Every week we’re publishing a NEW Plant Picks of the Week story, showcasing our Plant Specialists’ top plant picks. Get ready to be inspired!
We recently asked Bailey Lackey to share her top plant picks. Here’s what she had to say:
Prairifire Flowering Crab
Malus ‘Prairifire’
A highly regarded accent tree smothered in rich red flowers in spring and persistent small purple fruit in fall, upright habit of growth; the definitive ornamental feature tree for the home landscape, needs well-drained soil and full sun
Wedding Party® Dark and Handsome Hellebore
Helleborus ‘Dark and Handsome’
This attractive variety produces vigorous mounds of thick evergreen leaves; flower stalks, held occasionally above the foliage bear showy black to black-purple flowers with yellow-green centers; an outstanding selection for shade gardens
Amber Ghost Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum ‘Amber Ghost’
The lovely leaves of this compact variety emerge bright pink, changing to pink-orange, soft amber for summer, then turning fiery scarlet-orange in fall, interesting branching habit; an ideal selection for gardens or containers; protect from afternoon sun
Black Dragon Japanese Cedar
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Black Dragon’
A popular loosely pyramid-shaped evergreen with very deep green foliage, slow-growing and graceful; an excellent choice for an accent with a distinctively Asian feel in the home landscape
Mountain Fire Japanese Pieris
Pieris japonica ‘Mountain Fire’
A popular ornamental broadleaf evergreen shrub with delicate and showy chains of small white bell-shaped flowers and fiery red emerging foliage, extremely colorful in spring; performs best in moist, organic and acidic soils