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.
Dumb cane is a bold tropical foliage plant grown for its large, patterned leaves that brighten indoor spaces and shaded gardens in warm climates. It is especially popular as a beginner-friendly houseplant because it tolerates average indoor conditions and adds a lush, tropical look. All parts of the plant are toxic if chewed, so place it carefully away from pets and children.
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.
Ethiopian mustard is a fast-growing brassica grown for its nutritious leafy greens and, in some regions, for oilseed production. It has a bold, mustard-like flavor and performs especially well in cool weather, making it a useful crop for spring and fall gardens. Home gardeners appreciate its vigor, productivity, and versatility in the kitchen.
Mustard greens are fast-growing brassicas grown for their peppery leaves, tender stems, and sometimes their flavorful seeds. They bring bold taste and lush texture to cool-season gardens, with many forms ranging from frilly leaf types to broad, smooth-leaved varieties. Easy to grow from seed, they are a great choice for beginner gardeners who want quick harvests and productive beds.
Prickly pear is a bold, architectural cactus grown for its paddle-shaped stems, colorful flowers, and edible fruits and pads. It thrives in hot, sunny gardens where many other plants struggle, making it a favorite for water-wise landscapes. For home gardeners, it offers both ornamental appeal and a harvest of tender nopales and sweet tuna fruits.
Tree aeonium is a striking succulent shrub grown for its branching stems topped with bold rosettes of fleshy leaves. It brings strong architectural shape to containers, rock gardens, and dry borders, especially in mild coastal climates. Easy to grow with the right drainage, it is a great choice for gardeners who want low-maintenance color and texture.
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.
Scarlet sage is a cheerful, easy-growing flowering salvia prized for its bright red blooms and long season of color. It attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators, making it a favorite for cottage gardens, borders, and wildlife plantings. In warm climates it may behave as a short-lived perennial, while in cooler areas it is often grown as an annual.
Giant timber bamboo is a dramatic, towering bamboo grown for its bold canes, lush evergreen foliage, and useful edible shoots. It makes an impressive privacy screen, windbreak, or specimen planting in larger landscapes. For gardeners with enough space and a plan for containment, it is a fast-growing and rewarding plant.
Weekend Plant