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Exceptionally dark purple flowers adorn the narrow elongating spikes from spring to fall attracting a variety of bees, butterflies, low flying hummingbirds, and pollinating moths. Aerial Elixirs™ Black-Chinned Bliss Porterweed is a dwarf and compact selection with a densely branching bushy habit growing to 2-3' high and 2' wide by the end of the growing season making it an excellent choice for sunny containers whether as a specimen or in mixed company. Unlike the common Blue or Nettleleaf Porterweed, S. cayennensis, and our selection Midnight Moon, Aerial Elixirs™ Black-Chinned Bliss tends to retain its flowers after a normal rain and often until sunrise the following day. This is also the most compact growing Porterweed in this series and could easily fit it into a formal setting with its nice even growth habit. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Coming in limited quantities later this summer. Item# 13532

Huge flat clusters, becoming dome-shaped as they mature, are composed of numerous small lightly fragrant white flowers that are followed by heavy crops of shiny black berries. The American Elderberry, Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis, is a large growing native deciduous suckering shrub whose cooked fruit and flowers are used to create healthy and delicious confections, syrup, jelly, wine and more. The nectar rich flower clusters attract an array of pollinators and its ripe fruit is sure to attract a host of bird species. Elderberries are monoecious, both male and female at the same time, and are typically at least semi-self fertile but it is generally recommended to plant at least two different plants for cross pollination and the heaviest crops. If you order multiple plants from us, you will receive at least two different selections. The large ripe fruit clusters are a great treat for chickens. The flowers appear to be most fragrant in the evening and likely at night as well suggesting at least some moth pollination. Item #11269

A 2020 All American Selections Herbaceous Perennial award winner! 2-3" wide dark-eyed golden yellow daisies are produced throughout the summer and even into fall atop a dense and compact well-branched plant. American Gold Rush Rudbeckia was selected with disease resistance in mind as well as this plant's ability to flower throughout summer and a compact habit. It may be most similar to and is considered to be a hybrid of Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii, or the Brown-Eyed Susan, which can reach 3' in height. Like its parent, expect this hardy clump forming perennial to revel in the heat and sun of summer with its disk flowers providing nectar for smaller pollinators and the ripened seeds of fall and winter are sure to attract songbirds. Provide American Gold Rush Rudbeckia with a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Add this easy to grow perennial to the garden and landscape but it is also compact and free-flowering enough to provide a summer long show as a container plant. Item# 12167

The bicolored frilly pink flowers seemingly dance across the tops of the neat mounds of medium-green fragrant ovate foliage from spring to fall and potentially through winter if not exposed to freezes and frosts. Angel Wings Salvia or Sage, a selection of the Little Leaf Sage, Salvia microphylla, boasts excellent vigor and flower power with flowering beginning early and continuing reliably through summer and into fall. The sweetly colored loose spikes of flowers are sure to attract hummingbirds and other garden beneficials. In areas where hard freezes do not occur, The Mountain Sages may develop a shrubby semi-woody base, while in zone 8 and colder, established plants act more like herbaceous perennials dying back to near ground level and returning in early spring. Enjoy these colorful pollinator attractors in the garden and landscape or as rewarding and forgiving container specimens. Provide full sun to partly shaded sites in well-drained, fertile soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Photos courtesy of New World Plants, LTD., all rights reserved. Item# 13143

The tubular, lavender flowers emerge from contrasting deep purple buds on large flower spikes beginning in late spring or early summer and continuing into fall. The nectar rich flowers are seemingly mobbed by bees of all shapes and sizes and are also utilized by butterflies, both large and small, and hummingbirds. Black Adder Agastache or Giant Hyssop, a sterile hybrid of, Agastache rugosum x A. foeniculum, is a branching, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial growing to about 24-36" high and wide by the end of the growing season. Utilize it in containers to bring the pollinators in close as well as in sunny garden and landscapes. Its licorice or anise scented foliage help provide deer and rabbit resistance. This is a vigorous and free flowering perennial that will do best in soils with good to excellent drainage and in full to mostly sunny sites. Item# 10807

Beautiful, deep blue flowers emerge from spikes of black calyxes on this exquisite perennial Salvia all summer and fall against a backdrop of rich deep green foliage. Black and Blue Salvia, an Anise Sage and selection of Salvia guaranitica, is a highly sought after nectar plant for hummingbirds and may also be visited by larger butterflies. This easy and reliable perennial Salvia slowly spreads by rhizomes to create a tall groundcover like effect up to about 3' high but may remain shorter in drier poorer soils. Provide a full to mostly sunny position in an average moist to moist, average to well-drained, moderately fertile soil for maximum vigor and flower production. Easy and reliable. Item# 808

Large clusters of deep burgundy berries whorl around the arching stems of this Mexican Beautyberry and last through much of winter or until the birds find them sweet enough to enjoy. In all other regards Callicarpa acuminata very much resembles our native American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, though it may be slightly shorter in habit. The Black Beautyberry flowers and fruits on new wood. Item# 11380

