(Asparagus Fern, Lace Veil Asparagus Fern)

(Common Asparagus Fern)

Flowers from a secret admirer, corsages and arrangements out of your cutting garden are more beautiful with the addition of the old florist's favorite, common asparagus or plumosus fern. Native to South Africa, it is an evergreen, vining perennial that is not a fern at all, but a member of the lily family. It is a popular house plant that can be grown outdoors in the frost free tropical garden.

Plume asparagus fern is native to South Africa where inhabits tough terrain. This resilient plant...

(Asphodil)

King's spear is a unique herbaceous perennial in the lily family native around the Mediterranean basin. The fragrant star-shaped blooms of golden-yellow appear on tall, cylindrical spikes in late spring to summer. These flowerspikes are contrasted by blue-green, grass-like spirals of foliage. After blooming, the fragrant flowers transform into interesting, green, fruitball-pods later in summer to fall.

King's spear prefers full or partial sun and any average, well-drained soil. These plants...

(Cast Iron Plant)

Cast iron plant, a native of China, is an evergreen perennial known for its ability to withstand deep shade. Its upright glossy, blade-like leaves are dark green or variegated. The coarse foliage produces a bold, tropical effect year-round in warm climates or as a houseplant in cold climates.

Plant cast iron plant as a groundcover in deep shade in fertile, well drained, sandy soils. Though it thrives on neglect, water and fertilize regularly in the summer growing season for spectacular results....

(Cast Iron Plant, Striped Cast Iron Plant)

Cast iron plant, a native of China, is an evergreen perennial known for its ability to withstand deep shade. Its upright glossy, blade-like leaves are dark green or variegated. The coarse foliage produces a bold, tropical effect year-round in warm climates or as a houseplant in cold climates.

Plant cast iron plant as a groundcover in deep shade in fertile, well drained, sandy soils. Though it thrives on neglect, water and fertilize regularly in the summer growing season for spectacular results....

(Cast Iron Plant, Stars and Stripes Cast Iron Plant)

Cast iron plant, a native of China, is an evergreen perennial known for its ability to withstand deep shade. Its upright glossy, blade-like leaves are dark green or variegated. The coarse foliage produces a bold, tropical effect year-round in warm climates or as a houseplant in cold climates.

Plant cast iron plant as a groundcover in deep shade in fertile, well drained, sandy soils. Though it thrives on neglect, water and fertilize regularly in the summer growing season for spectacular results....

(Cast Iron Plant, Variegated Cast Iron Plant)

Variegated cast iron plant is an evergreen perennial with upright blade-like, glossy, dark green leaves with cream-white striations. Its coarse foliage produces a bold, tropical effect year-round in warm climates or as a houseplant in cold climates.

Plant outdoors as a groundcover in deep shade in average, well drained, sandy soils or indoors in containers. Water and fertilize regularly in the summer growing season. Over-fertilization leads to diminished leaf variegation.

(Ebony Spleenwort)

This tough little evergreen fern offers delightful beauty without the need for a specialized environment. Its wide adaptability is proven by its natural range which spans the warmer tropical regions of North America, Africa and the West Indies, and parts of the midwestern U.S.. It asks for porous gritty ground with plenty of humus to keep the roots in an oxygen rich medium. In the wild it’s found on rocky banks and the slopes of river canyons and in woodlands.

Ebony spleenwort was named for an...

(Hart's Tongue Fern)

This uniquely shaped fern was named centuries ago for the resemblance of its strap-shaped fronds to a deer’s tongue. It is native to Europe, preferring limestone seeps and other rocky well-drained forest conditions. Slightly different forms can be found across North America but today these small populations are endangered. It makes a beautiful rosette of upright, solid fronds that are bright green and wavy-edged, a strong contrast to to ferns with feathery fronds. Because ferns are primitive plants...

(Aster, Daydream Aster)

This stunning hybrid aster displays a profusion of cool, lavender-blue daisies atop strong, compact plants that will not collapse after heavy rains or irrigation. In cooler weather, the flowers fade to paler blue around the bright yellow centers, creating an appealing “halo” effect. They bloom in late summer to early fall, and are attractive to bees and butterflies.

Provide this perennial with full to part sun and moist, fertile, well-drained soil. As with other asters, ‘Daydream’ is excellent...