Common name: bee balm

Family name: Lamiaceae

Description: Tall plant with stems that are square in cross-section and aromatic opposite leaves. Large pink flowers appear on the terminus of each stem.

Flower: Unusual, very pink flower that has an almost spiky, shaggy appearance. The individual petals are tube-like. Colours can range from wine red to pink, white, and red. Long blooming period from July to September.

Foliage: Simple, opposite, heavily veined leaves with a distinctive smell; green to dark green with reddish veins; has a reddish fall colour.

Growing conditions: Morning sun, part shade, full sun only if kept moist; likes a moist site.

Height and spread: 0.7-1.3m by 0.3-0.6m

Limitations: Needs morning sun and good air circulation to limit the spread of powdery milldew. An unusual flower, so it must be placed with care, as it will draw the eye.

Landscape uses: This plant attracts beneficial insects and animals such as bees (as the common name implies), butterflies and humming birds. M. didyma is quite a tall plant, so locating it at the front of the border in a mass has quite an impact and allows people to inspect its unusual, spiky-looking flowers closely, and observe whatever insects or birds are drawn to them. One thing that I really like about this plant is how the new flower stems sprout from the centre of the old flower, something that I found very unusual, and may not have noticed if it had been planted at the back of the border.

Common name: love in a mist

Family name: Ranunculaceae

Description: Blue, five-petaled flowers (although cultivars have double petals) the centres from which grow very unusual, egg-shaped and horned seed heads, which are as appealing as the flowers themselves. Blooms rest atop the delicate foliage, giving the whole plant a misty look.

Foliage: Delicate, thread-like foliage.

Growing conditions: Full sun; medium water use; well-drained soil; easy to grow

Height and spread:  0.6m by 0.45m

Limitations: No major pests or diseases.

Landscape uses: Attracts beneficial insects. N. damascena has beautiful blooms, but also attractive seed heads, so this plant has multi season interest. Suitable for mixed beds and borders, containers, cottage gardens.

Common name: Chinese indigo

Family name: Fabaceae

Description: Subshrub with rounded opposite leaves which give the bush an attractive texture. Flowers in late summer with pink pea-like flowers.

Flower:  Dense racemes of pink, pea-like flowers blooming heavily in July and August, and intermittently into September.

Foliage: Compound, pinnate leaves with oppositely arranged, rounded leaflets that are bright green.

Growing conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil with medium moisture. Somewhat drought tolerant.

Height and spread: 0.9m by 0.9m

Limitations: No notable pests or diseases.

Landscape uses: Good, dense shrub that fills space well, while having attractive foliage and long bloom period.

Common name: Henry’s lily

Family name: Liliaceae

Description: Tall, graceful purple-brown stems reaching up to 1.8m with arching stems bearing orange, turkscap blooms late in the season.

Flower: Blooms late July to early August. Pendulous with 6 recurved petals. Soft orange in colour with dark spots.

Foliage: Lanceolate, shiny, mid-green to 15cm long; becoming short, broad and ovate toward the upper part of the stems.

Growing conditions: Full sun with a bit of afternoon shade; humus rich, well draining soil that is slightly alkaline. Acidic soils should be supplemented with ground limestone.

Height and spread: 1.5m-1.8m tall

Limitations: Not a good selection for institutional settings as it requires very fertile soil

Landscape uses: Long lived plant. Tall and statuesque, it provides colour in the garden in late summer. Back of the border. Looks good with ornamental grasses.

Common name: willow gentian

Family name: Gentianaceae

Description: Graceful arching stems grow to about 60cm and form a loose mound. Striking blue, bell-shaped flowers appear down the centre of each stem and are complemented by blue-black, pointed buds and lanceolate, green leaves.

Flower: Three week of bloom in mid summer. Blue, bell shaped flowers and dark, almost black, pointed buds.

Foliage: Willow-like lanceolate leaves that are darker when the plant is flourishing.

Growing conditions: Part sun to light or open shade; regular moisture, prefers moist, rich soil. Not great out in open conditions; prefers some protection.

Height and spread: 0.61m by 0.76m

Limitations: Needs a moist site, so cannot be used in unirrigated landscapes that tend to dry out in Vancouver’s droughty summers.

