Common name:Tropical Hibiscus, Rose of China
Botanical name:Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is an evergreen shrub. It is one of the most flamboyant flowering shrubs. It can reach 30 ft. tall in Hawaii. Individual flowers only last one day, but the plant blooms continuously.

Common name:Catmint
Botanical name:Nepeta X faassenii

Nepeta faassenii makes soft, gray green, undulating mounds that are 1.5' high when blooming. The small leaves are attractive to cats. This perennial has lavender blue flowers in late spring and early summer.

Common name:Lamb's Ears
Botanical name:Stachys byzantina

This tiny, herbaceous perennial will grow less than 1' tall and has medium sized, grayish green leaves with blue and lavender flowers that bloom in the spring.

Maintenance Tips

Stachys byzantina is a perennial with extremely soft, thick, fuzzy silver leaves. It has a mounding growth habit and grows about 6” tall with a spread of about 12” wide. It is a very low-maintenance plant. Old leaves near the bottom of the plant will fade and can be removed to give the plant a neater appearance. It will send out flowers on stalks in the spring that will last until summer. Once they have finished blooming, stalks should be cut off at the base where they attach to the foliage. They are susceptible to over-watering and have a lifespan of about 2-4 years in the garden, after which they can be divided into new plants or replaced with new ones.

Common name:Southern Magnolia, Bull Bay
Botanical name:Magnolia grandiflora

Its large, simple, leathery appearance makes the pyramidal Magnolia grandiflora perfect for either a street or lawn tree. Its leaves are 4"-8" long, and its powerfully fragrant blooms are carried throughout the summer. Reddish brown cone shaped fruit appear in the fall. If these plants are grafted, they are more predictable (may take 15 years to bloom). Ungrafted trees will take only 2-3 years. Restricted root areas or heavy soils will slow the growth process.

Common name:Cape Mallow
Botanical name:Anisodontea X hypomandarum

This mini, hardy hibiscus is a small shrub 6'-7' high with a profusion of pale pink flowers.