An outstanding display of foliage and flowers is worth a pretty penny, but it will always be easier to open your wallet for plants that promise to stick around. Bank on these fifty frost-tender favorites and experiment with anything else you bring through the garden gate. Give in to exciting temptations available locally as well as a whole wild world of options available from mail-order sources. Borrow exotic contrasts from Asia and Africa, super-saturated late-summer colors from Central and South America, and succulent sculpture from the American Southwest. Then spend only time, and spare some space to keep them growing to embellish your garden for seasons to come.
Notice that in many instances, there is more than one way to overwinter a keeper. Some will be as happy to go dormant in dark storage as they would slowing to a standstill on a chilly, bright porch. Many tolerate a range of temperatures and light levels and can be asked to fill (and decorate) any windowsill vacancy. A few might even make it staying put out in the garden. No doubt you’ll find, with all of the possibilities and permutations, that you have more room for frost-tender plants—in your budget and garden—than you thought.
Go a step further and propagate frost-tender plants as soon as you get them home even if the tag reads “propagation prohibited” (that only means you if selling plants is your business). By making the most of these plants’ natural vigor you’ll be able to fill your garden with beauties guaranteed to keep your garden blooming, and your interest piqued, well into fall. Then share your enthusiasm with friends, enjoy their compliments, and congratulate yourself for being able to take a year-long garden season, outdoors and in, for granted.
FLOWERING MAPLE, PARLOR MAPLE
Abutilon ‘Kristen’s Pink’
Shrub | Zones 8 to 10
DESCRIPTION Small hibiscus-like flowers appear along branches of palmate, moleskin-soft leaves. Where hardy, these plants can reach heights and widths of 10 ft. or more but they can be pinched while in active growth to keep them from getting leggy, and pruned back by a third each year in early spring to control their size in containers. Place them at the top of the plant stand where you can look up their high-waisted ballet tutu–blooms as they open.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and moist soil. To keep abutilon flowering year-round, provide plenty of light and fertilize every two weeks in spring and summer, and once per month fall and winter. Propagate by tip cuttings anytime. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with southern or western exposure; water when dry; use a humidity tray to prevent spider mite; watch for aphids and whitefly.
Acalypha wilkesiana
JACOB’S COAT, COPPER LEAF
Acalypha wilkesiana ‘Devappa’
Shrub | Zones 10 to 11
DESCRIPTION Broad, hand-sized, calico foliage adorns woody branches capable of growing 6 ft. tall. Sparklingly fuzzy flower spikes are considered “insignificant” but
I think they are cool, especially when backlit by late-summer sun. Plant with dahlias, salvias, mountain mint, and elephant’s ear in a mixed and modern garden.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and moist soil. Pinch top growth to encourage branching and shape plants as needed. Propagate by tip cuttings in late summer. Overwinter in warm conditions with southern or western exposure; keep soil moist.
HOUSELEEK TREE, TREE ANEMONE
Aeonium arboreum ‘Atropurpureum’
Perennial or shrub | Zones 9 to 15
DESCRIPTION Rosettes of strappy green to burgundy leaves vary in diameter from 3 to 8 in. and rise to 3 ft. or more on curvy naked stems and branches. Pyramidal clusters of bright yellow vanilla-scented stars hover above in winter. Give this oddity its own container and surround it with a crazy-quilt pattern of burgundy or chartreuse coleus. The cultivar ‘Zwartkop’ has lustrous burgundy-black foliage and needs more sun.
FINE PRINT Prefers partial shade, and dry, well-drained soil. Propagate by cutting off a rosette where the stem is still green; dust the stem end with rooting hormone and stick in medium. (New rosettes will also form on the decapitated stem.) Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with eastern or western exposure; water when dry.
Agapanthus africanus
LILY OF THE NILE
Agapanthus africanus
Perennial | Zones 9 to 10
DESCRIPTION Airy bobbles of purplish blue trumpets sway on 2- to 3-ft. leafless stems over strappy foliage in mid to late summer. The deep blue–flowered cultivar ‘Midnight Blue’ stands 1½ to 2 ft. tall and is hardy in zones 7 to 9, where summers are moist and winters dry. Plant them in tight quarters against foundations, curbs and rock outcrops, or in containers—they bloom best when root-bound.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and moist, well-drained soil. Fertilize every two weeks starting in early spring until bloom cycle finishes. Propagate by dividing overgrown clumps in spring. (Let the soil dry completely before unpotting.) Overwinter in chilly conditions with eastern or southern exposure; water when dry and remove yellow leaves.
HUMMINGBIRD MINT, SUNSET HYSSOP
Agastache mexicana ‘Acapulco Orange’ intermixed with asters (Aster ×frikartii ‘Monch’).
Perennial | Zones vary
DESCRIPTION Spires of luminous tubes with deeply tinted calyxes open from mid to late summer and attract hummingbirds better than a feeder. The 2- to 4-ft. tall whip-thin stems and gray-green foliage of this southwestern native wildflower are licorice scented. Plant wherever lavender thrives, underplanted with moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) and sedums. A. mexicana ‘Acapulco Orange’ (zones 6 to 9) grows 2 ft. tall with orange flowers, while the hybrid ‘Heatwave’ (zones 5 to 10) glows in shades of fuchsia to Bazooka-style pink.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring and late summer. Where marginally hardy, make sure winter drainage is sharp and mulch the crown; cut plants to the ground in spring. Cut plants back to 6 in. or less before potting and bringing inside. Overwinter in chilly conditions with eastern or southern exposure and good air circulation; water when dry.
