Nerium oleander – commonly called oleander – is a flowering shrub with a dense, bushy habit native to the Mediterranean region, North Africa, and parts of Asia. It is a popular ornamental plant in warm-region gardens and landscapes due to its beautiful flowers and evergreen foliage. Oleander is well-suited for warm and dry climates. It […] More
Vitex is a genus of about 250 mainly subtropical to temperate plants; the best known species are called chaste tree. Vitex are mostly evergreen plants, but some are deciduous when planted in cooler temperate regions. Vitex – chast tree is commonly grown for its sprays of tubular flowers usually lilac, but also blue, pink, or […] More
Cotinus — commonly known as smoke tree or smoke bush –gets its common name from 8-inch clusters of minute fluffy blossoms that rise above the plant from mid- to late summer. The dramatic blossoms resemble puff of smoke. Cotinus grows from 10 to 12 feet tall and nearly as wide. Old plants can grow to […] More
Callicarpa — commonly called beautyberry — is a graceful shrub with arching branches. Callicarpa bears small lilac or pink flowers in summer that are followed by tight clusters of small, round violet or purple fruits that remain on the plant for several weeks after leaves fall in autumn and winter. As the common name suggest, […] More
Buddleia or Buddleja — commonly called butterfly bush — produces a great profusion of mostly long, colorful racemes in shades of lilac and purple mostly. Flowers appear in tapered sprays at branch tips. The blooms attract butterflies. They are also excllent cut flowers with a long vase lift. Buddleia is an evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous […] More
Carpenteria, commonly called bush anemone, is an evergreen shrub with handsome leathery glossy leaves and showy cup-shaped white flowers with yellow centers. Carpenteria flowers look much like anemone flowers. Carpenteria is very decorative. The older bark is light-colored and peeling; new shoots are purplish. The thick, narrow leaves are dark green above, whitish beneath. The […] More
Abeliophyllum–commonly called white forsythia– is a small deciduous shrub grown for its fragrant early-spring flowers. Abeliophyllum is not a true forsythia, but it blooms at the same time as forsythia in very early spring. Flower buds are less likely to be killed by late frosts than those of true forsythia. Abeliophyllum is an open, spreading […] More
Prunus is a genus of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs including ornamental flowering cherries and plums. Ornamental cherries and plums bloom in spring. They bear pink or white flowers 1 to 2 inches in diameter; the flowers are borne in clusters that mass along the stems or droop beneath them. The flowers can be […] More
Syringa–commonly called Lilac–bears large conical clusters of highly fragrant purple, pink, and white flowers. Lilac is a deciduous shrub with mid-green heart-shaped leaves. Lilacs are mostly large hardy shrubs of easy cultivation, free-flowering, and very ornamental bloom. The flowers are born in large panicles, ranging in color from pure white to deep crimson, through many […] More
Forsythia is a colorful harbinger of spring. Clusters of yellow flowers bloom before the leaves emerge. Yellow flowers range from pale primrose to deep brass. Forsythias vary in size from shrubs that grow 1 foot tall to others that reach 8 to 10 feet (2.6-3m) tall. Forsythia has a fountain-like habit with arching branches. After […] More
The flowering quince, Chaenomeles, is a spreading deciduous shrub that bears clusters of showy flowers in late winter before leaves appear. Blossoms are cup-shaped with 5 petals and up to 60 stamens. Single or double flowers can be solitary or clustered. Flowering quince has spiny branches. Plants can be used as thorny hedges or barriers. […] More
Lantana — sometimes called shrub verbena — is a semi-tropical and tropical shrub that bears showy, domed clusters of bright-colored flowers. It is fast-growing and flowers last over the summer season. The flowers attract both hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden. Lantana is often grown as a summer annual in cold-winter regions. Heavy frosts do serious damage to […] More
Stephen Albert