Thursday, October 10, 2013

Annuals/ Coleus

Common name: Coleus 
Scientific name: Coleus x hybridus
Pronunciation: KOE-lee-us x HYE-brid-us
Characteristics: Height: 1-3 ft.
                           Spacing: 12-18'
                           Sun Exposure: Part shade/part sun 
                           Foliage/flower color: Yellow; green; variegated and blue
                           Life Cycle: Annual 
                           Landscape Uses: Mass planting; container or above-ground planter; edging; accent 

Annuals/ Wax Begonia

Common name: Wax Begonia
Scientific name: Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum
Pronunciation: bee-GO-nee-uh x sem-pur-FLOR-enz-kull-TOR-um
Characteristics: Height: .5-1.5 ft.
                            Spacing: 6-12'
                            Sun Exposure: Part sun/part shade
                            Foliage/flower color: Purple or red, variegated and white; pink; salmon
                            Life Cycle: Annual
                            Landscaping Uses:  mass planting; container or above-ground planter

Annuals/ Ageratum

Common name: Ageratum
Scientific name: Ageratum mexicanum
Pronunciation: ag - er - AY - tum mexi-can-um
Characteristics: Height: 12''-18"
                            Spacing: 6-12'
                            Sun Exposure: Full to partial sun
                            Foliage/flower color: Green and white; blue; purple; pink; ivory
                            Life Cycle: Annual
                            Landscaping Uses: Bedding plant, container, cutflower, hanging basket, mixed border
  

Perennials/ Mondo Grass

Common name: Mondo Grass
Scientific name: Ophiopogon japonicus
Pronunciation: oh-fee-oh-POE-gawn juh-PAWN-nick-kuss
Characteristics: Height: .3-.7 ft.
                            Spacing: 6-12'
                            Sun Exposure: Grows in shade
                            Foliage/flower color: Green and purple
                            Life Cycle: Perennial
                            Landscaping Uses: Mass planting; edging

Perennials/ Liriope green or variegated cv.

Common name: Liriope green or variegated cv.
Scientific name: Liriope muscari
Pronunciation: luh-RYE-oh-pee mus-KAR-ree
Characteristics: Height: 1-2 ft.
                            Spacing: 18-24'
                            Sun Exposure: Shade and part sun
                            Foliage/flower color: Green and lilac;purple
                            Life Cycle: Perennial
                            Landscaping Uses:  Mass planting; edging; naturalizing
                            

Perennials/ Bearded Iris

Common name: Bearded Iris
Scientific name: Iris x germanica var. florentina
Pronunciation: EYE - riss jer - MAN - ih - kah
Characteristics: Height: 6'-3 ft.
                           Spacing: 12-18'
                           Sun Exposure: Full sun to part sun
                           Foliage/flower color: Purple; red; green;black; yellow; white
                           Life Cycle: Perennial
                           Landscaping Uses: General garden use; border; mass planting

Bearded Iris. Photo by Naomi Sachs

Perennials/ Hosta

Common name: Hosta 
Scientific name: Hosta sp.
Characteristics: Height: 5 ft.
                      Spacing: 10-24'
                      Sun Exposure: Sade and partial sun
                            Foliage/flower color: Dark green w/ yellow margins and purple
                            Life Cycle: Perennial
                            Landscaping Uses: Containers, beds & borders, privacy, slopes, groundcover

Perennials/ Daylily

Common name: Daylily 
Scientific name: Hemerocallis cv.
Pronunciation: hem-er-oh-KAL-iss
Characteristics: Height: 6-12'
                           Spacing: 18-24'
                           Sun Exposure: Full sun (yellow,pink and pastel) and partial shade (red and purple) 
                           Foliage/flower color: yellow, orange 
                           Life Cycle: Perennial
                           Landscaping Uses: Blending; borders; unifying plant composition; foundation; ground cover; container  

                      

Perennials/ English Ivy

Common name: English Ivy
Scientific name: Hedera helix
Pronunciation: HED-dur-uh HEL-licks
Characteristics: Height: On ground level , 5-20cm,but on suitable climbing surfaces, up to 30 m               Spacing: 18-24'
                       Sun Exposure: Grows in shade 
                       Foliage/flower color: Variegated and greenish-yellow
                       Life Cycle: Perennial
                       Landscaping Uses: Mass planting; container or above-ground planter; hanging basket; suitable for growing indoors; cut foliage/twigs

Perennials/ Shasta Daisy

Common name: Shasta Daisy
Scientific name: Chrysanthemum x superbum 
Pronunciation: kriss-SANTH-ee-mum x soo-PUR-bum
Characteristics: Height: 1-2 ft
                      Spacing: 24-36'
                           Sun Exposure: Part sun/part shade
                           Foliage/flower color: Green and white
                           Life Cycle: Perennial
                           Landscaping Uses: Cut flowers; mass planting; ground cover; attracts butterflies

Perennials/ Florist Chrysamtheum

Common name: Florist Chrysamtheum
Scientific name: Dendranthema x grandiflorum
Pronunciation: den-DRAN-the-ma grand-I-FLOR-um
Characteristics: Height: 12-48'
                      Spacing: 18-24'
                      Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
                      Foliage/flower color: Green and orange, pink, purple, red, white, and yellow
                            Life Cycle: Perennial
                      Landscaping Uses:  Border, container, foundation, massing, specimen

Perennials/ Canna

Common name: Canna
Scientific name: Canna x generalis
Pronunciation: KAN-uh jen-nur-RAL-liss
Characteristics: Height: 3-6 ft
                      Spacing: 12-18'
                      Sun Exposure: Full sun 
                      Foliage/flower color: Green and brown, green, lavender/purple, and red
                      Life Cycle: Perennial
                      Landscaping Uses: Beds and borders, container, cut flower, hedge, suitable as annual, waterside