Agave americana
CENTURY PLANT
Monocarpic succulent | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION Sculptural swirls of twisted, looping, and sharply barbed spears imprinted like fossils will eventually grow a 25-ft. tall flower spike and die. Meanwhile, endless offshoots or “pups” are produced around the base of the mother plant. This agave grows and spreads rapidly in the ground but tolerates confinement in pots. Plant it as a focal point in a dry garden with hummingbird mint, Mexican feather grass, and stonecrop or as a container garden conversation piece.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and dry, well-drained soil. Cut off terminal spines to prevent eye injury. Propagate by separating and replanting offshoots. If hit by frost outside, hose off to prevent scarring. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with southern or western exposure; water when bone-dry.
Agave americana in an eclectic kitchen garden combination.
LEMON VERBENA, HERB LOUISA
An elderly Aloysia triphylla standard at Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
Deciduous shrub | Zones 8 to 11
DESCRIPTION Pointed citrusy leaves—which are especially aromatic during midsummer flowering—are produced on gangly stems that can grow 10 ft. tall in subtropical climates. You can manage its size by harvesting the stems to make tea or potpourri. Tuck it into the herb garden behind the lavender and lemongrass or use it as a green screen on the deck. Over the years, its trunk and stems will become as gnarled as an old olive tree.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and rich, well-drained soil. Propagate by tip cuttings in summer. Where marginally hardy, plant lemon verbena against a warm south-facing wall and mulch the root zone. Overwinter in chilly bright conditions or in dark storage, potted; water sparingly when dry; prune to lowest dormant buds in spring.
Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myersii’
ASPARAGUS FERN, FOXTAIL FERN
Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myersii’
Perennial | Zones 9 to 10
DESCRIPTION These ground-covering tuffets of bristly, lime-green, 2-ft. long tentacles look more like undersea creatures than a terrestrial garden filler. Invisible fragrant early-summer flowers are sometimes followed by studs of small shiny Christmas-red fruit. Use its aquatic contrast in flower arrangements (fronds last well in water) and alongside the shiny spotted leaves of Farfugium japonicum ‘Aureomaculatum’, variegated hosta, and Heuchera ‘Caramel’. Or isolate it in a container to ease the transition from outdoors in and back out again.
FINE PRINT Prefers partial shade to shade, and moist soil. Propagate by division. Overwinter in warm conditions with eastern or northern exposure; water when dry.
CAST-IRON PLANT
Aspidistra elatior
Perennial | Zones 7 to 11
DESCRIPTION This classic Victorian-era houseplant earns its keep over winter by greening-up the darkest corners in which most other indoor plants would stretch unattractively. In summer it forms a spreading 3-ft. tall groundcover, making a glossy (or variegated or spotted) backdrop curtain for shade containers and corners planted with spotted deadnettle and variegated ribbon grass.
FINE PRINT Prefers partial shade to shade, and moist soil. As its name suggests, cast-iron plant is practically indestructible; propagate by division using a saw or soil knife to get through the crown. Where marginally hardy, plant against a warm south-facing wall and cover in mulch. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with eastern or northern exposure; water when dry.
Begonia
TUBEROUS BEGONIA
Begonia sutherlandii
Perennial | Zones vary
DESCRIPTION Tuberous begonias use their nonstop summer flowers to grab the attention of gardeners. The plants in the Million Kisses Series (zones 9 to 11), specifically developed to spill down the shaded side of hanging baskets, have cascades of blushing pink or red, elongated, four-petaled bellbottoms and can grow an astonishing
1 × 3 ft. tall and wide. Sutherland’s begonia (B. sutherlandii; zones 8 to 12) makes a 6- to 12-in. mound with red-edged, grass-green, lopsided-heart leaves—the ideal backdrop for summer-long dots of sherbet-orange petals. Drape it over the sides of containers or the edge of a rock wall and pair it with shade-loving, complementary blue Lobelia erinus.
FINE PRINT Prefers morning sun or partial shade, and dry, well-drained soil. Propagate by division, or allow Sutherland’s begonia to self-sow. Bring plants inside before frost and overwinter in chilly (low-light) conditions, or in dark storage, potted—either way, plants will die back to the roots. Withhold water until new growth emerges in spring.
ANGEL’S TRUMPET
Brugmansia versicolor ‘Frosty Pink’
Shrub | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION Although angel’s trumpet grows quickly from a rooted cutting into a 4- to 12-ft. tall tree with large soft leaves, it won’t flower for most of us until late summer. But its enormous dangles of night-scented cream, apricot, yellow, or pink trumpets are worth the wait. Let it knock your socks off on the deck or feature it in the ground with other stupendous tropicals like canna and amaranth.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial (afternoon) shade, and moist soil. Pinch tips to encourage branching and fertilize every two weeks to a month from spring until late summer. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring. Overwinter in in chilly conditions with southern exposure or dark storage, potted; keep soil just moist either way. Cut back to a low framework before bringing indoors (unless you have the space to enjoy any remaining flower buds) or just before it breaks dormancy in early spring.
CANNA
Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’
Perennial | Zones 8 to 11
DESCRIPTION The flamboyant late-summer flowers attract hummingbirds, but most gardeners choose cannas for their stalks of multicolored, zebra-striped, or matte blue-green leaves that are shaped like kayak paddles. Plant tall varieties (some grow to 10 ft., but 4 to 6 ft. is more common) at the back of a riotous hot-colored border with dahlias and four o’clocks where they will be backlit by morning or afternoon sun.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and moist soil. Plant rhizomes 4 to 6 in. deep in the ground after last frost or start them in pots earlier. Deadhead to keep plants blooming. Propagate by dividing rhizomes. Overwinter in dark storage, bareroot and dry, wrapped in newspaper, in open bins or paper bags; mist with water if plants show signs of shriveling.
