(Dwarf Lilyturf)

This Mondo grass, ‘Kyoto,’ is a dwarf selection of an evergreen perennial native to Japan. It grows in a clump, almost a tuft, of short, strap-shaped, arching dark green leaves. The small white bell-shaped flowers appear in loose clusters at the end of upright or arching stalks in summer, followed by small blue-black berries.

Like other lilyturf, ‘Kyoto’ grows best in full sun with midday shade, or in partial shade, and humus-rich, well-drained but moist soil. It makes a thick, tall, turfy groundcover,...

(Dwarf Lilyturf, Dwarf Mondo Grass, Japanese Lilyturf)

Dwarf lilyturf is an evergreen, creeping, grass-like perennial native to Japan. The cultivar 'Nanus' is particularly dwarf. In summer, short spikes of small, tubular, often lilac-tinged white flowers appear amid the leaves. Dark blue berries follow.

Dwarf lilyturf does best in moist, humusy soil and full to partial sun. Plant it along a walkway or as a bed edge or ground cover, or use it to dress up a container planting.

This is a mid-sized cultivar of these clumping grass-like evergreen perennials native to Japan. The leaves of ‘Sparkler’ are strap-shaped, leathery, upright or arching, and emerge bright green, maturing to dark green with a faint shadow of black. The small white bell-shaped flowers appear in loose clusters at the end of short upright or arching stalks in summer, followed by pea-sized blue-black berries.

Like other lilyturf, ‘Sparkler’ grows best in full sun with midday shade, or in partial shade,...

(Dwarf Lilyturf)

This is a variegated cultivar of a clumping grass-like evergreen perennial native to Japan. The leaves of ‘Variegatus’ are strap-shaped, leathery, upright or arching, and elegantly striped along their length by narrow white edges and green centers. The small white bell-shaped flowers appear in loose clusters at the end of short upright or arching stalks in summer, followed by small blue-black berries.

Like other lilyturf, ‘Variegatus’ grows best in full sun with midday shade, or in partial shade,...

(Hybrid Pricklypear)

This beautiful, compact, cold-hardy pricklypear was introduced by South Dakotan Claude Barr, a lifelong grower and advocate of hardy cacti. Probably a hybrid of Opuntia polyacantha, it forms dense compact clumps of small, flattened, cylindrical pads. In late spring and early summer it bears cup-shaped rose-pink flowers with a central flurry of golden stamens. Small, cylindrical, tan fruits follow the flowers. The pads - which superficially resemble leaves but are actually modified stem segments...

(Chenille Pricklypear)

Don't let the warm fuzzy name of this small to medium-sized pricklypear cactus fool you into thinking that its tufted reddish whisker-like glochids are soft as chenille. It needs these barbed bristles (and its long, stout spines) to protect against hungry and thirsty browsing wildlife in its arid Texas and northern Mexican haunts. The spines are actually modified leaves and what appear to be leaves (and are treated as such below) are paddle shaped stem segments. In contrast, the cup-shaped yellow,...

(Ecuadorian Pricklypear)

Remarkably hardy considering it hails from Ecuador, this medium-sized pricklypear is likely a hybrid of Opuntia pubescens and O. soederstromiana. Its spreading or arching branches are composed of succulent oval pads bristling with clusters of formidable gray spines. Although they appear to be leaves (and are treated as such below), the pads are in fact swollen stem segments. The tops and sides of the pads produce yellow or orange bowl-shaped flowers that open from red buds in spring. Plump russet-red...

(Tuna Blanca)

This little known and rarely grown prickly pear grows into a head-high plant with a tree-like branching structure. South American in origin, it is native to Cercado province, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Several short stout gray "trunks" give rise to upright or spreading branches composed of large succulent pads. Although resembling leaves (and treated as such in the following list of characteristics), the pads are actually swollen stem segments. The blue-green, diamond shaped or oblong segments are dotted...

(Beavertail Pricklypear)

Beautiful icy blue stem pads and big bold flowers distinguish this low-growing cactus as one of the most garden-worthy pricklypears. The magenta to red, gold-centered flowers of this North American desert native are sometimes nearly as broad as the beaver-tail shaped pads which bear them. They bloom in late winter and early spring, in response to winter rains. Tan, dry-fleshed, relatively small prickly pears follow the flowers. Plants spread to form broad, calf-high clumps, with each stem comprising...

(Dollarjoint Pricklypear)

The large, round, pale blue-green pads of this often tree-like prickly pear make a fine contrast with painted backgrounds or darker cacti. Although resembling large succulent leaves, the pads are in fact swollen stem segments (but are treated as foliage in the following description of characteristics). The upright stems of this head-high cactus are often six or more pads long. They typically arise from a stout short trunk. They are wickedly armed with formidable golden spines and tiny barbed glochids...