Fun Plants

May 5th, 2005

   A big part of the fun of gardening (it IS fun, right?) is trying new plants.

   Who wants to grow the same old stuff every year?

   The good news is that there’s always something new to try — or at least something different that you’ve never grown before.

   Some of these “off-the-beaten plants” are like pearls in an oyster — gems in hiding. Others are more like the wads of chewed gum under the school desk — best left ignored.

   Sucker that I am for any attractive young botanical thing that happens along, I’ve tried one of practically every plant at the garden center (which doesn’t make for very good landscape design, by the way).

   I thought I’d share a few of my favorite semi-obscure gems with you this week so you don’t end up with a car-trunk full of horticultural gum-wads. Check out some of these:

Perilla 'Magilla.'

   * Perilla ‘Magilla.’ Fun name, eh? Try this multicolored foliage plant in the middle of a big pot. ‘Magilla’ grows abaout 3 feet tall and has leaves that are deep pink in the middle and a rich burgundy around the edges. In shadier spots, it takes on tinges of cream and green, giving it a kaleidoscope appearance.

   It’s a tender annual plant, so plant it after frost. Surround it in a pot with pink petunias (sun) or pink impatiens (shade).

   * Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus). Who needs flowers with gorgeous leaves like these? Persian shield is another tender foliage plant with gently pointed leaves of lavender, silver and green.

   It also makes a great pot centerpiece in sun to part shade, but it has a more arching habit instead of growing upright like ‘Magilla.’ It can sprawl 2 to 3 feet, so you only need one in a pot or hanging basket. Good partners: Pink and/or white annual flowers.

   * Ornamental onions (Allium). These hardy, perennial bulbs send up some really odd but cool flower stalks every June. My two favorites are Allium schubertii and Allium giganteum ‘Globemaster.’

   Allium schubertii gets nearly volleyball-sized, round flower heads that look like a sunburst. It’s a 2-foot-tall eye-grabber even after it browns out.

   Allium ‘Globemaster’ gets softball-sized purple flower balls atop sturdy stems that are about 4 feet tall.

   Plant the bulbs now in a sunny spot, and you’ll have trouble-free plants for years with very little work. Even deer don’t eat alliums.

   * Polianthes tuberosa. Want fragrance? Polianthes is another bulb that sends up summer flower stalks — only these look a bit like little white lilies.

   Usually called just “tuberose,” just one Polianthes is all you’ll need to fill an entire patio with its sweet, vanilla scent.

   The bulbs are tender, so you have to lift them and store them over winter as you would dahlias or gladioli. Best in full sun, in pots or beds.

   * Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost.’ This perennial flower would look great even if it didn’t get bright blue flowers in spring that look like forget-me-nots.

   The main attraction is the heart-shaped, silver variegated foliage that really lights up a shady area, which is where brunnera does best. It’s plenty hardy in our winters and also not a favorite rabbit food.

   * Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra). There aren’t many ornamental grasses that tolerate shade, but this one actually prefers it.

   Japanese forest grass has an arching habit and stays under 2 feet tall, so it makes a great edging along a shady path or along the wood’s edge. Besides the great texture, it comes in three leaf colors — medium green, gold and a green-and-gold variegation.

   It’s durable, trouble-free and deer don’t eat it.

   * Variegated aralia (Eleutherococcus sieboldianus ‘Variegatus’). Forget that the botanical name sounds like a contagious bacterium. This hardy shrub has some of the most brightly variegated white and green leaves of any plant.

   It grows to about 6 feet tall and wide and works best in part shade. It’s not showy in flower and doesn’t turn color in fall, but with leaves like this, those would be distractions.

   * Beautyberry (Callicarpa species). People love the lavender berries this hardy shrub gets in fall. Very unusual color… and the plants are loaded with berries, too.

Beautyberry fruit.

   Beautyberry ‘Profusion’ (Callicarpa bodinieri) is a more upright, 6-by-5-footer, while purple beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma) is more arching in habit and closer to 4-by-5 feet.

   They’ll both take sun to part shade. Cut them back heavily at the end of each winter.

   * Purple-leaf ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius). Finally, take a look at this new variation of an old native shrub.

   ‘Diabolo’ is a ninebark that has very dark burgundy – almost black – leaves in full sun. In June it gets quarter-sized white snowball clusters that really stand out with the background of dark leaves. Then little red seedheads form that make it look like the plant is blooming again in scarlet.

    These are pest-free, drought-tough and grow 7 to 8 feet tall and wide. If that’s too big, try the new ‘Summer Wine,’ which also has dark-burgundy leaves but matures at a smaller 5-by-4 feet. 

   A few other less common but excellent plants worth trying:

   * Heliopsis ‘Loraine Sunshine.’ A 3-foot perennial flower with golden daisy-like flowers and strikingly variegated white and green leaves. Full sun.

   * Ornamental kiwi vine ‘Arctic Beauty’ (Actinidia kolomikta). A woody vine that can ultimately climb 20 feet (with training) and has green heart-shaped leaves with white and pink edges. Sun or light shade.

   * Siberian squill (Scilla siberica). An under-used spring-flowering bulb that grows 4-6 inches tall and gets cobalt-blue hanging bell-shaped flowers in earlly April. Plant in October, in sun or part shade.

   * False holly ‘Goshiki’ (Osmanthus heterophyllus). A 6-foot evergreen that looks like a holly but with green and cream variegated leaves and reddish new leaves. Part shade.

   * Paxistima canbyi. One of Linglestown nurseryman Lou Caperoon’s favorite groundcovers, this is a low-growing, broadleaf-evergreen spreader that’s well behaved and trouble-free. Full sun to light shade.

   * American fringebush (Chionanthus virginicus). A tall native shrub that gets shaggy, white, confetti-like flowers in May. Can also be pruned into tree form. Sun or part shade.

   * Dappled willow (Salix integra ‘Hakura Nishiki’). A 6-foot shrub for damp areas whose young foliage is almost pure white, maturing to light green. Part shade.