Drooping spike-like clusters composed of numerous, lightly fragrant, small white flowers are produced in spring and are followed by small, 1/4-1/3" diameter red cherries that ripen to black and are consumed by a wide variety of birds and small mammals. The Black Cherry Tree, Prunus serotina, is a moderately fast growing, medium to large, deciduous native tree found throughout much of the eastern, central, and southwestern US as well as into Canada, Mexico, and into Central America. Its medium green serrated foliage is a caterpillar host for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Viceroy butterflies as well as a variety of moths. The Black Cherry fairly consistently produces good yellow to red fall color even here in zone 8B in southwestern Louisiana and the white and gray winter bark adds to its interest. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained, average moist, fertile soils for optimum growth and vigor.Prunus serotina (Black Cherry) is generally considered self-fertile. While a single tree can produce fruit on its own, planting more than one can lead to better pollination and higher fruit yields. Item# 10469

Dense, deep dark green foliage adorns the naturally upright and pyramidal form of this easy to grow evergreen. Black Dragon Japanese Cedar, a dwarf selection of Cryptomeria japonica, is a fine textured, small to medium-sized, evergreen shrub with a densely branching, conical, upright habit. This cultivar tends to have a moderate rate of growth to about 4-6' high and then growth slows as plants mature. Use this small evergreen as a specimen plant, accent, low maintenance hedge, as a container plant, or as a bonsai specimen. Cryptomeria or Japanese Cedars are adaptable provided they have an average to well-drained, fertile, acidic soil with average moisture in a full sun to partially shaded site. The dark colored foliage makes an excellent foil for lighter colored flowers and foliage. Black Dragon Cryptomeria has been selected as a Great Plant Pick of the Pacific Northwest. Item# 9111

The sweet dark figs of Mission are the number one favorite for drying. Mission is one of the most widely grown figs in California producing heavy crops of medium to large dark purplish-black pear-shaped fruit with a rich, sweet strawberry red pulp. Good fresh or preserved. Black Mission is self-pollinating and may produce a light breba crop. A good choice for the South as well. The small eye makes it resistant to spoiling. Caterpillar host: Ruddy Daggerwing. Item # 832.

Arching 2-3" long spikes adorned with numerous whitish to greenish tiny flowers are produced from the leaf axils with pollinated flowers producing small round, 1/5" diameter fruits that start out green and mature through orange-red to black. The Black Pepper Plant is a tropical, evergreen vine with glossy, deep green foliage. It uses adventitious roots to support itself on the bark of nearby trees, shrubs, or wooden trellises and supports. It branches readily creating a full lush decorative vine. Black Pepper prefers a mildly acidic to neutral, average moist to moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter but should not be allowed to remain soggy wet. Item# 12581

Noted for its dark chocolate to maroon colored foliage, in summer Black Truffle Lobelia produces tall dark spikes of deep true red tubular flowers that are truly a hummingbird's delight. Combine this beauty with chartreuse elephant ears or other light colored moisture loving plants for a wonderful contrast. Black Truffle Cardinal Flower is a hybrid selection with Lobelia cardinalis parentage which by some accounts is considered to be the most beautiful of North America's red flowered species. Provide consistently moist to wet sites, such as a bog garden, for full sun conditions as well as the deepest foliage coloration. Image courtesy of Plants Nouveau, all rights reserved. Item# 11705

The dark purple to deep burgundy foliage nearly black foliage of this sturdy perennial is topped by spikes of sweetly contrasting purple to lilac flowers in mid to late spring. Flowers attract native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Blackbeard Penstemon or Beardtongue is hybrid selection of our native species (Penstemon species are found native only in North America) whose intensely colored foliage is sure to provide wonderful contrast with surrounding perennials in the garden and landscape or use it as a specimen in containers. Provide a full to mostly sunny location for the darkest foliage coloration and a well-drained, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Blackbeard Penstemon was selected not only for its foliage color but also for its compact habit and flower power. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 11904

The 6-petaled starry flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red are heavily speckled and flecked with red and are produced on sturdy stems atop the fans of medium to light green iris-like foliage in summer over a period of several weeks. The flowers of the Blackberry Lily, Belamcanda chinensis or more recently Iris domestica, are followed by seed pods that split open to reveal shiny black round seeds that are sometimes used in dried arrangements for fall. This is a hardy clump forming heirloom perennial with a tough constitution as well as being a colorful and low-maintenance addition to the garden and landscape. It will do best in an average to well-drained, average moist, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny site. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12304

The summerlong show of 8" deep dark merlot colored, ruffled flowers unfurl from nearly black buds and are held against a foil of deep green foliage. The darkest of Walter's Gardens intorductions, the large flowers of Blackberry Merlot Hardy Hibiscus are sure to stop traffic and may steal your neighbors hummingbird population! This is a compact well-branched plant on a clump-forming hardy perennial rated into zone 4 with proper winter protection.  Like most other Walter's Gardens introductions, Blackberry Merlot is an indeterminate plant producing flowers from the top to the bottom of the plants creating a knockout display in the garden and landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny location in moist to average moist to wet, moderately fertile soils. Caterpillar host: Gray Hairstreak. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12492