MEYER LEMON
Citrus ×meyeri ‘Meyer’
Shrub | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION The fruit of this lemon–mandarin orange cross, ripe when it turns as yellow as yolk, is sweet-tart with a thin edible rind. Consult Alice Waters’ cookbooks for recipes and enjoy the shrub’s shiny deep green leaves, fragrant white flowers that open from purple-blushed buds, and its prolific summer display of ripening orbs on a widely branching framework that can reach 6 to 10 ft. tall. Use it as a focal point on the deck with shrub verbena and scented geranium.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and moist soil. Fertilize monthly, year-round, with an acidic fertilizer formulated for citrus. Propagate by tip cuttings in late summer. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with southern or western exposure; keep soil just moist. For best fruit production use a soft watercolor brush to hand-pollinate winter flowers indoors. Prune in early spring for shape and to maintain size.
Colocasia
ELEPHANT’S EAR, TARO
Colocasia esculenta ‘Nancy’s Revenge’, not yet displaying its distinctive cream-splashed center.
Cormous perennial | Zones 8 to 10
DESCRIPTION Variations in the two hundred or so cultivars of C. esculenta include leaf color from chartreuse to blue-green to purple-black and sizes from tea cup to garage (I exaggerate, but only slightly). The largest leaves of C. gigantea can grow 5 ft. long and nearly as wide. Plant at pond edges or with New Zealand flax and pink porterweed to add temperate and tropical-zone stylishness to northern gardens.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and rich, moist to boggy soil. Propagate by dividing rhizomatous types during growth, or separating corm offsets before planting. Overwinter big plants in dark storage: store large tubers bareroot, otherwise leave in pots and withhold water until spring. Provide warm conditions and eastern exposure for your favorite small plants, and keep soil evenly moist.
CABBAGE PALM
Cordyline australis ‘Torbay Dazzler’
Tree | Zones 10 to 11
DESCRIPTION Brilliant arrow-straight and slightly arched 1- to 3-ft. long deep pinkish burgundy or green blades spray up and out from the top of a single stem—a trunk, over time—to catch our attention like a bright idea. With cream and pink-tinged-green variegation, ‘Torbay Dazzler’ is a quintessential thriller for container combinations. It also looks outstanding tucked in a garden border as a ray of light among a cluster of African blue basil or spur flower.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and moist soil. Control vertical growth by cutting off the growing tip—to the pot if necessary—in mid spring. This will cause multiple branches to form at the cut and/or along the trunk. Propagate by rooting tips and sections of stem; maintain the polarity of the stem pieces, sticking them vertically in medium. Overwinter in chilly or warm
conditions with eastern or southern exposure; water when dry.
Cosmos atrosanguineus
CHOCOLATE COSMOS
Cosmos atrosanguineus
Tuberous perennial | Zones 7 to 11
DESCRIPTION I like to think that I would grow this plant even if the flowers didn’t smell like Snickers. But in mid to late summer, the open-faced maroon petals hovering on licorice-whip stems and surrounding dark-chocolate centers really are candy scented. Plant their loose, spreading stems in a pot of mint, or around Mexican feather grass and spurges (especially Euphorbia ×martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’) for color contrast.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and rich, moist soil. Deadhead to keep plants flowering. Propagate by dividing tubers. In marginally hardy gardens, plant where drainage is sharp through the winter and mulch the crown. Overwinter in dark storage: when potted, keep soil just moist; when bareroot (in plastic bags or wrapped in newspaper), check the small, delicate tubers at least once a month and mist with water if they show signs of shriveling.
CIGAR PLANT, BAT FLOWER
Cuphea ‘David Verity’
Shrub | Zones vary
DESCRIPTION Out of the more than 250 species, the hybrid ‘David Verity’ (zones 8 to 10)—with a 2-ft. mass of glossy green leaves and 1-in. long burning-ember flowers from midsummer to frost—is among the hummingbirds’ favorites. But sticky-leaved C. llavea (zones 9 to 12) cultivars have ruffled petals like Mickey Mouse ears, which makes them even more fantasia-tastic. The hybrid ‘Ballistic’ has conspicuous deep purple ears and a compact habit perfect for poking through the branches of golden-yellow Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and moist soil. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring and late summer. Overwinter in chilly conditions with eastern or southern exposure; water when dry; watch for aphids and whitefly.
Cyperus papyrus
PAPYRUS, EGYPTIAN PAPER RUSH
Cyperus papyrus
Perennial | Zones 9 to 10
DESCRIPTION Spreading 6-ft. tall triangular stalks that can be splayed for making paper or used as a curtain between garden rooms are topped by fiber-optic globes spritzed with tiny brown flowers. If its height is unnecessary, grow the 2- to 3-ft. dwarf C. prolifer or umbrella grass (C. involucratus), whose flowers appear between an umbrella’s skeleton of grassy blades instead. Plant any of these species in the pond with elephant’s ear and umbrella plant or in a tub in the container garden.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and wet soil—grow in standing water (a full saucer) year-round. Cut stalks to the ground when they turn brown. Propagate by division. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with eastern, southern, or western exposure.
