Tagetes patula

Family name: Asteraceae

Common name: french marigold

Origin: Mexico, Guatemala

Habit: chic, neat, little growth habit

Flowers: yellow, orange, red and bicolor, showy and fragrant flowers

Water use: medium

Soil: well-drained

Other feature: it needs low-maintenance, attracts butterflies and bees and hummingbirds. Watch for spider mites

It is suitable for beds, containers, edging. 

Exposure: sun

Agapanthus africanus

Family name: Amaryllidaceae

Common name: African lily

More info: It is an arching plant with evergreen leaves. 

The flowers are blue/white and showy.

The plant has medium water use and the soil should be well drained. 

Landscape uses include pots and containers.

Exposure: Sun, Semi-shade.

Phormium tenax

Family name: Xanthorrhoeaceae

Common name: New Zealand flax

More info: It is not a hardy plant, It has a rarely red and showy flower. It is a great architectural plant. Watch for mealybugs and slugs. Leaf spot may damage the foliage. 

Leaf: colorful evergreen leaves

Water use: medium

Landscape uses: sink pots to the rim in garden areas. It is suitable for pots, containers, patios and decks.

Habit: erect clumps

Lobelia erinus

Family name: Campanulaceae

Common name: lobelia

Habit: dense, spreading

Leaf: laterally symmetrical leaves, cut in half,  

Flower: blue to violet with yellow to white throat, showy

Landscape uses: edging plant, hanging baskets, containers, window boxes, baskets, rock gardens, butterfly gardens, 

It needs low-maintenance, there is no serious insect or disease problems. Dies back in usually the most serious problem for this plant

It can tolerate deer and it is annual plant 

Exposure: sun, semi-shade

Soil: well-drained

Water use: medium

Rhodochiton atrosanguineus

Family name: Plantaginaceae
Common name: purple bell vine
Habit: climbing
Flowers: long stalks, 5 petals, bell-shaped flower
Soil: well-drained, acidic, alkaline, neutral, moist, light
Landscape uses: wall-side borders city and courtyard gardens patio and container plants
Limitation: DO not plant it until after danger of frost has past protect from strong wind
It is half hardy perennial which prefers light, well-drained soil, cold sensitive
Hard zone: 10-11

Lathyrus odoratus

Family name: Fabaceae

Common name: sweet pea

Habit: spreading, climbing form

Flowers: fragrant, showy, pink

Water use: medium

Soil: well-drained

It has green fruit, legume annual plant, there is no serious insect r disease problems. Watch for snails and slugs

Landscape uses: urban agriculture, summer interest, border or cotton borders, sprawl along the ground or twine on support structures, containers

Echinacea purpurea

Family name: Asteraceae

common name: purple coneflower

Flowers: purplish pink, showy, good cut

Water use: dry to medium

Landscape uses: excellent, long-blooming flower for massing in the border, meadow, native plant garden, naturalized area, wildflower garden or part shade area of woodland garden

It attracts birds and butterflies, it needs low-maintenance, needs good drainage

Exposure: sun, semi-shade

Problems: Japanese beetle and leaf spot are occasional problems

Bidens aurea

Family name: Asteraceae

Common name: Arizona beggarstick

Flowers: yellow, showy

Soil: well-drained

Exposure: sun

Water use: medium

Landscape uses: borders, beds, prairies, wild or naturalized areas

It seeds easily adhere to clothing or animal fur thus facilitating easy dispersal

It easily grown in average, medium well-drained soil in full s  

Verbena hastata

Family name: Verbenaceae

Common name: American blue vervain

Leaf: green, lance-shaped, sharply toothed

Flowers: purppery blue-showy flower and blooms from Jul to Sep

Water use: medium to wet

Landscape uses: border, beds, meadows, prairies, native plant gardens or informal/naturalized areas

it needs low-maintenance and attracts butterflies. It can tolerate wet soil and easily grown in soils in full sun

Silene armeria

Family name: Caryphyllaceae
Common name: sweet William catchfly
Origin: central and southern Europe
Leaf: gray green to silver hues
Flowers: pink, 5 petals, pink magenta, showy flower
Water use: dry to medium
Landscape uses: beds, borders
This herbaceous perennial can tolerate dry condition and dry soil. It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, showy flower
Exposure: sun, semi-shade
Soil: well-drained

Lobularia maritima

Family name: Brassicaceae
Common name: sweet alysuum, alyssum
Habit: dense
Hard zone: 5-9
Origin: Southern Europe
Flower: white, rosy pink, panicles, resemble small balls of flowers
water use: dry to medium
It is suitable for mass in border fronts or rock gardens, under planting, edging and bedding, mixed container
It has a showy fragrant flower and can tolerate drought condition and dry soil