The 2-3" wide dark eyed daisies are composed of deep golden yellow rays that surround the dark brown to black cones are produced in late spring to summer (depending on your zone). The flowers attract bees and other small pollinators and the seed heads attract songbirds. The Black-Eyed Susan is an annual - atleast in our area, biennial, to short-lived perennial with dark green hairy foliage that adorns well-branched plants and each plant can produce 20-30 or more flowers. This is a widespread species found along roadsides, meadows and prairies, savannas, and in open Longleaf Pine forests mainly in soils with average or better drainage. The Black-Eyed Susan is a common addition to seedmixes and readily reseeds on exposed soils, although it is not an aggressive species. Item# 11725

Large 3" wide dark reddish-purple trumpet shaped flowers are borne throughout summer to year-round under warm tropical conditions adorn the vine-like stems of this tropical. Cherries Jubilee Allamanda, a selection of Allamanda blanchetii, is a naturally evergreen, scandent (a.k.a. vine-like) large arching to shrub to vine-like shrub that revels in the heat and sun of summer. The flowers may be visited by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. It can be trained as an espalier, trellis, or even as a tree form and can be allowed to trail along fences and up arbors in freeze free climates. Cool winter temperatures and frosts may cause some leaf drop. Provide Cherries Jubiliee Alllamanda with a full to partly sunny site in an average moist but never soggy wet, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Where not hardy it is easily overwintered in a warm sunny window.  Item# 356

The large creamy white flowers emerge from loose purple-black tinged spikes and calyxes from spring to fall attracting hummingbirds and other garden beneficials. Cool Cream Salvia, a selection or hybrid of the Little Leaf or Mountain Sage, Salvia microphylla, boasts excellent vigor and flower power with flowering beginning early and continuing reliably through summer and into fall. In areas where hard freezes do not occur, The Mountain Sages may develop a shrubby semi-woody base, while in zone 8 and colder, established plants act more like herbaceous perennials dying back to near ground level and returning in early spring. Enjoy these colorful pollinator attractors in the garden and landscape or as rewarding and forgiving container specimens. Provide full sun to partly shaded sites in well-drained, fertile soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Photos courtesy of New World Plants, LTD., all rights reserved. Item# 13146

The large hot pink flowers are center by a contrasting bright white bee guide and adorn loose red-purple tinged spikes and calyxes from spring to fall attracting hummingbirds and other garden beneficials. Cool Pink Salvia, a selection or hybrid of the Little Leaf or Mountain Sage, Salvia microphylla, boasts excellent vigor and flower power with flowering beginning early and continuing reliably through summer and into fall. In areas where hard freezes do not occur, The Mountain Sages may develop a shrubby semi-woody base, while in zone 8 and colder, established plants act more like herbaceous perennials dying back to near ground level and returning in early spring. Enjoy these colorful pollinator attractors in the garden and landscape or as rewarding and forgiving container specimens. Provide full sun to partly shaded sites in well-drained, fertile soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13147

The large violet colored flowers emerge from loose purple tinged spikes and calyxes from spring to fall attracting hummingbirds and other garden beneficials. Cool Violet Salvia, a selection or hybrid of the Little Leaf or Mountain Sage, Salvia microphylla, boasts excellent vigor and flower power with flowering beginning early and continuing reliably through summer and into fall. In areas where hard freezes do not occur, The Mountain Sages may develop a shrubby semi-woody base, while in zone 8 and colder, established plants act more like herbaceous perennials dying back to near ground level and returning in early spring. Enjoy these colorful pollinator attractors in the garden and landscape or as rewarding and forgiving container specimens. Provide full sun to partly shaded sites in well-drained, fertile soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Photos courtesy of New World Plants, LTD., all rights reserved. Item# 13148

A profusion of golden orange-yellow dark eyed daisies are produced in mid to late summer and into fall atop tall sturdy stems and attract a myriad of smaller pollinators and garden beneficials. Deam's Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii, is different from Goldstrum by having a clump forming habit, slightly larger flowers, and overall taller plants with better resistance to powdery mildew. Its reliability has garnered this US native perennial the coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit. Provide Deam's Black-Eyed Susan with a full to mostly sunny site in average to well-drained soils. Songbirds enjoy the ripe seed heads and it may reseed under good conditions on exposed soils making it a good addition to cottage gardens, meadows, prairies, and other naturalistic and informal settings. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 12115

A loosely double Tropical Hibiscus with large deep red flowers that are borne in abundance practically throughout the year. This is a fairly full and compact growing hibiscus that lends itself to containers and tropical garden settings. The Double Red Hibiscus is considered to be one of the first cultivated Chinese Hibiscus,Hibiscus rosa-sinensis,the latter of which translates to the 'rose of China' or 'Chinese rose'. Interestingly, like we've seen other double flowered Hibiscus do, flowers produced during winter can be single, though when the days lengthen the plant goes back to producing the typical double flowers again. The flowers of the red forms of Tropical Hibiscus are used to shine shoes in places like India giving it the names Shoe Plant and Shoe Black Plant. Item# 9683.