Plants in family asparagaceae
Hosta 'Gay Blade'
Hosta 'Gay Blade' is a clump-forming perennial known for its bluish leaves with clear white margins and light lavender flowers that bloom in late summer. This plant spreads to about 2 feet wide and is a favorite among gardeners for its ability to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It thrives in full to partial shade and prefers moist, well-draining soil. 'Gay Blade' is also resistant to deer and rabbits, making it a low-maintenance choice for shade gardens. Its striking foliage and delicate flowers add elegance to any garden setting.
Yucca rigida
Yucca rigida is a blue-leaf species native to northern Mexico, known for its powder blue leaves and deer-resistant qualities. It can grow up to 12 feet tall and features white bell-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds. Yucca rigida is ideal for dry gardens, offering a striking architectural presence with its bold foliage and tall flower spikes.
Ruscus aculeatus 'Elizabeth Lawrence'
Ruscus aculeatus 'Elizabeth Lawrence' is a dwarf, hermaphroditic butcher's broom known for its compact form and winter interest. Growing up to 2 feet tall and wide, it features thick, upright stems with spiny green cladodes. The plant produces an abundance of glossy, bright red fruit from summer through late spring, adding vibrant color to the garden. It is drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance landscapes.
Hosta sieboldiana 'Frances Williams'
Hosta sieboldiana 'Frances Williams' is a large, hardy perennial known for its blue-green leaves with a chartreuse edge and white bell-shaped flowers that bloom in mid-summer. This plant attracts pollinators and hummingbirds, making it a lively addition to shaded garden areas. It grows 2-3 feet in height and 3-4 feet in width, preferring well-drained soil with moderate moisture. Pest resistant and low-maintenance, it requires division every 3-5 years to maintain its vigor.
Hosta 'Praying Hands'
Hosta 'Praying Hands' was named the 2011 Hosta of the Year for its unique dark green crinkled leaves with a narrow creamy yellow border. It forms a 2-foot wide clump and produces 18-inch spikes of light lavender flowers. This hosta attracts butterflies and prefers more sun than other varieties.
Agave 'Crazy Horse'
Agave 'Crazy Horse' is a large-growing, winter-hardy century plant with rosettes reaching 3.5 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It features 9-inch wide, flat, blue-green, deeply-lobed leaves and offsets quickly while remaining clustered. This plant is believed to be a hybrid of Agave cupreata and Agave asperrima.
Hosta 'Mount Tom'
Hosta 'Mount Tom' is a large plant with corrugated, dark green leaves edged in cream, forming a 3-foot wide clump. It produces 2-foot tall scapes of light lavender flowers in midsummer, making it a striking addition to shaded garden areas.
Hosta 'Dorset Blue'
Hosta 'Dorset Blue' is a small hosta with round, powdery blue cupped leaves and clusters of white flowers. It grows to 8 inches tall and spreads 24 inches wide, making it an excellent groundcover for shaded areas. This hosta is appreciated for its unique foliage color and compact size.
Aspidistra daibuensis 'Yushan Starbright'
Aspidistra daibuensis 'Yushan Starbright' is a hardy perennial from Taiwan, known for its dark green leaves with creamy spots. It can survive temperatures as low as 9°F and resprouts after being burned to the ground. This low-maintenance plant thrives in shade and is ideal for both moist and dry soils, making it a superb houseplant.
Hosta 'Swoosh'
Hosta 'Swoosh' is a shade-loving plant with dark green streaked leaves and dark lavender flowers. It is known for setting seed heavily, often resulting in variegated offspring. This plant is a popular choice for gardens that attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and it thrives in light shade with well-drained soil.
Hosta 'Twice As Mice'
Hosta 'Twice As Mice' is a vigorous grower introduced in 2022, featuring thick glaucous blue leaves with a wide cream edge. It forms a 5-inch tall by 18-inch wide clump and blooms with lavender flowers in mid-June.
Ledebouria ovalifolia 'Dawie Human'
Ledebouria ovalifolia 'Dawie Human' is a South African hyacinth that grows in coastal alkaline soils. It forms a 6-inch tall by 10-inch wide mass with glossy green leaves and dark purple bottoms. Tiny purple striped flowers with dark purple anthers bloom in May and June.
Agave colorata 'Misashibo'
Agave colorata 'Misashibo' is a rare agave from northwestern Sonora, Mexico, known for its horizontal leaf banding and solitary growth habit. It matures at 1 foot tall by 2 feet wide and produces a 10-foot tall spike of orange and yellow flowers.
Manfreda maculosa 'Karnes Co Tx'
Manfreda maculosa 'Karnes Co Tx' is a deciduous plant related to agave, native to the sandy scrublands of Southern Texas and Northern Mexico. It features narrow, dagger-like leaves and blooms with fragrant flowers on tall spikes in late spring. This plant is drought-tolerant and attracts hummingbirds, making it a great addition to xeriscaping gardens.
