Plants of Merit Plant List

Hedge maple is a dense, low-branched, rounded, deciduous maple that typically matures to 25-35 feet tall as a lawn specimen or small shade tree. It can also be easily pruned to form a large hedge. Milky-sapped stems are clad with f...

The paperbark maple is a wonderful small tree for tight spaces. It matures at about 20 to 30 feet and produces an exceptionally attractive, cinnamon to reddish-brown exfoliating bark that provides good winter interest. It has no se...

FALL FIESTA describes the excellent yellow, orange and red fall color of this vigorous, rapid-growing sugar maple that matures over time to 50-75 feet tall with an upright rounded form.   Distinctive, deeply-lobed, l...

Native to China and Korea, this small understory maple tree grows to only 30 feet tall and is ideal for smaller areas in the landscape. Its compact, densely-rounded shape, ash-brown exfoliating bark, medium green trifoliate leaves ...

Native to China, this small rounded maple grows to only 25 feet tall and is an excellent compact dense shade tree for smaller areas of the landscape. Features 5-lobed green leaves which emerge with a reddish tinge in spring, mature...

Although the bane of bugs, this selection is a knockout in shaded areas of borders or shade gardens, blooming in October often just before the first frost. These are large, clump-forming plants that produce extremely attractive bot...

Showy 12-inch long bottlebrush-like spikes of tiny white flowers cover this 6-12 foot tall shrub in a spectacular mid-summer floral display. Handsome dark green palmate foliage turns bright yellow in autumn. This is one of the best...

Hummingbirds love the red, narrow-tubular flowers that bloom in spring in exceptionally showy, erect, terminal panicles to 4–10 inches long. Palmate, shiny green leaves are attractive in spring and early summer, but usually b...

Floss flower describes the thread-like appearance of the fluffy lavender-blue flowers on this annual that grows to 18-24 inches tall on stems with soft green leaves. Flowers bloom freely from spring to fall. Best growth occurs in rich, consistentl...

This is the most tree-like of the native serviceberries, typically growing 15–25 feet tall in landscapes. Five-petaled white flowers in spring, edible blueberry-like fruits in June, dark green leaves in summer and excellent o...

A large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree to 15-25 feet tall. Showy white flowers in spring, edible purplish-black berries in June, clean blue-green leaves in summer and brilliant orange-red fall color make this an attractive addit...

Star-shaped, powdery blue flowers bloom in clusters in spring atop generally upright stems densely clothed with feathery, soft-textured, almost thread-like leaves. The unique foliage remains bright green throughout summer, but chan...

This Missouri native features pyramidal clusters of star-like soft blue flowers in late spring atop erect leafy stems growing 2-3 feet tall. Narrow, willow-shaped leaves turn a clear yellow in fall. Though it does well in the borde...

Although discovered in 1858 in Verdun, France, this fall-blooming anemone remains an outstanding late-blooming selection. Ideal for naturalizing in moist soils in partially shaded borders, cottage gardens or open woodland areas. Ty...

Two-lipped, snapdragon-like flowers in shades of lavender, lavender pink, white and purple bloom non-stop from spring to fall on these annuals that rise to only 10-12 inches tall. Floral display is especially showy when massed in b...

Unusual, curved-trumpet-shaped, yellowish-green flowers resembling Dutch smoking pipes bloom in spring on this Missouri native twining vine that grows to 20-30 feet long. Flowers are often hidden behind large, densely-overlapping, ...

Blood flower is winter hardy to USDA Zones 9-11. In St. Louis, it is grown as an annual. It is easily grown from seed each year. Start seed indoors in pots 8-10 weeks before last spring frost date. Plant seedlings outside after las...

When brushed with the hand, the stem-clasping, narrow-oblong, blue green leaves of this compact, shrubby, Missouri native aster release a fresh, intoxicating fragrance. Native to limestone glades and dry prairies, this aster produc...

This dwarf Chinese astilbe spreads by rhizomes to form an attractive 6-inch tall ground cover of compound, fern-like, dark green leaves. Tiny lilac-pink flowers densely packed into upright, plume-like, branched flower stalks rise a...

For more information about this plant, go to: http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=B291