(image from google images)

Common name: winter heliotrope

Size, form, texture: height 6-12 inches, bulbous head on stalk.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: tender shrub from the tropics, known for sweet baby powder fragrance, “mushroom like” shape, can be invasive/aggressive, won’t come up where dense cover but will show up in holes in landscape, European species, prefers sun to part shade.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: flowers in feb/march, flowers in spring before leaves come, bloom purple or white, foliage is deciduous smooth, succulent leaves.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: Good ground cover in summer, dies down in winter, medicinal properties, aka colt’s foot (lead shaped like horse’s hoof), good on slab, should be contained, clean looking, nice dense ground cover.

(image from google images)

Common name: Arizona beggarticks

Size, form, texture: height 3-4 ft, spread 2-3 ft,

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: zone 8 plant, drought tolerant, good with trees, generally subtropical, aggressive perennial, network of self seeding rhizomes, prolonged seeds food source for birds, stick to animal fur, native to North Guatemala through Mexico and Texas, prefers average medium well drained soil in full sun.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: Produces yellow flowers over about 4 months, September and October, high blooming value, thick foliage represses weeds.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape:  Good perennial for slabs, shallow roots, also good in borders, prairies and wild naturalized areas.

(image from google images)

Common name: Sunflower

Size, form, texture: 3-10 ft tall, 1.5-3 ft spread, very vigorous annual.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: native to US and central America, zone 2-11, grows well in average, moist well drained soils in full sun. Tolerates poor soil that is drier, birds like to feed on seeds, fast growing, deep taproot finds moisture in the landscape, best in tall grass prairie.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: coarse, hairy, leafy foliage, fast growing, large yellow disk flowers with seeds in centre, large ovate to triangular textured leaves, edible foliage for caterpillars and beetles. Flowers are long lasting, produce pollen that is exceptionally good for bees health, seeds preferred food for many colourful and beautiful seed eating birds.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: commonly seen growing along roads, fences, and in fields. Now a popular cut flower, good as a specimen or mass planting, wildflower or native plant gardens, habitat gardens. Larger varieties for border rears or backgrounds, smaller varieties for beds, border fronts or containers. Attractive plant to children.

(image from google images)

Common name: elecampane

Size, form, texture: height 3-6 ft, spread 2-3 ft,

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: zone 3-7, easier plant than magnifica, prefers moist, well drained soils in full sun to part shade.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: yellow interesting attractive blooms in July to September, long blooming period, sunflower like yellow flowers, hairy coarse, toothed foliage.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape:  Very attractive and interesting plant in masses. Cheerful flowers and massing foliage. Good in herb gardens, borders, wildflower gardens, or cottage style gardens.

(image from google images)

Common name: Mexican daisy, Spanish daisy

Size, form, texture: carpeting, rhizomatous, woody perennial, height 6-12 in, spread 1-3 ft.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: tolerates extensive drought in the summer, grow in fertile well drained soils, likes full sun to part shade.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: blooms for three months, flowers emerge pink then turn white, attractive flower colour combination. Hairy greyish green foliage

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: good in window boxes, hot ledges, rock gardens, zeros capes. Could be interesting paired with hardy ice-plant, known as flea bane due to compound that is off putting to insects. Self seeds, can be aggressive but not problematic.

Common name: Himalayan elecampane

Size, form, texture: tall free flowering, upright perennial, height 1.5-2.5 m, spread 0.5-1 m, bushy.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: prefers part shade, moist but well drained soil, H 7, deep fertile soil.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: large basal ovate leaves, daisy like yellow flower heads, unique looking plant, almost like Van gogh painting, unique thready flowers, could potentially look a tad messy when not in bloom, short blooming period is the problem with all Inulas, very ready involucer, geometric tough buds, need space but will grow very well in sun.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: Great in border, must plant in succession with something else as short bloom, cheery and charming appearance.

Common name: purple coneflower

Size, form, texture: height 2-5 ft, spread 1.5-2 ft, look sparsely planted at first but grow into surrounding space.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: prefers well drained soil, in full sun to part shade, best in full sun, very hardy plant, drought tolerant, good in hot dry location, native to Ohio river valley, can tolerate excess moisture or shade, but short lived in to much moisture. Needs well drained soil, and will expand laterally.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: Stiff bronze flowers (in centre) with no petals fertile flowers, surrounding by purple petals, composite flower, loved by bees, bloom for about 2 months, bronze cone persists when purple petals fall, green, ovate, broad lanceolate foliage.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: good for massing borders, nice plant for meadow, naturalized or wildflower garden or part shade of woodland garden. Could look nice with black eyed Susan in flower border.

(missouribotanicalgarden.org)

Common name: Shasta daisy

Size, form, texture:  hybrid between two species, long flowering perennial plant, stiff upright stems, clumping, height 3-4 ft, spread 2-3 ft.

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: Z 5-9, hardy, very tough plant, best in full sun but tolerates part shade, plant doesn’t produce viable seed. Low to medium water use. Prefers well drained soil and can remove spent flower heads to encourage longer bloom.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: small dark green leaves with distinct daisy flower on tall upright stem, bad scent to flower, long blooming from July to September.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: Good border plant due to long flowering period, not good cut flower due to scent, cheerful and classic, would look nice with ferns in border, blooms into fall, low maintenance and hardy in border along a well used path.

Common name: Mountain bluet

Size, form, texture: medium size, 2 ft height,

Hardiness, origin, native ecology: very successful in this climate, problematic only in dry areas like Oregon and California. Z 3-8, attracts birds and pollinators.

Bud, foliage, flower and fruit characteristics: large, showy violet blue flowers in late spring, very attractive black outline bracts (characteristic of centaurea). Bracts at base of flower protects buds, hairy edges of flower, leafy and robust foliage, composite flowers. Blooms for four weeks or more, attractive green leafy foliage when not in bloom, blooms in late spring and early fall.

Cultural and maintenance requirements and appropriate uses in the landscape: can be cut back after bloom to freshen foliage, low maintenance, easy to grow, likes full to part sun, can tolerate hot dry sites, normal soil conditions. Nice in border, good for cut flowers, distinct and unique.