Amaranthus hypochondriacus

Family name: Amaranthaceae
Common name: prince-of-wales feather
Habit: a weed of wasteland and agricultural land
it is suitable for large-container
It is pollinated by wind, self-seed, 

Lavatera thuringiaca

Family name: Malvaceae

Common name: tree mallow

Habit: upright, bushy

Leaf: up to 9cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 3 or 5 lobes

Landscape uses: woodland garden, sunny edges

Gardeners in cold winter regions could consider this as an annual that flowers for the whole summer and fall

it is a woody shrub, but is usually cut back and each spring to a height of about 6 inches

Water use: moderate

Petasites fragrans

Family name: Asteraceae

Common name: winter heliotrope

Habit: rhizome-spreading

Leaf: distinctive shiny green leaves, kindy-shaped

Flowers: pale pink, in heads 10-15 mm across

It has a male and female flowers, they are carried on separate plants, the male flowers having mostly tubular florets and few rays, the female having many short rays

Landscape uses: groundcover, very invasive plant, it is suitable for large areas, mixed border front of gardens

It is a hardy perennial plant, aggressively spreading, grows up to where there is a moisture

Perovskia atriplicifolia

Family name: Lamiaceae

Common name: Russian sage

Habit: bushy upright clump

Leaf: grayish leaves, lacy, fragrant

Flowers: spiky violet-blue flower, large flower, deep blue-lilac

Water use: medium

Landscape uses: good texture, border, containers, cut flower, drought tolerant, rabbit resistant

It smells a bit like a lavender, it loves hot, sunny sites, It attracts butterflies

It needs low-maintenance, there is no serious problems for this plant. 

Artemisia ludoviciana 'Silver King'

Family name: Asteraceae

Common name: silver wormwood, white sage

Leaf: colorful, fragrant

Hard zone: 4-9

It is a semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial

Flowers: yellowish-gray flowers, insignificant flower, silver foliage

Water use: dry to medium

Landscape uses: borders, herb hardens, good selection for areas with poor dry soil

it needs medium-maintenance. it has a good contrast between flowering plant and green foliage 

It can also tolerate cold condition, very very tough plant.

Leycesteria formosa

Family name: Caprifoliaceae

Common name: Himalayan honeysuckle

Habit: upright, stiffly upright

Leaf: large, ovate, simple leaf, 5 petals, It has green leaves in summer and green, purple, red leaves in fall

Flowers: spikes of white flowers with dark purple-red bracts

Water use: moderate

Soil: well-drained

Exposure: sun, semi-shade

Fruits: red and beautiful, berry type, purple, black and showy fruit

Landscape uses: accent plant, fall interest, mixed shrub border

Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'

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Family name: Crassulaceae

Common name: autumn joy

Habit: clump-forming perennial

Leaf: blue-green foliage, rosy leaves in winter, pink, lavender, darker rosy lavender, brown in winter

Water use: dry to moderate

Soil: well-drained

Exposure: sun

Landscape uses: provides color and contrast to the border front or rock garden, when massed or planted in groups, effective edging plant. Also has good specimen value, It needs low-maintenance and attracts butterflies and it can also tolerate dry condition

Artemisia 'Powis Castle'

Family name: Asteraceae

Common name: wormwood

Habit: bushy, rounded

Leaf: colorful, fragrant leaf, silvery foliage

Flowers: insignificant, good dried, yellow flower

Water use: dry to medium

Exposure: sun

Soil: well-drained

Hard zone: 6-9

It needs medium maintenance, plants tend to open up in summer, susceptible to root rot in moist soils, particularly poorly drained ones

Landscape uses: It provides an excellent contrast to flowering plants and green foliage in borders and herb gardens

Pennisetum alopecuroides

Family name: Poaceae

Common name: fountain grass

Habit: arching, open, upright

Leaf: grass-like leaves, fast growth

Flowers: showy, dark-red, brown flower

It doesn't have a scent, it has grain fruit

Landscape uses: it is suitable for containers, group or mass planting, mixed shrub border, rock garden, spring interest

Water use: low

Soil: well-drained, acidic

Exposure: sun, semi-shade

Ligularia dentata ('Osiris Fantaisie')

Family name: Asteraceae

Common name: leopard plant

Leaf: back of the leaves are quit light, good contrast plant

Flowers: showy flower, yellow-orange

Hard zone: 4-8

Landscape uses: group or mass in moist or wet areas of shade or woodland gardens, borders, or along steams, ponds, pools or bog gardens