Dahlia ‘Pale Tiger’
Tuberous perennial | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION Bumblebee-seducing, pollen-centric flowers grow on glossy stems with deep green to bronze cut foliage and come in every possible petal color but true-blue. You’ll also find a shape and size for every gardener’s taste, be it a miniature front-of-the-border daisy, multi-petal waterlily, cheerleader pompom, or spidery cactus flower. Colors intensify as nights cool and they won’t quit until frost. Plant them in any sunny garden with late-blooming salvias, cannas, and asters where they will steal the show from midsummer daylilies and phlox.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and rich, moist soil. Plant tubers in the ground 4- to 6-in. deep in early summer after the soil warms or start them earlier inside in pots, planted just below the soil’s surface. Propagate by separating tubers in spring before planting (each tuber should have a visible growing point or “eye”) or by tip cuttings as new growth appears after planting. Deadhead for continuous bloom and best looks and use stakes to support tall varieties. Overwinter in dark storage, bareroot, in paper bags, open plastic bags, or wrapped in newspaper; mist with water if tubers show signs of shriveling.
Dicliptera sericea, syn. D. suberecta
URUGUAYAN FIRECRACKER PLANT
Dicliptera sericea
Perennial | Zones 13 to 15
DESCRIPTION The silver-green velvet covering the angular 1- to 2-ft. stems and the kitten’s-ear leaves makes this plant a truly tactile treat, while midsummer to frost, firecracker-orange tubular hummingbird-feeder flowers are visually magnetic. Plant it in a stroke-able combination with peppermint-scented geranium and silver sage (Salvia argentea), or show it off against purple-leaved shiso and coleus.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and moist soil. Cut plants back to low leaf-sets in fall and again in spring. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring and early fall. Large plants grow from small root systems making them easy to dig out and pot up in fall. Overwinter in chilly conditions with southern or western exposure; keep soil just moist.
Echeveria elegans
Succulent perennial | Zones vary from 10 to 15
DESCRIPTION At least 150 species—all native to the semi-deserts of southwestern United States, Central America, and South America—are available to choose from in this genus’ jewelry box. Almost all have a distinctive hens-and-chicks–like rosette of fleshy or fuzzy, ruffled, spoon-shaped or curled-tongue foliage in a range of hues from concrete gray and celadon to red-edged lavender and burgundy. Star-burst flowers on nearly naked curled 12-in. stems hang on for weeks during the summer. Plant echeveria along the gardens fringes where drainage is sharp or in containers either by themselves or with other succulents and herbs that thrive in sun and sandy soil.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and dry, well-drained soil. Some species produce an endless supply of offshoots while others are slower to spawn, but all can be propagated any time of the year by leaf cuttings or by rooting entire rosettes. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with southern or western exposure; provide low humidity and water when dry.
Eucomis comosa
PINEAPPLE LILY
Eucomis comosa ‘Sparkling Burgundy’
Bulbous perennial | Zones 7 to 11
DESCRIPTION Columns of pale greenish white flowers crowned with leafy capitals, looking just like slender versions of their namesake fruit, rise 2-ft. tall in midsummer from clumps of wide strappy leaves. The cultivar ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ displays pink flowers on red stems and leaves that shift from deep burgundy to green and back again as the flowers fade. Plant pineapple lilies as exclamation points in containers or in the front row with plumbago and shiso.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and moist soil. Plant bulbs 6 in. deep in the ground in early summer as soil warms or just below the surface in pots. In marginally hardy gardens, plant where drainage is sharp enough to prevent rot. Propagate by separating offshoot bulbs in spring. Overwinter potted plants, which will die back completely, in chilly (low-light) conditions or in dark storage; do not water.
Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’
PENCIL CACTUS
Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’ stands tall in a rainbow assortment of succulents at Avant Gardens.
Tree-like succulent | Zones 13 to 15
DESCRIPTION Glowing in shades from reddish coral to yellow, the densely forked, practically leafless, tubular pencil-thin twigs look as if they would be more at home in a reef than a dry stony slope. While the straight green species grows chaotically lanky, ‘Sticks on Fire’, which lacks the chlorophyll required for rapid growth, is more compact—potentially reaching 4 to 8 ft. as opposed to
25 ft.—and more upright. Bring out its colors by surrounding it with a tidal pool of blue-green echeveria.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, low humidity, and dry, well-drained soil. Like all euphorbias, ‘Sticks on Fire’ bleeds a caustic sap that can cause contact dermatitis and even blindness, so for goodness sake, do not touch your eyes after touching it. Propagate by tip cuttings anytime, letting the cut ends dry and form a callus before sticking in rooting medium. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with southern or western exposure; water when dry.
Farfugium japonicum
LIGULARIA, LEOPARD PLANT
Perennial | Zones 7 to 10
DESCRIPTION In mid to late fall, F. japonicum ‘Aureomaculatum’ sends 2- to 3-ft. tall deely-boppers of yellow daisies up from 12- to 18-in. clumps of shiny, deep green and yellow-speckled lilypad leaves. Contrast their circus display with hakonechloa, asparagus fern, or yellow-leaved St. John’s wort (Hypericum calycinum ‘Brigadoon’). With its 12-in. wide glossy green leaves on 2-ft. stalks, F. japonicum var. giganteum is more like an elephant in the garden than a leopard; it is ideal for traffic-stopping container displays.
FINE PRINT Prefers partial shade and moist soil. It will wilt during drought but is surprisingly resilient. Propagate by division. Where marginally hardy, plant against a south-facing wall protected from winter wind and mulch the crown. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with any exposure; keep soil moist.
Farfugium japonicum var. giganteum grows in a 30-in. pot with iresine, fuchsia, lobelia, and begonias.
