2012 Plants of Merit

A deciduous maple tree with an oval to rounded habit that grows 30-40' tall at maturity. Five-lobed leaves are medium green, turning to yellow in fall. Thick foliage makes this a good shade tree. Greenish yellow flowers appear in p...

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...

This suckering deciduous shrub to 3-6 feet tall is distinguished by the magic of its exceptionally fine purple/red autumn color. Additional ornamental features include dense clusters of 5-petaled white flowers in spring, glossy obovate dark green ...

Wild ginger is a Missouri native spring wildflower which occurs in rich woods and wooded slopes throughout the State. Basically a stemless plant which features two downy, heart-shaped to kidney-shaped, handsomely veined, dark green...

Pawpaw is a Missouri native small understory tree or large shrub which typically grows 15-20' tall (sometimes to 30') and occurs in low bottom woods, wooded slopes, ravines and along streams. Often spreads by root suckers to form colonies or thick...

Large, 2-3 inch diameter, red/rose flowers in dense clusters bloom non-stop from spring to fall on these floriferous, upright-rounded begonias which are noted for early bloom, large flower size, glossy leaves, bushy habit and vigorous growth. BIG ...

Bull's Blood' is an heirloom beet that is primarily grown today for its dark purplish-red leaves that make excellent additions to salads. Its tasty beetroots (hereinafter beets) can also be enjoyed. Regardless of culinary value, 'B...

Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens) is an annual leafy garden vegetable that is closely related to beets. It is in large part distinguished from beets by its lack of enlarged fleshy underground beet roots. Swis...

Although the airy paniculate cymes of pale blue, forget-me-not-like flowers add cool but striking color to the spring garden, it is the hosta-like clumps of distinctive, silver-white, basal leaves with contrasting green veins and margins that orch...

‘Purple Flash’ is a herbaceous ornamental pepper that is most noted for its near black foliage accented with occasional flashes of bright purple or white and its tiny jet black fruit. It grows vigorously in an upright b...

Celosia argentea (Plumosa Group) plants (commonly called feather celosia, plumed celosia or feathered amaranth) are old garden favorites that feature narrow-pyramidal, plume-like flower heads (4-10” long) composed of tiny, de...

Spider-like, four-petaled, lavender-pink flowers with protruding stamens bloom continuously from spring to frost in showy, clustered, terminal racemes perched atop rigid stems rising to 2-4 feet tall. Stems are clad with compound, palmate, rich gr...

CHEROKEE BRAVE is a red-flowered variety of the Missouri State Tree. It typically matures to 15-30 feet tall with a preference for moist, organically rich, acidic soils in part shade. Flowers appear in May. Each flower consists of a center cluster...

Native from southeastern Europe to western Asia, Turkish hazel or Turkish filbert is a pyramidal deciduous tree that grows to 40-50’ (less frequently to 80’) tall. The trunk is short with dense, horizontal, low branchin...

GOLDEN SPIRIT is a multi-stemmed shrub that matures to 8-15 feet tall, and features elliptic to obovate bright yellow leaves suffused with lime green. Leaves turn attractive shades of amber, burgundy, scarlet and green in fall. Small yellow flower...

Although lemongrass is a popular ingredient in Southeast Asian cooking, it also serves as an attractive ornamental annual grass featuring upright clumps to 2-4 feet tall of strap-like, gracefully arching, light green leaves. Leaves emit a lemony f...

Although the fan-shaped, medium green leaves are attractive in spring and summer, it is the fall foliage that gives this cultivar its name. Bright golden autumn leaves are spectacular when backlit by early morning or late afternoon...

Kentucky coffee tree is primarily grown today as a rugged but picturesque shade tree for large landscapes. Mature trees rise to 60-80 feet tall with open-rounded crowns, stout branching, scaly brown bark and very large, double pinnate compound lea...

Helleborus 'Walhelivor' is commonly sold in commerce by the trade name of IVORY PRINCE. It was selected in 1995 in Sussex, England from a controlled breeding program designed to produce new Helleborus plants that exhibited vigorous...

Panicle hydrangea (see Hydrangea paniculata at C313 herein) is a vigorous, upright, rapidly growing, somewhat coarsely textured, deciduous shrub that is native to China and Japan. It typically grows to 8-15’ (less frequently ...

Native to China and Japan, panicle hydrangea (see C313 herein) is a vigorous, upright, rapidly growing, somewhat coarsely textured, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 8-15’ tall. It features oval to ovate dark green leav...

‘Afterglow’ is a female winterberry that typically matures to 3-6’ tall and as wide. It is a compact selection that is smaller and denser than most other winterberry cultivars. It is noted for its dense, heavy fru...

This annual lettuce may be grown for culinary purposes as a red loose leaf lettuce or for ornamental purposes as a red-leaved foliage plant. It grows to 6-8 inches tall. Frilled, dark red leaves in loose rosettes resemble the color of merlot wine....

