Paperbark Maple is a small upright branching deciduous tree with an oval crown known for its heavily exfoliating copper-orange to cinnamon bark and showy orange to red fall color.  The bark is extremely ornamental because it peels into large curls which remain on the tree rather than falling to the ground.  Leaves are medium green but have undersides that are frosty blue-green to gray-green with fine hairs beneath.  Grows best in full sun and slightly acidic, moist well-drained soils.  Intolerant of drought. Type:  Tree Height:  20’ - 30' Spread:  20' - 30' Spacing:  20' USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 - 8 Culture:  Full Sun, Part Sun Bloom Color: ...

Flame Amur Maple is a small upright-spreading deciduous tree with a rounded crown.  Young leaves are 3-lobed and mature to broad unlobed double-serrated green leaves with fiery red fall color.  Fragrant panicles of greenish-yellow flowers are followed by red samaras. Grows best in rich, moist, slightly acidic well-drained soils.  Prefers full sun in cooler climates, but prefers afternoon shade in southern areas. Type:  Tree Height: 15’- 20’  Spread:  15’- 20’ Spacing:  15’ USDA Hardiness Zone:  2-8 Culture:  Full Sun, Part Sun Bloom Color:  White Season of Interest: Fall MAINTENANCE NEEDS: : Low maintenance.  Water regularly. Potential diseases include verticillium wilt, stem canker, leaf spots, tar...

Tamukeyama Japanese Maple is a small domed cascading deciduous tree with low branching.  The long deeply dissected, almost lace-like palmate leaves are deep purple-red and turns bright red in fall. Small non-showy umbels of red flowers bloom mid-spring followed by samaras.  Grows best in rich, moist, slightly acidic well-drained soils. Prefers full sun in cooler climates, but needs afternoon shade in southern areas. Type:  Tree Height: 6’ - 8’  Spread:  8’ - 12’ Spacing:  10’ USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 - 8 Culture:  Full Sun, Part Sun Bloom Color:  Purple Season of Interest: Fall, Year-Round MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance.  Water regularly. Mulch...

Bottlebrush Buckeye is one of the showiest flowering deciduous shrubs for the dappled shade garden with a dense, mounding form with large leaves that turn yellow in fall. Long erect panicles of airy white flowers with red anthers bloom in summer and give way to glossy, inedible nuts (buckeyes).  Flowers best in rich, moist soils.  Drought intolerant, particularly in youth. Aesculus parviflora is a host to moths, and provides nectar for bees and hummingbirds. Type:  Shrub Height:  8' - 12' Spread:  8' - 15' Spacing:  10' USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 - 7 Culture:  Part Sun, Full Shade Bloom Color:  White Season of Interest:  Summer, Fall MAINTENANCE...

Blue Fortune Giant Hyssop is a stiffly upright long-blooming perennial with aromatic grey-green foliage that has a downy underneath.  Densely packed spikes of lavender-violet flowers bloom from early summer into early fall attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.  Flowers best in full sun and moist well-drained soils.  Type:  Perennial Height:  2' - 3' Spread:  1.5' - 2' Spacing:  1.5' USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 - 9 Culture:  Full Sun, Part Sun Bloom Color:  Purple Season of Interest:  Summer, Fall MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance.  Crown and root rot may occur in poorly drained soils.  No serious pests or disease issues but watch for powdery mildew, wilt, and rust.   LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Gardens, Naturalized Areas, Foundational Plantings, and Containers. COMPANION PLANTS: Coneflower, Daylily, Russian Sage IMAGE: Photo by David J....

Bronze Beauty Bugleweed is an hardy spreading dwarf herbaceous perennial that forms a dense carpet-like mat of green foliage that gains bronze tints in full sun. Charming spikes of lacy purple-blue flowers rise above the foliage from late spring into summer. May repeat bloom in milder climates.  Flowers best in part sun and moist, well-drained soils.  Bronze Beauty can tolerate moderate foot traffic, and is evergreen in the South. Type:  Perennial, Groundcover Height:  - 0.25' Spread:  0.5' - 1' Spacing:  0.5' USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 - 9 Culture:  Full Sun, Part Sun Bloom Color:  Blue Season of Interest:  Spring, Summer MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance.  Water regularly.  Good air circulation and drip irrigation will help prevent...

Blue Ice Blue Star is an erect compact clumping perennial with narrow willow-like dark green foliage that turns bright yellow in fall.  Pyramidal clusters of small dark lavender blue star-shaped flowers bloom at the tips of the stem in late spring.  Best fall colors are in full sun, but flowers last longer with afternoon shade in the South. Type:  Perennial Height:  1' - 1.5' Spread:  1' - 1.5' Spacing:  1' USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 - 9 Culture:  Full Sun, Part Sun Bloom Color:  Blue Season of Interest:  Spring, Fall MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance.  Water regularly in well-drained soils.  Plants tend to flop if not cut back after flowering. LANDSCAPE USES: Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland...