Perennials

Perennials or Woody Ornamentals, are the soldiers of the landscape; setting a base, holding borders, providing structure, and maintaining a plan.

African Bush Daisy
african_bush_daisy

Medium evergreen flowering shrub. Dark green, ferny leaves with bright daisy-like yellow blooms. Very showy. Blooms nearly year-round. Likes well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established.

Full Sun 2'-3' Ht/Sp

Allamanda Bush
allamanda

Evergreen, flowering shrub with dark green leaves and ever-blooming with yellow trumpet shaped flowers. Makes a nice flowering hedge. Blooms in spring, summer, and fall. Likes well-drained soil.

Full Sun 3'-4' Ht/Sp

Azalea
Azalea

Flowering shrub that is a staple in any southern garden. Dark green foliage with clusters of large blooms in the spring. Comes in a wide variety of colors and growth habits. Great for filtered light and acidic soils. Likes moist, well-drained soil. Great as mass planting under oak canopies.

Sun/Shade 2'-4' Ht/Sp

Bottlebrush 'Erect'
bottlebrush_erect

Large, evergreen, flowering shrub with stiff, ridged leaves that gives this plant texture. Blooms nearly year-round with red bottlebrush-like flowers. Great plant for a large flowering hedge. Cold/drought tolerant once established.

Sun/Filtered 8'-10' Ht/Sp

Bottlebrush - Dwarf
Bottlebrush Dwf

Dwarf evergreen shrub with dense branching with blue-green foliage. Very hardy and really carefree. Blooms nearly year-round with bright red bottlebrush-like blooms. Very drought tolerant. Hummingbird attracting.

Full Sun 2'-3' Ht/Sp

Bougainvillea - Dwarf
Helen Johnson

Helen Johnson - Moderate to fast growing, sprawling bush that makes a wonderful ground cover or mass planting. Likes well-drained soil and dry heat. Produces hot pink blooms nearly year-round. Responds well to slight trimming to keep it full and blooming.

Full Sun 2' Ht/Sp

Boxwood - Japanese
boxwood

Slow growing, evergreen shrub. Has small bright green leaves. Likes to be trimmed/shaped, good for formal gardens or small hedges. Very cold tolerant. Somewhat drought tolerant once established.

Sun/Filtered 2'-3' Ht/Sp

Bromeliad
SunBrom

A versatile, spreading bromeliad that does well in the full sun as well as shade. Can tolerate some very tough locations. Likes well-drained soil. Turns bright red in the sun but turns lime green in the shade.

Sun to Shade 3'-4' Ht/Sp

Buddleia
Buddleia

Large, up-right perennial shrub with light green foliage. Produces large cone shaped clusters of tiny flowers in a wide array of colors. Very fragrant and showy. Likes to be trimmed to stimulate new flowers. Great for butterfly gardens. Drought/cold tolerant.

Sun 2'-3' Ht/Sp

Buttonwood - Silver
Silver Buttonwood

Evergreen shrub that can be used as a bush or trained into a small tree. Soft, silvery-gray foliage. Very striking in the landscape. Can be used as a hedge. High salt tolerance/drought tolerant.

Sun/Filtered 8'-10' Ht/Sp

Canna Lily
Canna Lily

Canna's are bulbs - so they can go deciduous in the winter and come back in late Spring when the ground warms up. They produce a very showy multi-bloom flower stalk with large, lushy green leaves. Wonderful in mass plantings.

Sun/Filtered 2'-3' Ht/Sp

Carissa - Boxwood
Boxwood

Emerald Blanket - Dwarf evergreen with round, low spreading growth habit with thorny, glossy green leaves. Nice textured, lush ground cover. Well-drained soil. Salt/drought tolerant.

Sun/Filtered 3' Sp

Cat Whiskers
Cat whiskers

Large, up-right perennial shrub with light green foliage. Gets very bushy growth habit with long stamens that look like whiskers. Comes in white & blue. Nice accent plant.