BLUE DAISY, BLUE MARGUERITE
Felicia amelloides ‘Variegata’
Perennial | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION A profusion of sky-blue yellow-eyed daisies sit atop sprawling 12-in. mounds of wiry stems and tiny leathery leaves. Blooming slows as the humidity rises. The cultivar ‘Variegata’ is a great choice for gardeners who suffer muggy summers because even without flowers, its white and deep green foliage is bright enough to sparkle against chartreuse licorice vine (Helichrysum petiolare ‘Limelight’). Burgundy-bronze foliage, like Uncinia uncinata ‘Rubra’ or ‘Sedona’ coleus, would bring out the cerulean in the early- and late-season flowers.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and moist soil. Pinch to encourage bushier growth. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring. Cut it back by a third to half when potting up and again in spring. Overwinter in chilly conditions with southern or western exposure; water when dry (but before the leaves wilt).
COMMON FIG
Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’
Small tree or shrub | Zones 8 to 10
DESCRIPTION Large, lobed, gray-green leaves decorate sculptural branches interspersed along the previous season’s new growth with fleshy knobs of enclosed flowers that are, in fact, a sweet and sensual treat. ‘Brown Turkey’ and ‘Chicago Hardy’ are reliably hardy above zone 6 and capable of growing 15 to 25 ft. tall when planted in the ground. ‘Petite Negra’ is less hardy (to zone 8) but only grows 2 to 3 ft. tall in a container.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, moist soil, and protection from wind. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring and prune after harvesting. Where marginally hardy, plant against a warm south-facing wall and peg branches to the ground for burial under an insulating blanket of shredded leaves. Overwinter potted plants in chilly conditions (any exposure) or in dark storage—either way they will drop their leaves and go dormant; keep soil just moist.
Ficus deltoidea
MISTLETOE FIG
Ficus deltoidea
Shrub | Zones 10 to 15
DESCRIPTION Slender woody branches arch, bend, and drape a collection of 2-in., pin-pricked, deep green teardrops with a pale reverse, along with yellow to orange pea-sized figlets. A favorite houseplant for low light, it also makes a textural container garden companion for hakonechloa, heuchera, fuchsia, and farfugium.
FINE PRINT Prefers bright light to partial shade, humidity, and moist soil. Shrubs can grow like trees to 15 ft. or more but may be pruned any time and even shaped and restricted like bonsai in containers. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring. Overwinter in warm conditions with any exposure; place on a humidity tray and keep soil evenly moist (but don’t let it sit in water).
Fuchsia ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’
Shrubs and perennials | Zones vary
DESCRIPTION So-called hardy fuchsias are just tender enough for most of us to have to make room for them inside. Grow the 1- to 3-ft. tall, regimentally upright ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’ (zones 9 to 10) for its army-green purple backed leaves and clusters of red bugles. Or F. magellanica var. gracilis ‘Aurea’ (zones 8 to 10) for its gaudy curtains of red-stemmed yellow leaves and pink-purple flowers. Plant their colors and hummingbird magnetism among the hostas or in foliage-heavy shade containers with farfugium and ferns.
FINE PRINT Prefers morning sun and afternoon shade, and rich, moist, well-drained soil. Deadheading is unnecessary but fertilization every two weeks to a month during summer is recommended especially for potted fuchsias. Propagate by tip cuttings in early and late summer. Overwinter potted plants in chilly conditions with southern or western exposure (keep soil evenly moist), or dormant in dark storage (water sparingly to keep soil just moist). Cut the stems back to the lowest visible buds in spring.
GLADIOLUS
Gladiolus murielae and tall verbena.
Cormous perennial | Zones 6 to 10
DESCRIPTION In high summer, when the garden is beginning to look beat by the heat, gladiolus offers spring-fresh blades rising 3 to 5 ft. tall with zigzagging spears of bottom-to-top opening butterfly wings. The single-sided stems curve and occasionally lean like drunks so grow them between crutches of plants like anise hyssop and summer phlox. G. murielae (zones 7 to 10), also known as acidanthera, has delicate foliage and 2- to 3-ft. tall stems accommodating up to a dozen nodding and highly fragrant white stars with burgundy centers.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Propagate by separating new corms from old (discard the old). Plant after last frost in two-week successions for a longer mid- to late-summer display. Wait at least six weeks after flowering to dig corms and cut stems to 2 in. before bringing inside. Overwinter in dark storage, completely dry, bareroot in paper or mesh bags.
CHINESE HIBISCUS
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis hybrid
Shrub | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION Chinese hibiscus is the quintessential tropical flower. It has a wide ruff of show-off petals with a projecting boss of hummingbird- and butterfly-seducing flower parts that open in succession (every day or two) over the summer and intermittently through the winter on a stiff and upright woody, glossy green shrub. You’ll earn bragging rights whenever it’s in full flower: place it by the front door or the best spot on the deck. Pair Chinese hibiscus with brugmansia, canna, and palm grass as a reminder of your last trip to paradise.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and rich, moist soil. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring and early summer. Fertilize every two weeks during summer to keep blooms coming. Cut back by a third to half before bringing inside, even if it is still flowering. Overwinter in warmish conditions (55 to 70 degrees F) with southern or western exposure; water when dry; watch for aphids, whitefly, mealybug, and scale.
KALANCHOE
Kalanchoe tomentosa
Succulent perennial | Zones 11 to 15
DESCRIPTION Gardeners can choose from more than one hundred upright and shrubby or dangly species, although I think it would be impossible to pick just one. Options include the nodding, flour-dusted, pink-flowered K. pumila; the upright, softly flocked, brown-tipped panda plant (K. tomentosa); and the stupendously prolific devil’s backbone (K. daigremontiana), which arrays tiny gray plantlets around the edges of its pointed seafoam-green leaves. Use kalanchoe to extend your succulent collection into the areas of your container garden that get dappled or morning sun.
