(Pinemat Manzanita)

Within its range, this cold hardy carpet-like manzanita provides a valuable wild groundcover in areas challenged by lean acid soils and long periods without rain. It is found beneath the evergreen forests from Washington state to California where it can be the dominant vegetation. Depending on elevation these plants may become semi or wholly deciduous in winter. This mountain dweller is slow growing, bearing oval green leaves that gradually weaves itself through rocky outcroppings or spreads out...

(Red Chokeberry, Red Chokecherry)

Spring finds the red chokeberry teeming with clusters of small white flowers, and the autumnal display of fiery red leaves and thousands of red berries that last well into winter is second to none. A mounding, deciduous shrub native to the eastern United States, it typically forms a thicket by sending out underground stems (rhizomes) that turn up and emerge to make new plants. Individual plants are narrow and upright, with a cluster of small, thin, dark brown branches that flare out into a leafy,...

(Brilliant Red Chokeberry, Red Chokeberry)

Unexcelled red fall foliage, masses of small, plump red berries and glossy green leaves make the chokeberry 'Brilliantissima' whole-heartedly embraced by gardeners. A mounding, deciduous shrub native to the eastern United States, it typically forms a thicket by sending out underground stems (rhizomes) into nearby soil that rise and emerge to make new plants. Individual plants are narrow and upright, with a cluster of small, thin, dark brown branches that flare out into a leafy, rounded canopy. The...

(Black Chokeberry, Black Chokecherry)

Small, pretty white blossoms in spring, orangey fall color and dark purplish-black berries make black chokeberry a great shrub for naturalistic massed plantings. An upright deciduous shrub that suckers to form a thicket of twigs and leaves, it is native to the moist soils of the eastern United States and a thin sliver of southeastern Canada. Individual plants have a cluster of many, thin, dark brown stems that have a white, waxy, semi-flaky film on the smaller, reddish-brown twigs. It is slightly...

(Autumn Magic Black Chokecherry, Black Chokeberry, Black Chokecherry)

With small, pretty white blossoms in spring, 'Autumn Magic' black chokeberry has orange-red to burgundy-tinged fall color and black berries. A compact, upright deciduous shrub that may form a thicket, it is native to the moist soils of the eastern United States and a thin sliver of southeastern Canada. Individual plants have a cluster of many, thin, dark brown stems that have a white, waxy, semi-flaky film on the twigs, which are reddish-brown.

Small clusters of five-petaled white flowers appear...

(Purple Chokeberry)

Dainty white flowers dot this shrub's foliage in late spring, followed by astringent deep purple berries in summer and red fall foliage. The purple chokeberry is a thicket-forming upright deciduous shrub from the eastern United States, regarded as a naturally-occurring hybrid between the red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) and black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa).

The foliage is green, becoming deep green with a hint of gray because of the sparse hairs on the undersides of...

(Artemisia, Huntington Wormwood)

For billowing masses of silvery foliage, the sheer size of this evergreen shrub does the job. It is a hybrid of Artemisia absinthum a native of Europe and temperate Asia. The oil-rich aromatic foliage was prized in the old herb garden, and the plant was cultivated as pesticide, worm tonic and ingredient of the drink, absinthe. This hybrid offers soft texture and less finely divided leaves with slightly thickened margins. Long grayish yellow flower heads are produced in late summer but offer...

(Southernwood)

Southernwood is a deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub that produces fragrant gray green, feathery, foliage. This southern Europe native has panicles of insignificant yellowish gray flowers in late summer.

Southernwood does best in well drained, fertile soil and full sun. In heavy soils the plant will be short lived. The lemon-scented foliage of this plant is of much interest and is a great addition to any shrub border. It has some medicinal purposes and be of use to people with an interest in...

(Ganges Primrose, Variegated Primrose)

Successful in many warm soils, the spreading green and yellow foliage of variegated Ganges primrose is a lovely backdrop for the white or yellow blossoms that flush purple with maturity. An exact nativity is uncertain, but believed to hail from eastern Africa, and India eastward into Malaysia. This is a tender perennial or subshrub that sprawls out and is reminiscent of a large petunia plant. It is usually regarded as a pretty weed in the tropics (in lawns), often invasive along the beaches.

The...

(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...