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Plants Of Merit 2009
Over 50 outstanding and
dependable plants suitable for the St. Louis region.
Annuals
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| floss flower - - - Annuals |
| Ageratum houstonianum 'Blue Horizon' |
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| Floss flower describes the thread-like appearance of the fluffy lavender-blue flowers on this annual that grows to 18-24 inches tall on stems with soft green leaves. Flowers bloom freely from spring to fall. Best growth occurs in rich, consistently moist, well-drained soils. This is a superb annual for beds, borders, edgings, mixed plantings, cutting gardens and containers. Plants may be grown from seed. |
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| angelonia - - - Annuals |
| Angelonia angustifolia 'Serena Mixture' |
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| Two-lipped, snapdragon-like flowers in shades of lavender, lavender pink, white and purple bloom non-stop from spring to fall on these annuals that rise to only 10-12 inches tall. Floral display is especially showy when massed in beds and borders. As an added bonus, Serena Series cultivars may easily be grown from seed started indoors before the last spring frost. They thrive in full sun and tolerate heat, humidity and some drought. |
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| blood flower - - - Annuals |
| Asclepias curassavica |
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| This tropical bloodflower is a 2-3 feet tall sub-shrub that is grown as an annual. Showy reddish-orange flowers with yellow hoods bloom in clusters from late spring to early autumn. This is a larval and nectar plant for monarch butterflies. Best growth occurs in full sun with light, evenly moist soils. Container plants may be cut back and brought inside in winter. Deer resistant. |
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| kale - - - Annuals |
| Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group) 'Redbor' |
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| This kale is primarily grown in the cool weather of spring or fall as an ornamental foliage plant. Upright red leaves with curled and frilled edges add intense color and interest to gardens. As fall temperatures drop, the leaf color darkens and intensifies. Plants may be grown from seed. Best performance occurs in rich moist loams in full sun. |
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| red cabbage - - - Annuals |
| Brassica oleracea (Capitata Group) 'Ruby Perfection' |
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| This cool weather cabbage not only produces 3-4 pound heads of edible red cabbage in 80 days but also doubles as a colorful garden ornamental. It may be grown in the cool temperatures of spring or fall, but not in the heat of the summer. Harvest the cabbages for use in salads, slaws or as cooked vegetables, or simply enjoy their showy color in the garden as the large, globular, reddish-purple heads mature in the cup of blue-tinged outer leaves. |
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| ornamental pepper - - - Annuals |
| Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl' |
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| Attractive pearl-like black fruits appear on this ornamental pepper in summer, but the real show begins when those fruits mature to cherry red in sharp contrast with the plant’s superb, season-long, glossy black foliage. Plants typically grow in pyramidal shaped mounds to 18 inches tall and exhibit good tolerance for high heat and humidity. This is an excellent selection for beds, borders or containers. It may be grown from seed. |
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| plains coreopsis - - - Annuals |
| Coreopsis tinctoria |
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| This annual coreopsis brings native flair to home gardens over a long late spring to fall bloom. Solitary, 2-inch wide, daisy-like flowers with yellow rays and reddish-brown centers bloom atop stiff branching stems rising to 2-3 feet tall. Each yellow ray is toothed at the tip and reddish-brown at the base. Plants will self-seed in optimum growing conditions and are excellent when naturalized in native wildflower gardens, meadows or prairies. |
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| cuphea - - - Annuals |
| Cuphea 'David Verity' |
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| Each tubular reddish-orange flower is suggestive of a lit cigar or firecracker. Flowers bloom profusely throughout the growing season on this densely branched sub-shrub to 20-30 inches tall. Best growth is in full sun with consistent moisture. This is a versatile annual for beds, borders, edgings, containers, hanging baskets or as a houseplant. One of the best hummingbird plants. |
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| papyrus - - - Annuals |
| Cyperus papyrus KING TUT |
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| This dwarf tender perennial sedge is a water-marginal that grows in a grass-like clump of leafless, triangular, green stems to 2-3 feet tall. Each stem is topped by a showy umbellate inflorescence of 100+ threadlike arching rays with terminal greenish-brown flower spikelets. This sedge is grown as an annual in rich, consistently moist soils or in standing water or in large containers. Potted plants may be overwintered indoors. |
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| dichondra - - - Annuals |
| Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls' |
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| Branching silver stems with soft, rounded, fan-shaped, silver leaves spread rapidly on this creeping/trailing foliage plant. In a single season, stems will cascade from a hanging basket to 3-6 feet or will creep along the ground rooting at the nodes to 3-4 feet. It may be purchased in spring as a bedding plant or grown from seed. Tiny greenish-yellow spring flowers are not showy. It is the dense, metallic foliage that impresses. |
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| spurge - - - Annuals |
| Euphorbia hypericifolia 'Inneuphe' DIAMOND FROST |
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| This vigorous spurge produces a profuse non-stop bloom of tiny white flowers from spring to frost on plants growing 12-18 inches tall on generally upright stems with gray-green leaves. Plants require sharply drained soil that is allowed to dry between waterings. This annual is an abundant bloomer for border fronts, hanging baskets or containers. Containers may be overwintered indoors. |
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| ruby grass - - - Annuals |
| Melinis nerviglumis 'Pink Crystals' |
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| Growing in tufts to 24 inches tall, this tropical grass adds a fresh look to sunny borders. Ruby-pink flowers in panicles covered with silky hairs are showy late summer to late fall on stems rising from a clump of erect blue-green leaves. Flowers fade to white over time and the foliage turns reddish-purple in fall. This grass may be grown from seed, and it looks great in containers. |
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| pennisetum - - - Annuals |
| Pennisetum orientale 'Tall Tails' |
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| This vigorous fountain grass grows in an upright clump to 4-5 feet tall. Pinkish-white flowers in showy bristle-like spikes (purportedly resembling tall tails) appear from summer to early fall atop stems arching above a clump of narrow, linear, deep green leaves. Flower stems push upward and outward in a manner reminiscent of water spraying from a fountain. |
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| Mexican petunia - - - Annuals |
| Ruellia brittoniana 'Purple Showers' |
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| Tubular, petunia-like, purple flowers last for only one day, but bloom freely in succession from spring to frost on this clumping tender perennial that is grown in St. Louis as an annual. Butterflies and hummingbirds love the flowers. Plants grow to 3 feet tall on greenish-purple stems clad with sword-shaped green leaves. They thrive in a variety of conditions, ranging from wet pond margins to average garden soils. This is a vigorous, free-blooming selection for beds, borders and large containers. |
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| yellow bells - - - Annuals |
| Tecoma stans GOLD STAR |
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| Trumpet-shaped, slightly fragrant, bright yellow flowers bloom from early summer to frost on this 3-4 foot evergreen shrub with odd-pinnate medium green leaves. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom. Flowers are followed by narrow bean-like capsules filled with papery-winged seeds. Plants are commonly sold in patio containers that may be brought indoors before first fall frost for overwintering. |
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| spider lily - - - Annuals |
| Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea' |
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| After serving for a number of years as an attractive houseplant, this spiderwort relative is now experiencing increased usage in outdoor applications as an annual ground cover or container plant. It typically grows to 8 inches tall with a trailing habit, featuring rich violet-purple stems and leaves. Three-petaled pink flowers bloom in small clusters mid-summer. |
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Garden, 2001-2009
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