Landscape uses: Among one of the easiest gentians to grow. The blue-black pointed buds of this plant are very striking and it would combine well with Salvia guaranitica, and various ferns.

Common name: round leaved oregano

Family name: Lamiaceae

Description: Low growing ground cover with long stems and rounded, blue green leaves and unusual pinecone-shaped bracts bearing tiny lavender coloured flowers.

Flower: Small, pale purple flowers that are clustered among pale pink and green bracts, that form a pinecone-like shape. Long flowering season.

Foliage: Aromatic, blue/grey/green leaves that have a rounded shape.

Growing conditions: Full sun; gritty, well-draining soil; drought tolerant.

Height and spread: 0.1-0.5m by 0.1-0.5m

Limitations: Cannot be grown in the shade.

Landscape uses: Looks good in amongst rocks or hanging over the edge of a wall or container which accentuates the unusual blooms. Looks good with purple-blue flowers. The blue-green foliage contrasts with the pinky purple flowers in a very eye-catching way. This plant has a long blooming season from summer to early fall, when many other plants are finished flowering, making it valuable for it’s bloom. Attracts beneficial insects such as bees.

Common name: butterfly weed

Family name: Apocynaceae

Description: Bright orange flowers are held in clusters atop long stems with decussately arranged, lanceolate, medium green leaves.

Flower: Numerous, small, orange flowers are held in umbels atop long, thick stems. These flowers bloom for three months throughout the summer.

Foliage: Leaves are decussate, green, lanceolate with entire margins.

Growing conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil; low water requirements, drought tolerant.

Height and spread: 0.6m by 0.6m

Limitations: The latex in the sap has poisonous compounds, so it shouldn’t be used in areas where there are many children on a regular basis. The bright orange colour of the flower may make it difficult to work into certain planting design schemes.

Landscape uses: Attracts beneficial insects and birds such as humming birds, bees, and Monarch butterflies (but those are rare in Vancouver). Has attractive seed heads, so there is seasonal interest in the fall as well as attractive blooms in the summer.

Common name: wormwood

Family name: Asteraceae

Description: Tall stalks with silver-green foliage that has a frothy, airy texture, and small yellow grey flowers.

Flower: Yellowish grey, not showy.

Foliage: Silver green in colour, deeply incised, pinnately divided, and covered in silky hairs. Leaves are aromatic when crushed.

Growing conditions: Full sun; almost no irrigation as that tends to lead to floppy plants.

Height and spread: 1.5m by 1m

Limitations: Can get root rot if too moist, and becomes floppy with too much moisture.

Landscape uses: Good in herbaceous borders and the silver green foliage combines well with pink and blue flowers; tall statuesque plant with a frothy texture to the foliage. Good selection for areas with poor, dry soil.

Common name: globe candytuft

Family name: Brassicaceae

Description: Umbel shaped blooms ranging from purple to pink to white with small, lanceolate green leaves.

Flower: Umbels in purple-pinks, turn brown and seed filled around August. Seeds will drop and return in the next season.

Foliage: Small, lanceolate green leaves.

Growing conditions: Can’t be too moist over winter, or the seeds will rot in the ground; need protection from the north east; full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained, fertile soil.

Height and spread: 0.3m by 0.25m.

Limitations: Would not be elegant enough for a more formal garden.

Landscape uses: Great hardy annual for borders, beds. The range of colours that are possible with this plant are one of its strong points; deep purple to lavender to white and pink, all arising from the same area. A very friendly looking plant.

Common name: pigsqueak

Family name: Saxifragaceae

Description: Tough, evergreen ground cover with thick obovate leaves that have a glossy, almost rubbery texture and toothed margins. Long-lived and low maintenance.

Flower: Small, magenta flowers held in clusters on thick stalks; flowers February to April.

Foliage: Evergreen foliage that has a strange, almost rubbery texture, glossy and heavily veined leaves.

Growing conditions: Part shade to full shade; consistently moist, organically rich, well-drained soil; medium water use.

Height and spread: 0.4m by 0.3m

Limitations: Weevils are the only significant pest, so it shouldn’t be planted around plants that attract weevils, such as rhododendrons or heucra.

Landscape uses: Ground cover in shady areas; winter blooming interest; good for public landscapes as it is tough and long lived.