Sun/Filtered 2'-3' Ht/Sp

Cigar Plant
Cigar Plant

Fast growing, evergreen perennial that produces small tubular orange-red flowers in the summer. Likes moisture but will endure some dry spells. Great as a mass backdrop. Heat tolerant. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Sun/Filtered 2'-4' Ht/Sp

Clerodendron
Blue Butterfly Clerodendron 2

Blue Butterfly - Sprawling, evergreen shrub that produces clusters of flowers throughout summer and fall. Flowers resemble little butterflies in shades of blue. Very delicate blooms. Can be an accent plant or mass planting.

Full Sun 4'-6' Ht/Sp

Clusia - Pitch Apple
Clusia

Also known as Autograph Plant. Large, growing shrub with rounded, oblong leaves that feel succulent-like to the touch. Moderate grower that can get quite full, great as a hedge or screen. Drought tolerant. Also available in dwarf.

Sun 15'-20' Ht/Sp

Copperleaf
copperleaf

Fast growing, evergreen shrub with reddish green to pink variegated foliage. Flowers are long/fuzzy like tails in the summer but inconspicuous. Can take occasional wet soil. Great shrub for a colorful hedge or specimen plant. Also available in Chocolate and Java White.

Sun/Filtered 5'-6' Ht/Sp

Crinum Lily
crinum

Queen Emma - Long, up-right, reaching arm-like thick leaves. Foliage is maroon in color. Produces red flowers with white stripes on tall spike-like stems. Great as a specimen plant. Also available in Green.

Sun/Filtered 4'-5' Ht/Sp

Crossandra
Crossandra

Wonderful flowering perennial with bright orange flowers nearly year-round. Can take full sun but prefers some shade. Great as mass planting. Likes well-drained soil, drought tolerant once established.

Sun/Filtered 2'Ht/Sp

Croton
congo croton

Moderate growing shrub with thick, leathery leaves that are covered in vivid shades of yellow, green, and red. Great plant for a burst of color in shady area or to break up a mass of green foliage. Can be used in containers or pool planting. Comes in several varieties.

Sun/Filtered 4'-5' Ht

Desert Rose
desert_rose

Bonsai-looking stems above a swollen trunk base with shiny, dark green leaves. Produces showy, trumpet shaped flowers in pink, red, and white. Blooms in warmer months. Very drought tolerant. Great as container planting or in a cactus garden.

Sun/Filtered 4' Ht/Sp

Dipladenia
mandevillea

Tropical growing shrub-like vine that produces large, vibrant trumpet shaped blooms nearly year-round in our area. Very showy and colorful. Moist, well-drained soil. Can be drought tolerant once established. 

Full Sun 2'-3' Ht

Dracaena
dracaena

Marginata - Moderate to slow growing evergreen with woody, cane-like slender trunks. Slender ribbon-like foliage that is green with red edges. Also available in Colorama which is creamy-white with pinkish-red foliage. 

Filtered Sun 6'-8' Ht

Eugenia Bush
Eugenia Bush

Florida native. Fast growing, flowering shrub with fine textured foliage. New growth comes in reddish color. Is most popular as a hedge or topiary. Well-drained soil.

Sun/Filtered 8'-10' Ht/Sp

Ficus - Green Island
Green Island Ficus

A very attractive, low growing shrub with glossy, deep green foliage. Slow growing and low maintenance. Makes a great small hedge.

Sun/Filtered 2'-3' Ht/Sp

Firebush
firebush

Fast growing, evergreen shrub with green-reddish veined leaves. Blooms mostly year-round with showy terminal clusters of bright red-orange tubular flowers that are followed by black fruit. Drought tolerant.

Sun/Filtered 10'-12' Ht/Sp

Gardenia - Grafted
grafted gardenia

The 'Miami Supreme' is a very fragrant gardenia with extra large, pure white blooms. Blooms abundantly in Winter through Spring. Miami Supreme is grafted onto a nematode resistant rootstock. Gardenias also available in other varieties.

