(Red Butterleaves, Red Cultivated Orache)

A cool-season annual originating in Asia but naturalized throughout much of the rest of the world, orache has long been cultivated for its nutritious, tasty, and attractive leaves. The variety rubra is known for its stunning red or purple leaves and stems. It has given rise to numerous showy-leaved cultivars.

Heart-shaped or arrow-shaped leaves with smooth or toothed margins line the upright unbranched stems. The leaves and stems have a luminous sheen when young. In hot weather stems...

(Blue Beauty Purple Rockcress, Purple Rockcress)

What a fantastic blue-flowered perennial for the early border. The floriferous ‘Blue Beauty’ is a mat-forming, semi-evergreen perennial that becomes clothed in blue from late spring to early summer. Its blooming period lasts for an average of three weeks, sometimes even a month. The vivid violet-blue flowers are double and play beautifully against its deep green mats of foliage.

Sunny locations with fertile, neutral to alkaline, well-draining soil are preferred. It should be watered regularly...

(Blue Whale Rockcress, Purple Rockcress)

The large-flowered ‘Blue Whale’ offers many big, beautiful, vivid violet-blue flowers. This mat-forming, semi-evergreen perennial becomes clothed in flowers in late spring to early summer. Its blooming period lasts for an average of three weeks, sometimes even a month. The vivid violet-blue flowers and play beautifully against its rich green mats of foliage.

Sunny locations with fertile, neutral to alkaline, well-draining soil are preferred. It should be watered regularly before and after...

(Doctor Mules Purple Rockcress, Purple Rockcress)

The brilliant violet-purple flowers of ‘Doctor Mules’ add a striking color burst to sunny borders. This mat-forming, semi-evergreen perennial becomes clothed in flowers in late spring to early summer. Its blooming period lasts for an average of three weeks, sometimes even a month. The vivid flowers and play beautifully against its grayish blue-green mats of foliage.

Sunny locations with fertile, neutral to alkaline, well-draining soil are preferred. It should be watered regularly before and...

(Purple Rockcress, Royal Violet Rockcress)

The genus Aubrieta contains approximately 12 species of evergreen to semi-evergreen flowering perennials in the cabbage family. Most of the species originate from the mountainous and alpine regions of southern Europe and Central Asia and are grown for their showy springtime blooms. This genus is named in honor of Claude Aubriet (1665-1742), a botanical illustrator to the French court.

These mat-forming, herbaceous plants are clothed in simple, lightly hairy leaves. The small leaves...

(Royal Rockcress)

The genus Aubrieta contains approximately 12 species of evergreen to semi-evergreen flowering perennials in the cabbage family. Most of the species originate from the mountainous and alpine regions of southern Europe and Central Asia and are grown for their showy springtime blooms. This genus is named in honor of Claude Aubriet (1665-1742), a botanical illustrator to the French court.

These mat-forming, herbaceous plants are clothed in simple, lightly hairy leaves. The small leaves...

(Rockcress)

The genus Aubrieta contains approximately 12 species of evergreen to semi-evergreen flowering perennials in the cabbage family. Most of the species originate from the mountainous and alpine regions of southern Europe and Central Asia and are grown for their showy springtime blooms. This genus is named in honor of Claude Aubriet (1665-1742), a botanical illustrator to the French court.

These mat-forming, herbaceous plants are clothed in simple, lightly hairy leaves. The small leaves...

(Japanese Aucuba)

Japanese laurel is a tall, bushy, broadleaf evergreen shrub that, as its name suggests, is native to Japan and eastern Asia. Its most ornamental features are its thick, glossy, dark green leaves and bright red fruits that appear in fall and remain throughout winter. One particularly popular selection is ‘Crotonifolia’, which has beautiful gold-spotted foliage. This shrub tolerates moist well drained soil and prefers partial shade. To avoid sunscald and leaf desiccation, protect Japanese laurel from...

(Japanese Aucuba)

Crotonifolia Japanese aucuba is an evergreen shrub with glossy, leathery green leaves mottled with yellow spots; it is a female flowering plant and will not form the typical red fruits unless a male plant is nearby.

Aucuba tolerates most well drained soil and prefers partial shade locations protected from hot afternoon sun and winter winds. Aucuba is excellent for hedges or massing and may be grown as a large houseplant.

(Goldstrike Japanese Laurel, Japanese Aucuba, Japanese Laurel)

Mr. Goldstrike Japanese aucuba is an evergreen shrub bearing glossy, leathery green leaves splashed with gold; as it is male, will not produce the typical bright red fruit. Its growth habit is slightly more upright than rounded.

Aucuba tolerates most well drained soils and prefers partial shade locations protected from hot afternoon sun and winter winds. Aucuba is excellent for hedges or massing and may be grown as large houseplants.