FINE PRINT Prefers partial shade, and dry, well-drained soil. Fertilize monthly during the summer. Propagate most kalanchoe by tip or leaf cuttings anytime; in the case of devil’s backbone, simply knock plantlets onto fresh soil. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with eastern, western, or southern exposure; provide low humidity and water when dry.
SHRUB VERBENA
Lantana camara ‘Lucky Peach’
Shrub | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION Knobs of clustered color wheel neighbors open outside-in on well-branched plants that have prickly stems and sandpapery deep green leaves. The inky berries that follow are meant to be admired, never eaten. In fact the entire plant is toxic to eat and may cause contact dermatitis. Never mind that (wear gloves to work with it) because nothing blooms with such abandon during the summer’s hottest heat, and butterflies love it. Plant it in Crayola-crayon combinations with angel’s trumpet, nicotiana, creeping Jenny, and New Zealand flax.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and rich, moist soil. Prune in late summer if you see more berries than blooms, otherwise do not bother deadheading. Fertilize plants every two weeks from early to midsummer when grown in containers. Propagate by tip cuttings in summer. Overwinter in chilly conditions with southern or western exposure (water when dry and watch for aphids and whitefly) or dormant in dark storage, potted (keep soil just moist).
LAVENDER
Lavandula multifida and pineapple mint.
Perennial | Zones vary
DESCRIPTION French lavender (L. dentata, zones 8 to 10) grows small relaxed mounds of toothy gray leaves that are slightly fleshy and full of an oily turpentine-like perfume. Its pale lavender flowers are topped by purple bracts like tiny wings. Spanish or butterfly lavender (L. stoechas, zones 8 to 10) has darker purple flowers, very conspicuous wings, and a larger, even more lackadaisical, sprawling habit. Egyptian or fern-leaf lavender (L. multifida, zones 8 to 10) is the happy medium with tidy 18- to 24-in. clumps of gray lacy foliage and pale forked spikes of endless deep blue flowers. Plant lavender in containers or along sunny walkways frequented by family pets—all species are said to repel fleas.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and dry, well-drained soil. Prune to shape in early spring or after blooming, taking care not to cut into old wood below green growth. Do not fertilize. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring. Overwinter in chilly conditions with southern or western exposure; water when dry.
MANDEVILLA
Sun Parasol Pretty Crimson Mandevilla
Vine | Zones 13 to 15
DESCRIPTION Brilliantly colored (bubblegum pink, white, yellow, or red), deep-throated, 3- to 4-in. propellers spin open from torpedo-shaped buds in a mad profusion all summer long. A climber with a low woody framework, mandevilla will snake its wires of deep green shiny leaves 4 to 6 ft. up a trellis and around the stems of neighboring plants but will be just as happy to dangle curls from a hanging basket. Give it its own container at the corner of the deck, at an entryway, or anywhere you can watch the hummingbirds get sucked in.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and moist soil. Fertilize every two weeks to a month during growth and flowering. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring and summer. Cut plant back by a one-third or one-half before overwintering in chilly or warm conditions with southern or western exposure; keep soil evenly moist. Or cut back to 12 in. and overwinter in dark storage, potted; keep soil just moist.
FOUR O’CLOCK, MARVEL OF PERU
Mirabilis jalapa
Tuberous perennial | Zones 10 to 11
DESCRIPTION This old school, cottage garden favorite has creased, heart-shaped, grass-green leaves on succulent branches that grow 2 to 4 ft. tall, and garish hot pink, yellow, white, or striped and splotched miniature (1-in.) trumpets that release their fragrance and tempt the hummingbirds as temperatures drop in the evening. Peppercorn-sized seeds form in the flowers’ place and drop into greedy palms or on the ground to germinate next summer. Plant them near the deck or windows that are left open at night.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Propagate by seed. No maintenance is necessary apart from editing out extra self-sown seedlings in spring. Overwinter in dark storage, bareroot in open containers or paper bags. Mist with water only if the tubers show signs of shriveling.
Nephrolepis exaltata
BOSTON FERN
Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Tiger Fern’
Fern | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION Boston fern’s great tufts (potentially growing to 7 ft. but more likely 3 to 4 ft. in confinement) of arching zigzagged fronds make any indoor or outdoor garden feel like a lush green jungle. For a change from plain green ‘Bostoniensis’, try yellow-and-green variegated ‘Tiger Fern’, chartreuse ‘Rita’s Gold’, or ‘Fluffy Ruffles’ which displays deep green fronds with a finely cut, crunchy texture. Plant them in hanging pots (macramé is optional) and use them to decorate the porch or dangle from strong-limbed trees through the summer.
FINE PRINT Prefers bright shade (no direct sun), and moist, well-drained soil. Propagate by division or by allowing its leafless tendrils to land on fresh soil. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with any exposure; allow soil to dry slightly before watering.
AFRICAN BLUE BASIL
Ocimum ‘African Blue’
Perennial | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION The highly aromatic, purplish blue veined leaves on this 2 × 2 ft. plant—a hybrid cross of O. kilimandscharicum and O basilicum ‘Dark Opal’—are decked in late summer with 6- to 12-in. long deep purple spires of lavender flowers beloved by honeybees. In the slanted light of fall, the glowing flowers and foliage pair perfectly with flowering ornamental grasses. Try the leaves in pesto for a piquant change from sweet basil, and the flowers in salads and cocktails.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and average, moist, well-drained soil. Pinch plants to encourage branching. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring and late summer. Cut plants back by one-half to two-thirds before potting and bringing inside (or overwinter cuttings only). Provide chilly conditions with southern or eastern exposure; keep soil just moist and watch for aphids and whitefly.