Hosta 'Pineapple Poll'
Hosta 'Pineapple Poll' is a tough perennial with a mound of green rippled foliage and lavender flowers in summer. This hosta is well-suited for shaded areas and is attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. It is a versatile plant for various garden settings, including cottage gardens and rain gardens.
Hosta 'Millennium'
Hosta 'Millennium' is a hybrid hosta known for its 54-inch wide semi-upright clump and dense, heavy-substanced, corrugated blue foliage. It produces pure white flowers on 50-inch scapes in early summer, attracting pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds. This hosta is well-suited for borders, groundcovers, and rain gardens, thriving in light shade. Its bold foliage and attractive flowers make it a standout choice for gardeners looking to enhance their shade garden with color and form.
Agave potatorum 'South Pole'
Agave potatorum 'South Pole' is a slow-growing succulent introduced in 2023, featuring blue leaves with a creamy white center. This compact plant forms a clump about 6 inches tall and 9 inches wide, and it offsets reasonably well. It is drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun, making it an excellent choice for xeriscaping or rock gardens.
Aspidistra elatior 'Hoshi Zora'
Aspidistra elatior 'Hoshi Zora' is an old Japanese cultivar known for its large, dark green leaves lightly speckled with small light yellow-to-white dots. This hardy, low-maintenance perennial grows up to 30 inches tall and 6 inches wide, thriving in both moist and dry soils with good drainage. It must be grown in shade and is an excellent houseplant, durable in less than ideal conditions. Its bold texture and upright form make it invaluable in the garden.
Hosta 'Curls'
Hosta 'Curls' is a hybrid with thick green leaves featuring a ruffled edge and a distinctive cowlick at the tip. It forms 14-inch wide clumps and produces 28-inch tall scapes of lavender flowers in late spring.
Hosta 'Sweet Home Chicago'
Hosta 'Sweet Home Chicago' is a selection known for its golden leaves with a 1/2-inch wide green margin. It grows to 30 inches tall and 45 inches wide, producing light lavender flowers in early summer. This hosta thrives in part sun to shade and is a favorite among hummingbirds.
Hosta longissima
Hosta longissima is a compact plant ideal for small gardens, featuring pencil-thin, dark green leaves and medium lavender flowers. This plant is well-suited for shaded areas and is known for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Its adaptability to dry shade and its role as a groundcover make it a practical choice for various garden settings.
Hosta 'Gold Standard'
Hosta 'Gold Standard' features a deep green border surrounding a golden center, forming 3-foot wide clumps. It produces sturdy stalks of lavender flowers in summer, with the brightness of the gold varying with light exposure. This plant is suitable for shade gardens and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
Hosta 'Richmond'
Hosta 'Richmond' is a perennial plant known for its wide, pointed chartreuse leaves with a creamy white border. It forms a 24-inch wide clump and produces medium lavender flowers in late spring. This hosta is ideal for shade gardens, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds while providing a lush, textured ground cover. Its vibrant foliage and easy care make it a popular choice for gardeners.
Polygonatum humile 'Tom Thumb'
Polygonatum humile 'Tom Thumb' is a dwarf form of Solomon's seal, originating from the alpine regions of Honshu, Japan. It features slowly spreading, pencil-sized rhizomes and 6-inch stalks with small leaves. In spring, it produces white bell-like flowers, making it a great naturalizer in woodland gardens. This compact plant is ideal for shade gardens and can add a delicate touch to rock gardens.
Hosta 'Austin Dickinson'
Hosta 'Austin Dickinson' is a hybrid hosta with round, blue-green leaves that develop puckering with age. It forms a 2-foot wide clump and features a wide white border. In early summer, it blooms with large, fragrant light lavender flowers on tall scapes, attracting pollinators to the garden.
Rohdea japonica 'Suncrest'
Rohdea japonica 'Suncrest' is an evergreen perennial with thick, black-green leaves featuring a white 'dragon crest'. It produces bright red berries in winter and forms a rosette, making it a striking addition to shaded gardens.
Hosta 'Happy Dayz'
Hosta 'Happy Dayz' is a vibrant sport of Hosta 'Orange Marmalade', featuring smaller, more corrugated foliage. It forms a 2-foot wide clump with a wide, dark green border and a bright orange-gold center that ages to chartreuse white. This variety is more vigorous than its parent and is known for its striking variegated leaves, making it a popular choice for shaded garden areas.
Hosta 'Brendas Beauty'
Hosta 'Brendas Beauty' is a perennial with heavily veined, dark green leaves and a unique butterscotch center variegation. It forms clumps about 2 feet wide and produces medium lavender flowers on 2-foot stalks. This plant is ideal for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds and thrives in part sun to light shade environments.
Agave victoriae-reginae 'Kizan'
Agave victoriae-reginae 'Kizan' is a variegated form of the Queen Victoria century plant, featuring a solitary rosette of thick, wide green leaves with a creamy border. This very slow-growing plant requires ample sun to maintain its variegation and should not be overwatered. Its rare offsets and striking appearance make it a prized addition to any succulent collection.