Perennials/ Ajuga

Common name: Ajuga 'Black Scallop' 
Scientific name: Ajuga reptans
Pronunciation: ah-JEW-gah REP-tanz
Characteristics: Height: 6-12'
                      Spacing: 10-14'
                      Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
                      Foliage/flower color: Black
                      Life Cycle: Perennial
                      Landscaping Uses: Beds and borders, container, ground covers

                      
                       

Tropicals/ Purple Wandering Jew

Common name: Purple Wandering Jew
Scientific name: Tradescantia zebrina
Pronunciation: tra-des-KANT-i-a ze-BREE-na
Characteristics: Height: 36-48'
                         
                               Spacing: 24-36'
                         
                               Sun Exposure: sun to partial shade
                               
                               Foliage/flower color: Variegated and white/near white
                                
                               Life Cycle: Perennial

                               Landscaping Uses: Beds and Borders, Container, Suitable as Annual

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Tropicals/ Peace Lily

Common name: Peace Lily
Scientific name: Spathiphyllum cv.
Pronunciation: |spath-ih-FILL-um kan-nih-FOE-lee-um|
Characteristics: Height: 0.4 - 0.7m 
                               Spread: 0.3 - 0.6m 
                               Light requirement: bright light 
                               Flower color: white  
                               Leaf type: Tropical 
                               Landscape use: Cut flower or foliage, Indoor plant

Tropicals/ Dwarf Schefflera

Common name: Dwarf Schefflera
Scientific name: Schefflera arboricola
Pronunciation: |shef-LER-uh ar-bor-ee-KO-luh|
Characteristics: Height: 0.7 - 1.3m
                               Spread: 1.0 - 1.5m 
                               Flower color: Red
                               Light requirement: part sun/part shade
                               Leaf type: Tropical 
                               Landscape use: indoor plant 
                                   

Tropicals/ African Violet

Common name: African Violet
Scientific name: Saintpaulia ionantha
Pronunciation: |saint-PAWL-ee-a eye-oh-NAN-tha|
Characteristics: Height: 0.2 - 0.4m
                                Spread: 0.1 - 0.3m
                                Flower color: White, Violet, Pink
                                Leaf type: Tropical
                                Landscape use: Container planting, Indoor plant

                                

Tropicals/ Parlor Ivy

Common name: Parlor Ivy
Scientific name: Philodendron scandens var. oxycardium 
Pronunciation: |fil-oh-DEN-dron SKAN-den|
Characteristics: Height: 3 - 5m
                               Spread: 3 - 4m 
                               Light requirement: Filtered shade, Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
                               Flower color: green 
                               Leaf type: tropical 
                               Landscape use: Container planting, Hanging basket, Indoor plant


                               

Tropicals/ Boston Fern

Common name(s): Boston Fern, Sword Fern
Scientific name: Nephrolepis exaltata
Pronunciation: neff-FRAHL-lepp-piss eck-sahl-TAY-tuh
Characteristics: Height: .5 to 4 feet
                            Spread: depends upon supporting structure
                            Light requirement: plant grows in part shade/part sun; plant grows in the shade
                            Flower color: no flowers
                            Leaf type and persistence: semi-evergreen
                            Landscape use: Growing in partial to deep shade, Sword Fern needs moist but well drained soils until established but can later survive periodic bouts of dry weather. Light fertilizations are recommended during the growing season. Thick clumps can be stimulated by severe pruning, new fronds quickly sprouting from the roots. Plant on 12 to 24-inch centers for quick establishment.
 

Tropicals/ Prayer Plant

Common name: Prayer Plant
Scientific name: Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoviana
Pronunciation: muh-RAN-tuh loo-ko-NYOOR-uh
Characteristics: Height: 12-18 in
                              Spacing: 15-18 in
                              Sun Exposure: Light Shade
                              Bloom Color:Blue-Violet Violet/Lavender
                              Leaf type: Perennial
                              Landscape Uses: Border, Container, Ground Cover, Specimen 

                          
                         

Tropicals/ Decora Rubber Plant

Common name(s): Rubber Tree, India-Rubber Fig
Scientific name: Ficus elastica
Pronunciation: FYE-kuss ee-LASS-tick-uh
Characteristics: Height: 30 to 45 feet
                               Spread: 25 to 30 feet
                               Light requirement: full sun, partial sun or partial shade
                               Flower color: unknown
                               Leaf type and persistence: evergreen, broadleaf evergreen
                               Landscape use: Rubber Tree will grow quickly in sun or partial shade on almost any well-drained soil. The soil should be allowed to become fairly dry between waterings, especially in containers. Rubber Tree makes a nice house plant if it is not over-watered.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Tropicals/ Weeping or Benjamin Fig

Common name: Weeping Fig
Scientific name: Ficus benjamina
Pronunciation: FYE-kuss ben-juh-MYE-nuh
Characteristics: Height: 45 to 60 feet
                               Spread: 60 to 100 feet
                               Light requirement: full sun, partial sun or partial shade, shade tolerant
                               Flower color: unknown
                               Leaf type and persistence: evergreen
                               Landscape use: Fruit can stain cars and sidewalks so the tree should not be planted close to streets, walks or parking lots. It also makes quite a mess around the tree as the fruit fall to the ground. The tree is much too large for residential planting unless it is used as a hedge or clipped screen, but can be seen growing into massive trees in parks and other large-scale areas. Aerial roots descend from the branches, touch the ground and take root, eventually forming numerous sturdy trunks which can clog a landscape. Trees can grow to be quite large and spreading in this fashion. Roots grow rapidly invading gardens, growing under and lifting sidewalks, patios, and driveways.