Detailed plant profiles with growing tips for weekend gardeners. Browse by category or search for a specific plant to find zone-specific planting advice, care instructions, and troubleshooting help.
Virgin's-bower is a vigorous native perennial vine grown for its masses of fragrant white flowers in summer and its attractive feathery seed heads later in the season. It is a great choice for naturalized plantings, fences, arbors, and wildlife gardens where it can scramble and climb with a soft, romantic look. This clematis is beginner-friendly when given support, decent moisture, and room to grow.
Red buckeye is a small native tree prized for its bold red spring flowers and tidy, rounded form. It is especially valuable in wildlife-friendly landscapes, where its nectar-rich blooms attract hummingbirds and early pollinators. This ornamental species performs best in moist soils and can handle more shade than many flowering trees.
Mexican hat is a cheerful native wildflower known for its distinctive sombrero-shaped blooms in warm shades of yellow and reddish brown. It brings a relaxed prairie look to sunny beds, borders, and meadow plantings while attracting bees and butterflies. Once established, it is a dependable perennial for gardeners who want long-lasting color with relatively little fuss.
Coral bean is a striking native shrub or herbaceous subshrub grown for its vivid red, tubular flowers and bold tropical look. It attracts hummingbirds and adds bright seasonal color to warm-climate gardens with relatively little care. In colder parts of its range, it may die back to the ground in winter and return from the roots in spring.
Sourwood is a graceful native tree prized for its drooping clusters of white summer flowers and brilliant red fall color. It is especially loved by pollinators and is famous as a source of premium sourwood honey. For home gardeners, it makes an elegant specimen tree for acidic, well-drained soils.
Green-and-gold is a cheerful native perennial ground cover prized for its bright yellow, starry flowers and tidy green foliage. It spreads gently to form a low carpet, making it a lovely choice for woodland edges, shaded borders, and naturalistic plantings. Easy to grow and beginner-friendly, it brings long-lasting color to spots where many flowering plants struggle.
Guelder rose is a hardy, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub grown for its lacecap-like white spring flowers, bright red fall fruit, and attractive autumn color. It works beautifully in mixed borders, wildlife plantings, and informal hedges, especially where the soil stays evenly moist. Gardeners also value it as a traditional medicinal and edible-fruited shrub, though the berries are usually cooked before use.
Common zinnia is a cheerful, fast-growing annual prized for its bold, daisy-like flowers in a wide range of bright colors. It is one of the easiest flowers for beginners, thriving in sunny beds, borders, and cutting gardens through the heat of summer. Zinnias also attract butterflies and make excellent long-lasting cut flowers.
Oxeye daisy is a cheerful perennial wildflower with classic white petals and sunny yellow centers that brighten borders, cottage gardens, and naturalized spaces. It is easy to grow in average soils and tolerates lean conditions where many other flowers struggle. While attractive and useful for pollinators, it can spread aggressively in some regions, so gardeners should plant it thoughtfully.
Flowering dogwood is a beloved small native tree grown for its showy white spring bracts, red fall fruit, and rich autumn color. It fits beautifully into home landscapes as a specimen tree, woodland edge planting, or wildlife-friendly accent. With the right siting and steady moisture, it rewards gardeners with year-round beauty.
Cardinal flower is a striking native perennial prized for its tall spikes of vivid red blooms that light up damp garden beds in summer. It is especially loved by hummingbirds and fits beautifully into rain gardens, pond edges, and partially shaded borders. Despite its dramatic look, it is quite manageable for beginners when given consistently moist soil.
Creeping phlox is a low-growing perennial ground cover that forms a dense mat of fine green foliage and bursts into color in early spring. Its cheerful flowers blanket slopes, borders, and rock gardens, making it a favorite for gardeners who want reliable seasonal impact. Once established, it is easy to grow and adds texture even when not in bloom.
Weekend Plant