What's in Bloom
Bloom Highlights
Callicarpa dichotoma
Purple Beautyberry
This shrub is native to the temperate open woodlands of eastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. This deciduous shrub has a rounded habit created by long, slender branches that gracefully arch down away from the center of the shrub. The bright green leaves are borne in pairs and are elliptical, often accumulating to a point at the apex with serrate margins. In the late spring, cymes of small flowers emerge from the leaf axils of young shoots. The flowers are variably lavender to pink to white. In autumn, the flowers give way to much showier fruits. The green berries ripen to glossy, bright purple that persist even after the leaves drop, and last into early winter. The genus name is a compound of the Greek words “kallos” meaning “beauty” and “carpos” meaning “fruit.” This genus is known for its showy clusters of bright purple berries. The specific epithet comes from Greek dikho-, meaning “in two,” and the suffix –tomia, meaning “to cut,” referring to the paired leaves.
Gibasis geniculata
Tahitian Bridal-Veil
Native to the sub-tropical and temperate regions of Mexico and Central America, this plant is commonly found in forests. It produces long, wiry vines that mound over each other and trail along the ground. The stems are dark green and slightly pubescent. The leaves are produced alternately to sub-oppositely on the stems from short petioles (leaf stalks) with purple tinted, hairy stipules that sheath around the stem (ocrea). The lanceolate leaves are dark green, glossy, and sparingly pubescent on top and dark purple on the underside. Tiny, white, flowers with three tepals are profusely produced alone or in clusters from purple hued peduncles (flower stalks). The genus name comes from the Latin word “gibbus” meaning “swollen” and Greek word “basis” meaning “base.” The specific epithet comes from the Latin word geniculatus meaning “knotted” referring to the swollen nodes of the stem looking like a stretch of knotted rope.
Ipomoea lobata ‘Jungle Queen’
Jungle Queen Firecracker Vine
This plant is native to the coastal and mountainous woodlands of southwest Mexico. This is a fast-growing vine that will twine and climb any support it is given. The medium green, cordate leaves are deeply lobed into three lobes with palmate venation. Raceme inflorescences with dark red rachides (raceme flower stalks) produce up to twenty flowers. The flowers are tubular with fused petals. The tubular flowers held on one side of the raceme axil give the appearance of flags or windsocks blowing in the wind. Flower buds emerge small and dark red as they mature and elongate the buds transition to orange then to yellow before fading to white once the flower has reached maturity, giving each raceme an attractive gradient of color throughout the bloom period. This cultivar’s vines only grow up to eight feet as opposed to uncultivated plants that can grow up to twenty feet. The genus name comes from the Greek words “ips” meaning “worm” and “ómoios” meaning “similar” referring to the twining habit of the roots and vines. The specific epithet means “lobed” in reference to the deeply lobed foliage.
Rostrinucula dependens
Weeping Buddleja
This plant is native to the temperate hills of central China. It is a sub-shrub, meaning it produces woody stems but dies back in winter, usually back to the ground. The medium green leaves have grayish-green undersides and are in pairs arranged oppositely on the branches. They are oblong and minutely serrate. The older leaves are deeply veined, giving the leaves a rough or wrinkled appearance. From the tops of young shoots weeping racemes emerge packed with whorls of tiny lavender-pink flowers with long stamens that extend out from the flowers. The genus name comes from the Latin words “rostrum” meaning “beak,” “inus” meaning “having,” and the diminutive “cula” referring to the small nutlet fruits that have recurved beaks. The specific epithet comes from the Latin word “dependulus” meaning “to hang down.” This plant is not related to the genus Buddleja; it only resembles plants from that genus.
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies'
October Skies Aromatic Aster
This plant is native to North America from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the east and dips into northern Mexico south of Texas. It is found in prairies, open woods, and on bluffs and dunes where it is a source of pollen and nectar for beneficial insects and pollinators. It is a compact, bushy herbaceous perennial with hair stems that typically do not grow larger than three feet. The foliage is fragrant when crushed and the leaves are cool green, toothless, and strap-like. From August to October, the plants produce small, capitula of daisy-like flowers that are very fragrant with violet ray florets. This cultivar is noted for its bloom’s larger centers of golden-yellow disk florets and the ray florets that are a lighter shade of purple resembling the color of the sky, but like the uncultivated species it produces sticky and aromatic foliage that deters deer and rabbits. The genus name is derived from the Greek words for “growing together” (sýmphysis) and “hair” (thríks), which refers to how the basal ring of hairs around each floret (called a pappus) is fused together at their base. The specific epithet means the leaves are oblong.
Tradescantia pallida ‘Purple Heart’
Purple Heart Spiderwort
This plant is native to central and southern Mexico where it is found in a variety of habitats including the understory of coastal, deciduous forests, on the banks of rivers and streams, and on limestone outcrops. The purple, fleshy stems will grow upwards if there is a surface or another plant on which to lean, otherwise the stems trail along the ground setting out roots at each node. The oblong-lanceolate, purple leaves are alternately arranged, sessile (leaf stalk absent), and sheathing around the stem. The small flowers have three petals that are light purple tipped with white. This cultivar is noted for its deep purple leaves and purply pink flowers. The genus is named for the father and son botanists, John Tradescant the Elder and John Tradescant the Younger, both were the head gardeners to King Charles I of England. The specific epithet is the Latin word for “pale,” which refers to the appearance of the leaves as they emerge.
Xerochrysum bracteatum [Mohave™] ‘KLEBB23106’
Mohave™ Pink Strawflower
This plant is native to all the Australian mainland as well as the island of Tasmania. It is found in open grasslands but can be found in shady areas of open woodlands and on granite outcrops. Individual plants usually grow erect with straight unbranching stems. The silvery-green leaves are oblong to lanceolate with smooth margins. At the ends of the stems, a capitulum inflorescence is produced subtended by many showy bracts. These bracts are petal-like, stiff, papery, and have the texture of straw and come in a range of warm colors, such as red, pink, yellow, orange, and white. The bracts ring a button of orange to golden yellow disk florets. The outer ring of disk florets is tubular with fused petals and are female. While the florets toward the center are also tubular, they are shorter and hermaphroditic. This cultivar is noted for bright pink bracts as well as its strong branching, mounding habit present in all the cultivars in this series. Strawflower flowers retain their color and shape as they dry, making them a popular flower for fresh cut and dried flower arrangements. The genus name comes from the Greek words “xirós” meaning “dry” and “chrysós” meaning “gold” while the specific epithet comes from Latin meaning “bearing bracts.”
Capsicum annuum
Midnight Fire Ornamental Pepper
These ornamental peppers can be used outside in the garden or indoors as colorful houseplants in a sunny window. Perfect for fall combination planters. Distinctive dark foliage is accented with purple fruit, which matures to bright red. Grows 9"-12" tall; 14"-16" wide.
Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Zanmubutter’
Butter n’ Cream White Hardy Garden Mum
This new garden mum from 2023 provides clean white and ivory flowers. Solid performance for the fall season, it naturally blooms at the end of September. Grows 14"-24" tall with well-rounded habit. Tolerates light frosts in the late fall.
Viola × wittrockiana
Matrix Coastal Sunrise Mixture Pansy
Low-maintenance and big, showy flowers provide fall color for your garden beds, containers, and baskets. The colors are reminiscent of a coastal sunrise in blue and rose. Matrix provides more flowers per plant than other pansies to create high impact in your garden. Grows 8" tall; 8"-10" wide.