(Apalachicola Wild Indigo)

Handsomely clumping with upright to arching stems clothed in trifoliate leaves, Apalachicola wild indigo has pretty spikes of creamy flowers in mid-spring to early summer and plump black seeds thereafter. Fairly slow growing with a deep taproot, this rare and endangered species is native to a small pocket of the coastal plain in Florida, Alabama and Georgia in the southeastern United States.

The medium green leaves have three oval leaflets held across this more open, upright plant. Depending...

(Catbells)

Round green leaves that look like they've been pierced by a skewer, catbells' yellow flowers in spring arise from these disc-like leaves. An herbaceous perennial from the the coastal plain of the extreme southeastern United States, it has an extensive root system that resents disturbance.

The mounding plant has stems that are ornately lined with green to bluish green leaves that are round and encase the stem. In midspring, small yellow flowers that are pea-like arise from the stem among the leaves....

(Yellow False Indigo)

Yellow wild indigo is a mounding perennial with attractive yellow pea-like flowers and blue-green foliage. This southern United States native flowers in the springtime on light green stems held above the dense foliage. The tan or brown colored seedpods that form afterwards are also an ornamental feature. Various butterflies will visit the flowers when open.

Yellow wild indigo needs a full sun location for best form and flowering, but also handles up to partial shade. Tolerant of drought, nutrient...

(Screamin' Yellow Baptisia, Yellow False Indigo, Yellow Wild Indigo)

A prized selection of wild indigo, 'Screamin' Yellow' is a large perennial noted for its yellow pea-like flowers and yellow-green leaves. Descended from a native perennial of the southern United States, 'Screamin' Yellow' flowers in the springtime on tall, unbranched, leafy stems. A mature plant can send up dozens of stems, each topped by ten or more flowers, one above the other. Various butterflies visit the flowers. The tan or brown seedpods that follow the flowers are also an ornamental feature....

(Garden Yellowrocket)

Looking like wild mustard or wild radish, the garden yellowrocket bears small cross-shaped yellow flowers from early spring to early summer. This biennial or very short-lived perennial typically grows in the cooler months, from autumn to spring, becoming dormant in the heat of summer.

The long taproot supports a rosette of medium green leaves that are elongated with lobes. The flower stem arises from the center of this rosettes and branches many times to support scores of tiny lemon yellow blossoms...

(Crested Philippine Violet)

Sandpapery leaves nestle around the trumpeting lavender-purple flowers of the crested Philippine violet in autumn. A semi-evergreen shrub native to India and Southeast Asia, it is upright in habit with a rounded silhouette. The leaves are oval, medium-green, roughly haired. Blooming most heavily in autumn, but a lesser degree in spring, it has lavender-purple or pinkish flowers at the tips of its stems. Each blossom is trumpet-like with a throat that is white-streaked. In a cool or droughty winter,...

(Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach)

Pretty in flower and with edible, spinach-like foliage, Malabar spinach is a fast-growing vine that has both ornamental and culinary qualities. This heat-tolerant native of India is perennial and fully evergreen where hardy and has densely twining, rambling stems that can become thick and may require some management to keep them from overtaking supports.

The long, fleshy, green stems of Malabar spinach readily twine around anything upright and are lined with rounded, heart-shaped leaves of a...

(Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach)

Red-stemmed and pretty in flower, red Malabar spinach is a fast-growing vine that has both ornamental and culinary qualities. Its tender leaves can be eaten like spinach and colorful stems add season-long interest. A native of India, Malabar spinach is a fully evergreen tender perennial with densely twining, rambling stems that can become thick and often require management to keep them from overtaking supports.

The long, fleshy, reddish purple stems of red Malabar spinach readily twine around...

(Burningbush, Kochia)

A fast-growing annual with dense foliage on upright stems, Burning bush is showy in autumn as its leaves turn reddish purple. Native to Eurasia, this species is usually considered a weed elsewhere because it reseeds itself abundantly.

The leaves are thin and oblong or linear, ranging in color from light green to a light gray-green. The soft, fleshy stems are blushed salmon-red and can readily flop or break in a rain or wind downburst. Flowers occur in summer but are inconspicuous. In autumn the...

(Begonia)

Adored for beautiful blooms and wildly colorful foliage, Begonia is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. There are over 1,500 species and more than 10,000 cultivars and hybrids. They are found all over the world but most originate from sub-tropical and tropical regions.

The plants come in many different forms. They are fleshy, herbaceous and may be annual or perennial. In habit, they can be shrubby, climbing, or epiphytic (tree-dwelling). The leaves are simple or compound...