There is no serious insect or disease problems. Watch for slugs and snails, they can significantly damage the foliage

It can tolerate heavy-shade areas

Carex pendula

Family name: Cyperaceae

Common name: great pendulous sedge

Habit: rhizomatous or tufted perennial

Leaf: dark green linear, pleated leaves

Hard zone: 5

Soil: well-draiend

It needs low-maintenance, it is great for tough conditions but can re-seed

Landscape uses: wildlife gardens, meadow

This is a hardy perennial grass

Water use: moderate

Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'

Family name: Asteraceae

Common name: black-eyed Susan

Habit: clump forming

Leaf: very attractive leaves even without flower, excellent texture of leaves, it is attractive to butterflies. It can tolerate dry condition and clay soil

It needs low-maintenance, dry soil

Water use: dry to medium

Landscape uses: rain garden, naturalized, cottage garden, meadow, naturalized area

Liriope muscari

Family name: Asparaceae

Common name: big blue lily, monkey grass

Leaf: thick, linear, dark green leaves

It works better in irrigated landscape

Water use: moderate

Landscape use: groundcover, perennial border, summer interest

It can tolerate heat, it needs good drainage, it has a berry fruit

Phlomis russeliana

Family name: Lamiaceae

Common name: sticky Jerusalem sage

Habit: arching, spreading

Leaf: sticky leaves, heart-shaped

Flowers: yellow flowers in spring, showy

Hard zone: 4

Landscape uses: garden plant, accent plant, container, mixed shrub border ,perennial border

Jacobaea maritima (syn: Senecio cineraria)

Family name: Asteraceae

Common name: dusty miller

Habit: arching 

Leaf: white leaves, silvery grey leaves, simple, pinnate

Hard zone: 9

It is an evergreen shrub in worm climates but in Vancouver it is a herbaceous perennial 

Flowers: loose corymbs of yellow disc and ray florets

Water use: low

Soil: well-drained

Exposure: sun

It is a very very dense and common plant to use

it is suitable for beds, rock gardens, group or mass planting, 

Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nippon'

Family name: Asparagaceae

Common name: mondo grass

Habit: grass habit

It is a half hardy perennial which has a showy white flower

Water use: moderate

Landscape uses: works well in residential areas, beds (treat like a turf) it can't tolerate traffic. It is suitable for mixed border, containers, groundcover, rock gardens

Soil: well-drained but loam

Impatiens hawkeri hybrids

Family name: Balsaminaceae

Common name: new guinea impatiens

Habit: shrubby

Leaf: 5 petals, colorful, evergreen, 3-7 leaflets, whorled arrangement

Flowers: red, flower, orange, white, pink, flowers freely-wide variety of flowers

Water use: medium

Landscape uses: it is suitable for beds, borders, mass or group in beds, tall ground cover, edges, hanging baskets

It needs medium maintenance, it easily grown in evenly moist, organically rich, well-drained soil

It blooms in the shade areas very well

It tolerates full shades, needs protection from full sun, particularly in climates with hot and humid summer

Colocasia esculenta

Family name: Araceae

Common name: taro root, coloyam, elephant's ear

It is a perennial bulb type perennial

Flowers: white color, flowers usually don't form on cultivated plants

Water use: moderate

Landscape uses: it is suitable for bedding plants, urban agriculture, waterside planting, rain garden. It is excellent as a specimen or in groups

Soil: well-drained, acidic, bog, humus rich

Exposure: semi-shade

Watch for aphids or adelgids

Pontederia cordata

Family name: Pontederiaceae

Common name: pickerel weed

Habit: spreading, upright

Leaf: large, glossy, arrow head shaped, simple leaves

Flowers: bilabiate shape, showy, white, blue, no scent, not showy fruit

Landscape uses: it is suitable for ponds, aquatic, containers planting, herb, rain garden, bog borders, pond edges

Water use: high ,wetlands, aquatic

Soil: well-drained

Exposure: sun

Yucca filamentosa

Family name: Asparaceae

Common name: adam's needle

Habit: clump-forming

Leaf: evergreen

This plant attracts butterflies and can tolerate rabbit, deer, drought condition, erosion, dry soil, shallow-rocky soil and air pollution

It needs low-maintenance and it easily grown in light,dry to medium condition, 

Landscape uses: It is suitable for borders, dry gardens areas, dry slopes, beds, borders, containers, specimen plant

Water use: medium

Soil: well-drained but moist

Flowers: creamy white, showy,