‘Royal Purple’ is a lily turf cultivar that is most noted for its attractive grass-like foliage and deep purple flowers. It is a stemless, tufted perennial that typically grows to 10-15” tall. It features ribbon-l...

‘Butterflies’ is a deciduous hybrid magnolia resulting from a cross between M. acuminata (seed parent) and M. denudata (pollen parent). It is noted for its non-fading yellow flowers, late vegetative growth, compact pyra...

Limited quantity available for sale through the Missouri Botanical Garden!  Trees are 8-10 feet tall in...

Racemes of trumpet-shaped, lavender blue flowers bloom from spring to fall atop 30 inch tall stems clad with aromatic, oval, intricately-veined, grayish-green leaves. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage continued flowering. Plants t...

‘Pesto Perpetuo’ is a non-flowering, columnar basil that features aromatic, lime green leaves variegated with thin white margins. It was discovered in 2004 as a sport of Ocimum x citriodorum 'Lesbos'. It typically grows...

The olive green to blue green foliage of this upright ornamental switch grass forms an attractive, narrow, vertical clump to 5 feet tall. Leaf blades are topped in late summer by yellow flower panicles which hover over the grassy clump like an air...

Not only do the bright green leaves of parsley serve as tasty culinary additions to soups, salads, stews, vegetables and a variety of other food dishes, but the plants themselves incorporate exceedingly well into garden areas, edgings, window boxe...

Norway spruce is a large, pyramidal, evergreen conifer that matures to 40-60' tall. It is noted for performing particularly well in theSt. Louisclimate. It features slightly upturned primary branches with pendulous branchlets and twigs. Evergreen,...

This Norway spruce cultivar is a dwarf needled evergreen shrub which has a dense, flat, globose, bun or cushion-like habit. New growth needles are light green, turning to a glossy, dark green with age. Typically grows slowly (3" pe...

This moss rose is a prostrate, trailing, drought-tolerant, free-flowering annual that rises to only 4-6 inches tall but spreads vigorously by fleshy stems to 10-12 inches wide. The RIO SERIES consists of six separately patented cultivars (flower c...

This medium-sized Missouri native oak grows to 50-70 feet tall with a broad rounded crown, and is particularly noted for its large-toothed/lobed, bicolor leaves that are shiny dark green above and white to silver green beneath. Lea...

Chinkapin oak is a medium-sized deciduous oak that typically grows to 40-60 feet tall with a rounded crown. It features narrow, oblong to lance-shaped, chestnut-like, shiny green leaves with coarse marginal teeth. Leaves turn gold ...

This columnar to narrow-oval oak with fastigiate branching typically matures over time to 40-60 feet tall with a spread to 25 feet.   Leathery, obovate, glossy, dark green leaves turn yellow-brown in fall.  Excellent...

Prairie Sun’ is a black-eyed Susan (also sometimes called coneflower or gloriosa daisy) cultivar that typically grows to 3’ tall on stiff, upright, leafy stems. It produces a long summer-to-fall bloom of large, daisy-li...

Bright yellow leaves are the defining feature of this bushy, rounded pineapple sage that rises to 2-3 feet tall. Leaves acquire some green tones in summer. Stems are topped in fall with tubular, two-lipped scarlet flowers in loose whorls. This ann...

Salvia guaranitica (sometimes called blue anise sage) is native to Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is a tender perennial or subshrub that exhibits a bushy, somewhat open habit with upright, branching, square, dark green...

Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Needs good soil drainage to perform well. Avoid overwatering. Drought tolerant. Plants may be sited 12” apart when grown as a ground cover. Tip ...

.   Pond cypress is a deciduous conifer that typically grows 30-70 feet tall with spreading branches, ascending branchlets and a cylindrical crown that flattens with age.  It is native to coastal are...

Notwithstanding its superior tasting blueberries that mature in mid-season, this upright deciduous shrub offers additional multi-season ornamental features such as waxy bell-shaped white flowers in spring, attractive dark green lea...

Prague viburnum (V. rhytidophyllum x V. utile) is a bushy, rounded, evergreen shrub that is noted for its elliptic, glossy, dark green leaves which survive most St. Louis winters with little leaf discoloration or damage. It typic...

Blackhaw viburnum is a Missouri native deciduous shrub or small tree of moist woods, thickets and stream banks. It incorporates well into landscapes as a specimen, hedge or screen, and is right at home in native plant gardens. White flowers in fla...

Burkwood viburnum is a densely-branched, multi-stemmed shrub which typically grows 8-10' tall and 5-7' wide. Features fragrant white flowers arranged in flat-topped cymes (2-4" wide) in April. Flowers are followed by pendulous clus...

The bright red-orange flowers of this fully double zinnia bloom profusely and densely from spring to frost above a mound of obovate medium green leaves rising to 8-12 inches tall. Best growth occurs in humus-rich, evenly moist, well-drained soils ...