Full Sun 4'-6' Ht

Gold Mound - Duranta
golden_dew_drop_gold_mound

Dwarf, low-maintenance shrub with bright, golden yellow foliage. Great in mass plantings or as a low colorful border. 

Sun/Filtered 4'-5' Ht

Golden Dew Drop
Golden Dew Drop

Evergreen shrub with light green foliage and long hanging, cluster bunches of dark purple flowers with bright white edges, followed by yellow fruit. Blooms in summer.

Full Sun 5'-6' Ht/Sp

Hibiscus
Hibiscus

Nothing makes a tropical garden like the Hibiscus. Dark green foliage with large showy flowers mostly year-round. Can be used as a flowering hedge or mass planting. Comes in many colors. Moist, well-drained soil.

Full Sun 3'-7' Ht/Sp

Ilex - Dwarf Burfordii
Bufordii

Slow growing, compact, evergreen shrub with shiny, dark green leaves. Produces red berries in the fall. Makes a great low hedge. Drought tolerant once established.

Sun/Filtered 3' Ht/Sp

Ilex - Schillings
Ilex Schillings

Slow, compact growing evergreen with small light green leaves on very stiff branches. More of a rounding growth habit. Makes a nice small hedge or mass planting. Cold/drought tolerant.

Sun/Filtered 2' Ht/Sp

Ixora
Ixora Red

Maui - Semi upright to spreading evergreen with medium-sized, green leaves. Has beautiful, orange-red flowers nearly year-round in our area. Can be used as a small hedge or mass planting. Ixoras also available in dwarf, Nora Grant, Super King, and Snow Thai.

Sun/Filtered 2'-4' Ht/Sp

Jasmine
downy jasmine

Downy - Evergreen shrub with a sprawling growth habit. Lighter green leaves with small, white, star shaped flowers. Nice small flowering hedge. Can be trimmed/shaped. Jasmines also available in Crape, Star, Confederate, Pinwheel, and more.

Sun 2'-3' Ht/Sp

Jathropa
Jatropha 2

Fast growing evergreen shrub with large, dark green, three toed, shaped leaves. Blooms mostly year-round with red, up-right clusters of flowers. Can be trained into a small flowering tree.

Sun 8' Ht/Sp

Lavendula
'SuperBlue' Lavandula
Color Code: 
Darwin 2014, #LAV-183
Bloom/Lavender/Perennial
08.12 West Chicago, Mark Widhalm
LAV-183_01_02.JPG
LAV12-14344.JPG

Wonderful perennial with beautiful, soft, blue-grey foliage and tall lavender blooms in the Fall through Spring. Gives off a wonderful lavender aroma when leaves are rubbed. Cold/drought tolerant when established.

Sun 2' Ht/Sp

Ligustrum - Green
Green Ligustrum

Evergreen shrub with glossy green foliage. Fragrant, creamy, white flower clusters in the spring. Can be found as a bush or multi-stem tree. Makes a great hedge. Drought tolerant once established. Jack Frost and Variegated Ligustrums also available.

Sun/Filtered 8'-10' Ht/Sp

Loropetalum - Ruby
Loropetalum

Compact evergreen shrub with a rounded growth habit. Leaves are burgundy in color with tassel-like, hot pink flowers in the Spring through Summer.

Sun 3'-4' Ht/Sp

Milkweed
Milkweed

A must for the butterfly garden. Medium growing perennial that produces clusters of bright red-orange flowers. Blooms mostly year-round. A food source for the Monarch Butterfly larvae.

Full Sun 2'-3' Ht/Sp

Oleander - Petite Pink
Oleander Petite Pink

Dwarf, evergreen shrub with dark green, leathery leaves that produce light pink flowers nearly year-round. Nice for mass plantings. Salt/drought tolerant.
*All parts of this plant are poisonous*

Full Sun 3'-4' Ht/Sp

Penta - Tall
Pentas

Excellent butterfly attractor. Clusters of dark red, star-shaped flowers with dark green leaves. Blooms nearly year-round.

