Tag Archives: perennial

Voodoo Lily

Voodoo lily plants are perennials known for their unusual foliage;  gigantic size of the flower; and the stink of that flower. The flowers produce a strong, offensive odor similar to that or rotting meat. The smell attracts the flies that pollinate the flowers. The blossom only lasts a day or two. They are native to warm subtropical-to-tropical areas of eastern …

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Sticky Monkey Flower

Orange Bush Sticky Monkey Flower (Diplaucus aurantiacus) are named for their funny-face-flowers that look like grinning Monkeys. These California native gets its common name from its long and narrow leaves with surfaces coated in a sticky resin. It is a delightful small evergreen shrub growing 2-4 ft. tall that becomes totally covered with colorful tubular orange flowers. This wide ranging …

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Wild Tulips

Spring in our Sunnyvale garden always has tulips. The majority are the Dutch cultivars and hybrids: Usually large, showy and brightly colored, generally red, pink, yellow, or white. But in the last few years we have included Wild Tulips which are the predecessor species. Tulips originally were found in a band stretching from Southern Europe to Central Asia, but since …

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Alyogyne

New for 2020 in our Sunnyvale garden is Alyogyne hakeifolia, an Australian desert shrub with hibiscus-like flowers and needle-like leaves. I purchased it from Yamagami Nursery. I am growing it in a 7 gallon pot. A.hakeifolia is normally an upright, much-branched, rapidly growing small to medium shrub reaching to 3 m (10′). The leaves are dark green, glabrous, comprised of …

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Salvia ‘Amistad’

Salvia ‘Amistad’ (Sage) is a bushy, upright perennial with large, rich royal purple flowers adorned with nearly black calyces. Blooming constantly from early summer until frost, the flowers are a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds. They rise well above the aromatic foliage of glossy, bright green, slender leaves, which remain evergreen in frost free locations. Recipient of the Award of …

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Martha Washington Geranium

Expand your geranium horizons with the cool-season member of the family: Martha Washington geranium (Pelargonium x domesticum). Also known as regal geraniums, this group of geraniums features richly colored blooms with petals that resemble velvet. Petals have a lovely ruffled effect that enhances the plants’ luxurious feel. The edges are often toothed, and leaves release a citrus fragrance when crushed. The …

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Stokesia laevis ‘Omega Skyrocket’

Stokesia laevis, commonly known as Stokes’ aster, is native to wetlands, bottomlands, wet pinewoods, savannas and ditches in the southeastern US. It is an evergreen perennial. This flower is new to our Sunnyvale garden for 2019. Purchased from the Annie’s Annual collection at Yamagami Garden Nursery in Cupertino. This particular cultivar, ‘Omega Skyrocket’, features fluffy, cornflower-like, violet blue flowers (3-4 …

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Lily turf

New to our Sunnyvale garden in 2019: Liriope muscari ‘Royal Purple’, commonly called lilyturf or blue lily turf, a tufted, tuberous-rooted, grass-like perennial which typically grows 12-18″ tall and features clumps of strap-like, arching, glossy, dark green leaves (to 1″ wide). ‘Royal Purple’ is most noted for its attractive grass-like foliage and deep purple flowers. I plan to integrate it …

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Calla Lily

Calla lilies are easy to grow and add a classy look to perennial gardens, cutting gardens and container plantings. Their smooth, sword-like foliage stays neat and attractive all season long. Native to South Africa, Calla Lilies (Zantedeschia) provide a spectacular effect with their rich, cheerful colors and their breathtaking chalice-shaped flowers (spathe) surrounding a finger-like stalk (spadix). Calla lily flowers …

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Dahlia

These colorful spiky flowers, native to Mexico, bloom from midsummer to first frost. Each flower has one head per stem. The flowers range in color and  size, from the giant 10-inch “dinnerplate” blooms to the 2-inch lollipop-style pompons.  We have grown dahlias in our Sunnyvale garden for over 20 years. If you are patient then you can treat the dahlia …

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