Boronia is a large genus of shrubs with many recognized species. Mostly these plants, which are in the citrus family, are native to Australia.  Some species are sweetly fragrant and are popular garden plants. There are some varieties that have a less pleasant fragrance, such as the pink boronia. This perennial shrub sometimes grows as … Read more

Caryopteris is a genus of blue-flowering, deciduous shrubs that is native to eastern Asia, but one species is generally grown in gardens. Known as blue mist shrub, C.x clandonensis, is a plant with brilliant blue flowers. This hybrid is not native to any area. History Several varieties of Caryopteris grew in ornamental gardens but in … Read more

Beautyberry is a genus of small trees and shrubs that is native to Asia, Australia, Madagascar, and the Americas.  Callicarpa americana is a perennial plant commonly known as the American beautyberry, gets its name from its fantastic display of fuchsia-colored, autumn berries.  This perennial deciduous shrub has an elegant shape, with graceful arching branches, and … Read more

For a tough plant that will offer a long period of brightly-colored, large yellow flowers, the Euryops chrysanthemoides or African bush daisy is an excellent choice.  Being a perennial, it will come back year after year, and will survive in places where nothing else will! History The African bush daisy has been reclassified by botanists … Read more

Bird’s nest spruce (Picea abies nidiformis) is a cultivar of the Norway spruce. This species of dwarf evergreen is a conifer that is native to Europe. It is a plant commonly grown to provide evergreen ground cover.  This perennial is useful in gardens as it is slow-growing, evergreen and dwarf in height. History Norway spruce … Read more

This short-lived perennial is a small, flowering shrub that is popular in gardens due to its toughness and low maintenance requirements. Leucophyta brownii is the only species in the Leucophyta genus. The shrub is endemic to Australia. Commonly known as a cushion bush due to its mounded, dome shape, it is often grown as a … Read more

Bush honeysuckle is a genus that contains just three deciduous shrubs. Bush honeysuckle, or Diervilla, as it is also known, is native to eastern parts of North America.  The three Diervilla species are northern bush honeysuckle, southern bush honeysuckle, and mountain bush honeysuckle.  In the summer, all three bush honeysuckle species produce small, pale yellow, … Read more

Dombeya is a large genus of flowering shrubs with about 200 recognized species. Dombeya, also known as the tropical hydrangea or the pink ball tree, is native to India, East Africa, and Madagascar.  In addition to the named species, there are also several dombeya hybrids. The dombeya can be grown as a shrub or a … Read more

The dwarf palmetto is a small species of palm that grows in both heights and spread to about 6 feet (1.83 m). Native to the southern parts of North America and Mexico, this is an evergreen plant with very large palmate leaves.  The dwarf palmetto is a slow growing perennial that produces small, creamy-white, fragrant … Read more

Emu bush, or tar bush, is a member of the figwort family with recognized species. Native to all Australian states, the Eremophila glabra can either grow as low ground-cover or as an upright shrub.  Flowers can be of different colors, including red, yellow, and orange. Over 20 subspecies are commercially available.  There are many more … Read more