(Bank Ursine, Bear's Breeches, Tasmanian Angel ™ Bear's Breeches, Variegated Bear's Breeches)

This interesting Old World perennial has a coarse upright habit that adds texture to sunny gardens. Bear's breeches is quite hardy and summer-blooming. It is native to regions in southwestern Europe, though it has been in cultivation for a long time.

The long, sharply lobed, coarse leaves of bear’s breeches are deep green and form large, showy rosettes. In summer, tall, upright spikes of two-lipped, tubular maroon and white flowers are produced. Once spent, the old blooms should be cut back to...

(Mountain Thistle)

This shrubby, spreading, semi-evergreen to evergreen perennial bears spiny, leathery leaves that are sharply divided and have attractive silver markings. For most, this native of West Africa is less of an ornamental and more of a weed. Mountain thistle is adapted to the forest understory and grassy fields, so it grows well in sunny and shaded locations.

Tall, upright spikes of pinkish tubular flowers appear from summer to fall. These are highly attractive to bees. Spent flower spikes should...

(Armed Bear's Breeches, Spiny Bear's Breeches)

Spiny acanthus is a clump-forming, evergreen to semi-evergreen perennial native to southern Europe. It is a bold, old-fashioned perennial that offers tall spikes of interesting flowers of maroon and ivory as well as interesting rosettes of deeply lobed, coarsely edged, dark green leaves that look good through the season.

From late spring to midsummer it becomes topped with spikes of bicolored white and maroon-purple flowers subtended by dark green bracts. The flowers are very attractive to bees....

(Spiny Bear's Breeches)

Spiny acanthus is a clump-forming, evergreen to semi-evergreen perennial native to southern Europe. It is a bold, old-fashioned perennial that offers tall spikes of interesting flowers of maroon and ivory as well as interesting rosettes of deeply lobed, coarsely edged, dark green leaves that look good through the season.

From late spring to midsummer it becomes topped with spikes of bicolored white and maroon-purple flowers subtended by dark green bracts. The flowers are very attractive to bees....

(Florida Maple)

A small to medium-sized, deciduous tree native to the southeastern United States, Florida maple is a close relative of the sugar maple (Acer saccharum). It has glossy dark green, three- or five-lobed leaves that turn yellow or sometimes red-orange in autumn. It is not uncommon for its dry, tan leaves to persist on its branches through winter. Clusters of small yellow flowers accompany the emerging leaves; winged green fruits follow. The pale gray bark becomes dark and furrowed on the lower...

(Caddo Maple, Florida Maple)

A seed-grown cultivar originating in Caddo County, Oklahoma, in the south-central United States, this cold-, heat-, and drought-tolerant sugar maple relative is a medium-sized deciduous tree with dark green, five-lobed leaves that turn dull yellow in autumn. The downward-curling leaf margins are an identifying feature of selection 'Caddo'. Greenish yellow flowers in early spring give rise to winged green seeds.

This maple should be planted in full sun to partial shade in acidic to slightly alkaline,...

(Trident Maple)

Trident maple is an architecturally handsome small oval to rounded deciduous tree with lustrous, dark green, three-lobed leaves with blue-green undersides. They turn red, yellow, or orange in fall. New growth may be purplish or bronze. The flaking, multicolored bark of this East Asian native is also ornamental. Insignificant yellow flowers in early spring give rise to winged pale-green fruits.

Trident maple does best in moist, well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade. It is remarkably...

(Trident Maple)

Trident maple is an architecturally handsome small oval to rounded deciduous tree with lustrous, dark green, three-lobed leaves with blue-green undersides. They turn red, yellow, or orange in fall. New growth may be purplish or bronze. The flaking, multicolored bark of this East Asian native is also ornamental. Insignificant yellow flowers in early spring give rise to winged pale-green fruits.

Trident maple does best in moist, well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade. It is remarkably...

(Oregon Vine Maple, Vine Maple)

Oregon vine maple is a small, clump forming, deciduous tree native to northwestern North America. In spring, it bears small drooping clusters of attractive white and purple flowers, followed by winged reddish-green fruits. The pretty fan-shaped leaves of medium green emerge from crimson buds in spring and turn brilliant scarlet-orange to red in the fall. The green bark provides winter interest.

This maple prefers partial shade, shelter from high winds, and moist, well-drained soil. It makes a...

(Nepal Maple, Smooth Maple)

A maple with long, narrow and glossy leaves, you may mistake this tree for an exotic coffee tree across its native range of the highlands from Bhutan and Nepal across southern China to Vietnam. The smooth or Nepal maple bears light olive-green, evergreen leaves that are somewhat rippled across their surface because of raised veins. Newest leaves emerge with a pinkish coppery color. Tiny teeth occur on the leaf edges, and the leaf petiole stems are pinkish red and are smooth. Naturally occurring variety...