Archives

Ilex laevigata

Smooth Winterberry, a close relative of Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), is a deciduous holly with spineless leaves. Its white to cream flowers bloom May-July. Its red, berry-like fruits add color to the yard from September-February and provide winter food for birds. Its leaves turn yellow before dropping in the fall. Use this bird-friendly species in shrub borders and hedges. Good choice for wet sites, such as rain gardens and along ponds or streams.

Ilex glabra

Inkberry is an evergreen holly with spineless leaves. Tiny, greenish-white flowers bloom in the spring, followed by black berry-like fruits in late fall and winter. The flowers are a source of nectar for bees, producing the flavorful Gallberry honey.

Ilex cornuta

Chinese Holly is a dense, rounded evergreen shrub. Its small, white, fragrant flowers bloom in May. Since it is dioecious (separate male and female plants), a male must be in the area to pollinate the female flowers for fruit production. Plant in a location protected from cold winter winds. Use Chinese Holly as a specimen or foundation plant, or plant in groups for a hedge or privacy screen.

Iberis sempervirens

Candytuft is a low-growing, mounding semi-evergreen perennial with shiny, dark green leaves. Small, white, cloud-like flowers cover the plant March-May. Use it to edge walkways, or as a cascading plant over walls in rock gardens.

Hyssopus officinalis

Hyssop is a shrubby, semi-evergreen perennial with fragrant leaves. Fragrant, blue-violet flowers bloom June-September. Use as an ornamental or herb garden plant.

Hydrangea anomala ssp. Petiolaris

Climbing Hydrangea is a woody deciduous vine with root-like holdfasts for climbing. White, fragrant flowers in clusters blooming late June to early July are good for cutting and drying. Attractive exfoliating (peeling), reddish-brown bark of the mature vine provides winter interest. Use it as a flowering cover or screen on brick walls, arbors, and trees. It can be slow to develop at first, but will grow quickly once the roots are established.

Hibiscus moscheutos

Rose Mallow is a shrub-like perennial with large, heart-shaped leaves, which are smooth on top and “hairy” underneath. Its large, showy, red, pink, white, or bicolor flowers bloom non-stop from midsummer to frost. This plant prefers moist, organic soil. Use it as a specimen plant or plant in masses. Good choice for low, wet sites and edges of ponds or water features.

Heuchera americana

Coral Bells is an excellent foliage plant with deep-green leaves turning to purple, red, and yellow in the fall. Clusters of tiny, greenish-white, delicate flowers on slender stalks rising above the leaves bloom in late spring to early summer. Use it as an edging plant, or plant in masses as a groundcover. Good choice for shade gardens.

Hemerocallis spp.

Daylily is an easy-care perennial with attractive, arching, blade-like leaves. Varieties are available in a wide range of flower colors, mainly shades of yellow, orange, and red. Its large, lily-shaped flowers bloom continuously from midsummer to fall. Use in the perennial flower border, massed in beds, or as a groundcover.

Heliopsis helianthoides

Smooth Oxeye’s daisy-like, yellow-orange flowers with darker centers bloom from midsummer to fall. The bright, showy flowers are excellent fresh-cut. Deadheading the spent flowers will prolong blooming. Smooth Oxeye grows naturally along stream banks and woodland edges. Use it in beds, borders, and wildflower gardens.