I recently went to Greenhouse Garden Center in Carson City where, as usual, I discovered a number of interesting plant varieties. The first perennial that caught my eye had green leaves covered with silver spots: Trevi Fountain Lungwort or Pulmonaria hybrid ‘Trevi Fountain.’
This is a good shade plant and the label said it is easy to care for. Foliage will scorch in sun, but it should tolerate a bit of early morning sun in a cool spot.
It blooms in spring with cobalt blue to purple flowers on upright stems. It requires medium moisture, good drainage, and soils with lots of organic matter. It grows to about one foot high. This ground cover is supposedly deer tolerant.
The vibrant magenta flowers of JS Brainstorm Spiderwort, Tradescantia andersoniana ‘Brainstorm’ really stood out. It is a hardy, easy care plant that flowers continuously for up to six months, from summer into fall.
Partial sun is probably best in our high desert area. The leaves look like day lily leaves. The soil should be moist, but well-drained. This clump former reaches 20 inches tall by 16 inches wide. Spiderwort is good for pollinators, birds and butterflies.
Flutter Rose Pink Pincushion Flower, Scabiosa columbaria ‘Baffluttropi’ has bright pink long-lasting flowers. While supposedly full sun tolerant, it probably will do better with some shade during hottest time of day. It is drought tolerant and good for xeriscape gardens. This perennial grows 2 feet by 2 feet. Pincushion flowers attract butterflies and are great cut flowers.
Geum (or Avens) ‘Sunkissed Lime’ is named for its electric lime-colored leaves. Another full sun to part shade plant that reaches 9 inches tall, 16 inches wide with 12-inch-tall flowers. It requires moist loamy soil. The orange flowers attract pollinators. Geum is deer resistant.
The many flowers of the perennial Erysistible Magenta Wallflower, Erysimum linifolium, are showstoppers. They ranged from pale peach to coral, orange and magenta all on one plant. This hardy plant takes full sun and is heat tolerant. It only needs moderate water but still needs good drainage. It reaches 2 feet by 2 feet. It attracts hummingbirds and pollinators.
The shrub Mount Airy Fothergilla, Fothergilla major ‘Mount Airy’, has whitish bottlebrush type flowers with a honey scent. Its deep blue-green leaves are known for excellent fall color from yellow orange to purplish red. Grow it in partial shade in moist, acid, well-drained soils rich in organic matter. It grows slowly to 4 feet tall and almost as wide.
Visit Greenhouse Garden Center for creative plant choices to satisfy your planting yen.
— JoAnne Skelly is an Associate Professor and Extension Educator, Emerita, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. She can be reached at skellyj@unr.edu.
