(Black Beauty Western Coneflower, Western Coneflower)

Strange looking but elegant and sophisticated at the same time, the blackened flowers of the Black Beauty western coneflower also have small petal-resembling green sepals (bud leaves). A clumping herbaceous perennial native to the shortgrass prairies and montane meadows of the American West, it attracts butterflies and seed-eating songbrids. Growing from a rhizome (underground stem), it appreciates moisture and usually grows in acidic moist pockets or alongside streams.

The lance-shaped dark...

(Bush Palmetto, Dwarf Palmetto, Little Blue Stem, Swamp Palmetto)

This compact palm is considered a "semi-dwarf" because it often reaches no more than head height. It is native to the southern United States, from the Carolinas to Florida and across to Texas and is generally found swampy, shady locations. It is the northernmost naturally occurring palm in North America and has excellent cold hardiness that is surpassed only by the needle palm, Rhapidophyllum hystrix. Habit varies; more westerly populations of this palmetto tend to grow an upright trunk,...

(Louisiana Dwarf Palmetto)

Its greater size and aerial (rather than subterranean) trunk set 'Louisiana' apart from most other dwarf palmettos. It is a selection of a rare trunk-forming variant found in the western part of the species' range. Native to moist habitats from the Carolinas to Texas, dwarf palmetto is the northernmost American palm, rivaling needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) in cold hardiness.

Plants bear four to ten bluish green, fan-shaped fronds atop stout trunks that grow slowly to head height....

(Oklahoma Dwarf Palmetto)

This compact palm is considered a "semi-dwarf" because it often reaches no more than head height. It is native to the southern United States, from the Carolinas to Florida and across to Texas and is generally found swampy, shady locations. It is the northernmost naturally occurring palm in North America and has excellent cold hardiness that is surpassed only by the needle palm, Rhapidophyllum hystrix. Habit varies; more westerly populations of this palmetto tend to grow an upright trunk,...

(Sugarcane Plumegrass)

Tall rosy pink flower plumes become silvery peach seed heads, making the sugarcane plumegrass particularly ornamental from early summer to fall. This erect, dramatic grass is native to the soggy meadows, swales and lake shores of the southeastern United States, from New York to Texas and Florida. It has a rhizomatous root system that spreads to form substantial clumps over time.

Sugarcane plumegrass has a wispy and slender habit, unless the clump is large with numerous leafy stems. The thin,...

(American Pussy Willow)

This is the American pussy willow, the herald of the coming of spring and the source of beautiful fresh-cut wands for bouquets. It is native to the Northeast and North-central U.S. This is a small, deciduous tree or large shrub that thrives in wetlands along water courses and low places where its feet stay wet. It is a vital plant for holding banks and shores thanks to its extensive network of fine roots (that can also clog water lines and leach fields). Pussy willow produces upright growth but...

(Black Pussy Willow)

This is a distinctive selection of Asian pussy willow, cherished by florists for its uniquely dark, fresh-cut wands for indoor decor. Its parent species is native to northeastern Asia. It is a male plant and the only one known to have dark, almost black buds. It was discovered in Japan. This shrub thrives in wetlands along water courses and low places where its feet stay wet. Like other willows, it is vital for holding banks and shores with its extensive network of fine roots (that can also clog...

(Garden Burnet, Salad Burnett)

Usually grown in the herb or vegetable garden, garden burnet can be pruned low like a lilliputian edging hedge. The leaves taste of cucumber and can be eaten in salad, soup, or as a refreshing garnish to cool beverages. Garden burnet is a clump-forming perennial native to moist meadows across a large expanse of southern and central Europe into central Asia.

The upright stems of this herbaceous herb grow from underground rhizomes. Each compound leaf comprises four to 12 pairs of rounded leaflets...

(Garden Burnet)

Usually grown in the herb or vegetable garden, garden burnet can be pruned low like a lilliputian edging hedge. The leaves taste of cucumber and can be eaten in salad, soup, or as a refreshing garnish to cool beverages. Garden burnet is a clump-forming perennial native to moist meadows across a large expanse of southern and central Europe into central Asia.

The upright stems of this herbaceous herb grow from underground rhizomes. Each compound leaf comprises four to 12 pairs of rounded leaflets...

(Pitcher Plant)

Collectively called "pitcher plants", these terrestrial North American natives can be found in bogs and other wetlands from the Northwest Territories of Canada down to Florida. There are approximately nine non-hybrid species of Sarracenia and around 15 hybrid species. In recent years, many new and exciting cultivars have been developed. All species are insectivorous, meaning they kill and digest insects, and have wonderfully interesting pitchers and umbrella-like flowers.

The pitchers...