Oxalis vulcanicola
SHAMROCK, SORREL
Oxalis ‘Plum Crazy’
Perennial | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION Heart-shaped triads in unique shades
of chartreuse, copper-orange, burgundy, black, and purple, grow into tightly knit sprawling, 6- to 8-in. tufts. Grow purple-and-black variegated ‘Plum Crazy’, or the chartreuse to orange ‘Copper Glow’ for their foliage alone but love their nonstop, fingernail-sized, banana-yellow flowers too. As luck would have it, these shamrocks do as well in containers, either alone or combined with coleus and New Guinea impatiens, as they would in the ground nestled along the front edge of borders with blue-flowering calamint and gray lamb’s ear.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and moist to dry, well-drained soil. The more sun it gets, inside and out, the more intense the foliage color. Propagate by division or tip cuttings anytime. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with eastern, southern, or western exposure; water when dry.
GERANIUM
Cuttings from scented geraniums, Pelargonium ‘Lady Plymouth’ and the peppermint P. tomentosum, forming calluses. Place the tips end-out in a plastic bag to keep their leaves from wilting.
Perennial | Zones vary
DESCRIPTION A garden without at least one of the nearly three hundred species would be like Christmas without gifts. The scalloped leaves of zonal geraniums (P. zonale, zones 9 to 11) display burgundy zones or multicolored variegations and bright clusters of summer flowers. Martha Washington or regal geraniums (P. ×domesticum, zones 10 to 11) have showier flowers triggered by long days and cool nights. Scented geraniums are beloved for foliage that comes in a perfumer’s array from apple to rose to almond to peppermint, and are best planted near walkways or as pest-repelling companions for roses and vegetables. Pelargoniums grow anywhere from 4 in. to 3 ft., and look traditionally handsome with lavender, nicotiana, and salvia.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and moist to dry, well-drained soil. Propagate by tip cuttings, leaving stem ends exposed overnight to form a callus before sticking in medium. Cut plants back by half or more before bringing inside. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with southern or western exposure. Cut back again to a low framework in early spring. Water when dry year-round.
Pentas lanceolata
STAR CLUSTER
Pentas lanceolata ‘Graffiti Pink’
Perennial | Zones 10 to 11
DESCRIPTION Nonstop clusters of cool pink (or white, magenta, or lavender) five-pointed stars sit on 1- to 2-ft. tightly branched shoulders of matte green leaves. Plant it in constellations with short nicotiana cultivars like ‘Lime Green’ and ‘Crimson Bedder’ and use its butterfly magnetism in the border front row with plumbago, tall verbena, and milkweed.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and rich, well-drained soil. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring and late summer. Overwinter in chilly conditions with southern or western exposure; water when dry. Cut back by one-third to one-half in early spring as new growth breaks. Watch for aphids, whitefly, and spider mite.
NEW ZEALAND FLAX
Phormium ‘Maori Sunrise’
Perennial | Zones 9 to 10
DESCRIPTION Clumps of 2- to 6-ft. long flat belt straps striped with green, cream, orange, pink or mahogany, depending on species and cultivar, give the eyes a slick landing zone and a vertical contrast more interesting than iris foliage could ever hope to be. Use New Zealand flax to modernize garden beds—even planted in the ground, their clumps are slow to increase—or leave them in containers as patio anchors. They may surprise you with a 6-ft. flower spike in spring or early summer.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and moist soil. Propagate by division, using a saw to get through the crown. Plants will tolerate light frost. Overwinter in chilly or warm conditions with any exposure except the darkest corners; water when dry.
Platycerium bifurcatum
STAGHORN FERN
Platycerium bifurcatum
Epiphytic fern | Zones 12 to 15
DESCRIPTION Long, forked tongues of gray-green fertile fronds with pale undersides arch out 1 to 3 ft. from layers of pale green disks (infertile fronds) that turn brown and papery. Make a trophy of its antlers by attaching it to a rot-resistant board (red cedar or white oak) that can be hung on a shady wall outside and displayed among pictures of safari inside; or pot it in well-draining potting mix to hang over the sink and from shady tree branches in summer.
FINE PRINT Prefers shade, high humidity, and frequent watering during summer (daily or every other day). To propagate, slice clusters apart. Watch for scale and scrape it off gently. Overwinter in warm conditions with any exposure out of direct sun; drench weekly.
SPUR FLOWER
A fall combination of Plectranthus ciliatus and shiso.
Perennial | Zones 10 to 11
DESCRIPTION I can hardly wait all summer for the lit-from-within purple autumn candelabras of spur flower and the spotted pale purple candles of Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’, which has bigger blooms but smaller, deeper green leaves. But with purple undersides to the quilted leaves and purple stems, both are striking, even out of bloom, especially with cousin coleus, and as a filler around hosta and under the legs of rice paper plant and Tiger Eyes staghorn sumac.
FINE PRINT Prefers partial shade and moist soil. Pinch to encourage branching. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring and late summer. Cut plants back by half to bring inside (or overwinter cuttings only) and provide cool conditions with eastern or western exposure; keep soil just moist; watch for aphids and whitefly.
Plectranthus scutellarioides
COLEUS
Perennial | Zones 10 to 12
DESCRIPTION An endless array of foliage shapes, colors, and patterns makes coleus one of the most used and abused “annuals.” Often put to work as thrilling fillers in containers, they are just as happy working in the garden where they can be used to blaze color into dark and dapple shaded corners.
FINE PRINT Prefers partial shade to shade (but look for new cultivars that grow in full sun without scorching), and rich, moist, well-drained soil. Pinch growing tips to encourage branching and remove the flowers to direct attention back to the foliage. Propagate by tip cuttings anytime. Cut back by half before bringing inside. Overwinter in warm conditions with eastern or western exposure; water when dry; watch for aphids and whitefly. Prune again in early spring to a low framework.
