is a small, 12-20" high, clump forming to short rhizomatous perennial native from East Texas, all along the Gulf Coast and up the Eastern Seaboard into southern Massachussets and New York. This is a common component of the brightly lit understory in the Pineywoods and locally we typically see it in dryer or mesic uplands including hardwood and pineforests in well-drained loamy and sandy soils as well as in more moist sunnier sites. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in a well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. May reseed on exposed soils. Item# 12769

Large dense branched pannicles to 12" x 12" are composed of multitudes of small pale purple tubular flowers are produced over an extended period through much of summer and attract a variety of pollinators including smaller shorter tongued bees like Honeybees as well as larger native bees like Bumblebees. The large palmate foliage of Hempleaf Vitex resembles that of the Hemp plant and thus the specific epithet of "cannibifolia". Like its close cousin the Chaste Tree, Vitex agnus-castus, the Hempleaf Vitex, Vitex negundo var. cannibofolia, is an easy to grow sun and heat loving deciduous shrub that prefers an average to well-drained soil. It appears to have few pests or disease issues and is unlikely to be bothered by deer. Item# 11879

Dark red trumpets sit atop short sturdy stems in late summer and early fall and flower over an extended period. The Oxblood Lily is an exceptionally easy bulb that multiplies quickly into fairly dense clumps creating a bouquet of flowers whether allowed to naturalize in the yard or the garden. Like its flowering companion, the Red Spider Lily, the Oxblood Lily flowers and then produces narrow strap like foliage which remains over winter. Tolerant of a wide range of soil types and requires literally no care once established. Item# 11820

Dark red trumpets sit atop short sturdy stems in late summer and early fall and flower over an extended period. The Oxblood Lily is an exceptionally easy bulb that multiplies quickly into fairly dense clumps creating a bouquet of flowers whether allowed to naturalize in the yard or the garden. Like its flowering companion, the Red Spider Lily, the Oxblood Lily flowers and then produces narrow strap like foliage which remains over winter. Tolerant of a wide range of soil types and requires literally no care once established. Item# 11549

In early spring, rich pink cherry blossoms cover the bare stems attracting an array of pollinators with pollinated flowers producing 3/8-1/2" diameter, tart fruit that ripen to a deep purplish red in mid to late spring to early summer. The Hiromi Dwarf Afghan Cherry, a selection of Prunus jacquemontii, is a small deciduous shrub growing to about 3-5'H and 4-5'W with an upright to spreading, bushy habit. The plants are self-fertile and have proven to fruit reliably even in the Deep South with minimal chill hours. The weight of ripening fruit can give the plants a semi-weeping habit. The small cherries are semi-sweet and tart when fully ripe and have a fairly large pit. The fruit, which doesn't all ripen at once, can be eaten fresh or made into preserves or jelly, if you have several plants, or left for the songbirds to enjoy. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained, fertile soils for optimum vigor and growth. The Hiromi Cherry has moderate drought resistance once fully established in the garden or landscape. It is reported to be a butterfly host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Item# 10641

This 2022-23 release is a vigorous upright growing plant boasting bluish-green spring foliage that adorns sturdy red stems with the crescendo of color peaking in fall when the foliage takes on shades of deep purple and burgundy accented by deep red, orange, and pink stems. Holy Smoke Big Bluestem, another excellent Intrinsic Perennials selection of Andropogon gerardii, chosen for its statement making vigor, sturdy upright stems, and seasonal color. The species is native throughout much of the eastern 2/3's of the US and is a clumping to slowly spreading rhizomatous grass whose seeds are utilized by a number of seed eating birds. Provide a full to mostly sunny site with an average to well-drained, acidic soil for the deepest foliage colors and optimum vigor. Plants are in their best form when grown in a low fertility soil. Caterpillars: Dusted Skipper, Arogos Skipper and Delaware Skipper. Photos courtesy of Brent Horvath, Intrisic Perennial Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13170

Clusters of red to red-orange, yellow to orange throated, tubular flowers are borne from spring to fall on established plants with the peak flowering season in early to mid spring and again in mid to late summer to fall. Honey Coral™Honeysuckle is a tame and manageable vine perfectly suited to fences and medium sized trellises and arbors. The flowers attract hummingbirds and occasional butterflies. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. Pollinated flowers develop into clusters of clear red berries that make summer and fall fruit for songbirds. Their tame habit and long blooming season make the native Coral Honeysuckles an easy choice for covering a fence, arbor or trellis. Item# 11491

The dense spikes of bicolor mahogany and yellow pea-like flowers lighten into yellow as they age creating an orangish overall effect from a distance and are produced in mid to late spring to early summer depending on your zone. The flowers attract mainly bees. Honey Roasted Baptisia or False Indigo, a hybrid cultivar of US native species (a.k.a. nativar), is a vigorous, heavy and early flowering selection of this clump forming perennial growing to about 36-42"H x 42-48"W. Baptisias are easy and low-maintenance, deer resistant, long-lived, taprooted perennials that produce more and more flowering spikes with each passing year with some plants producing over a 100 spikes on mature plants. Considered a must for the cutflower garden as the spikes have an excellent vase life. Provide them with a full to mostly sunny site in a soil with average or better drainage and moderate fertility. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12898

Swollen clusters of bright yellow, fragrant flowers of borne from spring to fall on this vigorous growing Butterfly Bush. Honeycomb is probably our favorite yellow flowered Buddleja. Be sure to give it room it is a vigorous growing plant! Item # 968.

Perennial of the Year in 2016, Missouri Botanic Gardens Plant of Merit, and a RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! As per Allan Armitage's Herbaceous Perennial Plants, 4th Edition "It has graced European gardens since the beginning of the American Civil War and is still the most popular and highly sought after white anemone today.". The clusters of 2-3" wide, pure white, upward facing flowers with yellow eyes are held high above the mass of deep green foliage on sturdy wiry, 3-4' high stems in fall. The flowers of this easy heirloom attract bees and other pollinators. Honorine Jobert Anemone is an easy to grow, clump forming, slowly spreading, shade tolerant perennial whose mass of 12" high, medium textured, deep green, Astilbe-like foliage makes a nice accent or groundcover even when the plants are not in flower. Anemones make good companions for spring flowering bulbs. Tough, easy, and reliable. Tolerant of *full sun in cool summer climates, elsewhere provide midday and afternoon shade or filtered shade. Provide an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum flowering and vigor. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12778