Sun/Filtered 24" Ht

Persian Shield
Persian Shield

Up-right growing perennial with beautiful silvery-purple, velvet-like foliage. Great plant for shady areas or container plantings. Nice texture.

Filtered Shade 24" Ht/Sp

Petunia - Mexican
mexican petunia

Up-right, fast growing perennial with an abundance of purple/blue flowers almost year-round. Long, dark green leaves. Great as a mass planting or for tough areas. Can tolerate some wet feet. Also available in dwarf.

Sun/Filtered 3' Ht/Sp

Pittosporum - Green
Green Pittosporum

Evergreen shrub with dark green, glossy leaves. Tight, compact growth. Can be trimmed into a small hedge or border. Variegated variety also available.

Full Sun 3' Ht/Sp

Plumbago
plumbago

Tropical shrub with light green leaves that produce large bouquets of dark blue flowers. Likes to be trimmed for shaping and to stimulate flowering. Great for mass plantings. Also comes in white.

Full Sun 3'Ht/Sp

Podocarpus
Podocarpus

Moderate growing evergreen with narrow, dark glossy green leaves. Up-right growth habit. Excellent as a lush screen or hedge. Can be trimmed or shaped for a topiary look. Drought tolerant once established. Also available in dwarf.

Sun/Filtered 12'-15' Ht

Porterweed
porterweed_blue

Fast growing, up-right perennial with dark green foliage. Produces an abundance of dark blue flower spikes. Blooms nearly year-round. Makes a great accent plant. Can tolerate poor conditions.

Sun 4'-6' Ht/Sp

Rose - Drift
Drift Roses

Nice flowering, low spreading ground cover. Tough, disease resistant and cold hardy. Blooms nearly year-round. Great plant for mass planting or low borders. Drought tolerant once established, comes in several colors. Knockout Rose also available.

Full Sun 3' Ht/Sp

Schefflera
schefflera_dwarfgreen

Moderate to fast growing shrub, with attractive dark green, glossy, palmate leaves. Very dense  grower, makes a nice hedge. Can be drought tolerant once established. Also available variegated.

Sun/Filtered 4'-6' Ht/Sp

Screwpine
Screwpine

Clumping, dwarf growth habit with striking yellow and green striped foliage that grows up-right then arches down. Great as an accent plant or in a mass planting.

Full Sun 3'-4' Ht/Sp

Seagrape
Sea Grape

Moderate growing, large evergreen Florida Native shrub. Broad spreading with large, leathery, round leaves. Great for seaside plantings. Can be found in bush form or trained into a medium tree. Produces edible fruit in late spring commonly used for jelly.

Sun 8'-10' Ht/Sp

Snow Bush
Snowbush 082119

Evergreen shrub - Foliage is variegated with creamy white and green leaves. New growth comes out with a pinkish-red color. Very delicate, flowy appearance. Adds a nice splash of color and texture to the garden.

Sun/Filtered 3'-4' Ht/Sp

Song of India
Song of India

Moderate, tropical grower that can be used as an accent plant in the landscape or as a container planting. Likes moist, well-drained soil but not wet feet.

Sun/Filtered 10' Ht/Sp

Tibouchina
Tibouchina Purple

Also known as "Princess Flower". Tropical, fast-growing shrub with striking, large purple flowers in the summer through fall. Foliage has a velvet feel. Makes a wonderful splash of color as a mass planting. Prefers well-drained soil. Dwarf variety also available.

Sun/Filtered 4'-5' Ht/Sp

Viburnum
Viburnum

Sweet - A large, vigorous growing shrub with large green leaves. Most popular for hedges and screenings. Can be maintained at almost any height above 3' Ht. Moist, well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. Awabuki and Suspensum viburnums also available.

Sun 8'-10' Ht/Sp

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Semi-evergreen, unique flowering shrub that blooms purple, fading to lavender then to white spanning several days. Blooms spring through summer with all colors present on the bush.

Sun/Filtered 5'-6' Ht/Sp