A fall color combination of Plectranthus scutellarioides ‘Freckles’ and hakonechloa.
ROSEMARY
Rosmarinus officinalis
Shrub | Zones 8 to 11
DESCRIPTION My chef requests that I keep a rosemary plant growing for flavoring roasted chicken and root vegetables. Because rosemary’s evergreen 2- to 4-ft. tall sprigs and twigs are deliciously aromatic, structurally handsome in the herb garden or on the deck, and its scent is said to enhance memory, I have no trouble remembering to oblige him. Tiny pale blue salvia-esque flowers decorate stem tips during spring captivity and again
in fall.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Plants are drought tolerant once established in the ground; keep soil just moist when planted in a container. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring. Overwinter in chilly conditions with southern or western exposure; water when dry and prune as needed for your chef.
Salvia guaranitica
BLUE ANISE SAGE
Salvia guaranitica
Perennial | Zones 7 to 10
DESCRIPTION Small cobalt blue flowers like tiny sock puppets open in mid to late summer along one side of slender green stems that grow to 5 ft. tall and are densely packed with arrow-heads of grass-green leaves. The cultivar ‘Black and Blue’ has blackish calyxes and stems and a slightly shorter stature. Plant them wherever you can watch the neighborhood hummingbirds work every flower in late-summer combinations with apricot-colored dahlias and ‘Nally’s Lime Dot’ false aster. Pineapple sage (S. elegans, zones 8 to 10) blooms much later but its 5-ft. tall fire engine–red spikes will flag down migrating hummingbirds on their way south, and meanwhile its generous mound of soft leaves is deliciously pineapple scented.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and moist soil. Spreads rhizomatously where hardy. Propagate by spring division or tip cuttings in early and late summer. Where marginally hardy, mulch the crown with shredded leaves and do not cut stems down to the ground until mid to late spring. Patience required: it is slow to emerge from dormancy. To overwinter indoors, cut back by half or all the way to the ground before placing in chilly conditions with southern or western exposure (watch for aphids and white fly) or in dark storage, potted; keep soil just moist either way.
PALM GRASS
Setaria palmifolia
Perennial grass | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION Wide, pointed, and delicately pleated lime-green spears arch 3 to 4 ft. with taller late-summer flower tassels, from a vigorously increasing clump of sturdy stalks. Palm grass leaves last well in water but are covered in a pelt of splintery filaments that lodge invisibly in finger skin so don’t pick them without gloves on (or use a piece of tape to remove the splinters). Plant in tropical combinations with other equatorial plants like chocolate cosmos and amaranth.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun to partial shade, and moist soil. Propagate by division in spring or fall. Cut stalks down to 6 to 12 in. and bring inside before the first frost. Overwinter potted plants in chilly conditions with
any exposure or in dark storage; keep soil just moist either way.
Stachytarpheta mutabilis
PINK PORTERWEED, PINK SNAKEWEED
Stachytarpheta mutabilis ‘Variegata’
Shrub | Zones 9 to 11
DESCRIPTION Tiny coral-pink funnels with tubes the size of a hummingbird’s tongue climb weird snaking green 12- to 18-in. long stems in tight bunches. Well-branched plants grow between 3 and 6 ft. tall putting up dozens of flower stems at a time between 3- to 4-in. softly scratchy leaves. Give it or its purple-flowered sister (S. urticifolia) a wide berth in the middle or back of a bed planted with other attractive plants like blue anise sage and nicotiana, and rice paper plant for contrast.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring and late summer. Pot up mature plants, cutting them back by half to two-thirds (or overwinter cuttings only) and provide chilly conditions with southern, eastern, or western exposure. Keep soil just moist throughout winter and prune again to lowest dormant leaf buds in early spring.
GLORY BUSH, PRINCESS FLOWER
Tibouchina urvilleana
Shrub | Zones 13 to 15
DESCRIPTION Red-edged, creased velvet leaves and red fuzzy stems are reason enough to add this large shrub (to 10 ft. or more) to your collection, never mind the luminous open-faced purple flowers that arrive in succession from mid to late summer. But if its 3- to 6-in. arrow-shaped leaves aren’t showy enough, grow T. heteromalla, which has slightly inflated looking paddles up to 10-in. long and is topped by 1-ft. tall spires of red-centered purple flowers. Either plant will be a stunner in the container garden, popping against bright red mandevilla and the straps of cabbage palm and New Zealand flax.
FINE PRINT Prefers full sun, and rich, moist soil. You can prune these shrubs hard—even to just above the lowest leaf nodes—to keep size manageable. Propagate by tip cuttings in spring or late summer. Overwinter potted plants in dark storage, or in chilly or warm conditions with southern or western exposure; keep soil just moist either way.
Uncinia uncinata ‘Rubra’
RED HOOK SEDGE
Perennial | Zones 8 to 11
DESCRIPTION The grass isn’t always greener. Roughly curled and folded russet blades erupt out of a dense 12 × 12 in. clump and send up dark flower spikes in late summer. One red hook sedge would be pretty enough as a garnet pendant in a container but a beaded necklace strung around the garden would be even lovelier. Let it contrast with extra-leafy leaves like bergenia and lettuces or nest it alongside fellow partial-shade moisture-loving plants like astilbes and plumbago.
FINE PRINT Prefers partial shade to shade (especially where summers bake), and cool, moist soil. Comb out dead leaves in spring; do not cut back. Propagate by division in spring. Overwinter in chilly conditions with any exposure; keep soil just moist.
Uncinia uncinata ‘Rubra’
