| Gardeners grow two types of plants basically, | | | | walls and can cover ground areas that are barren. |
| annuals and perennial plants. The annual plant | | | | Ficus repens, fig vine, can rapidly send out leafy |
| grows from a seed; flowering follows and the | | | | shoots that grow a foot per week. Liriope |
| mother plant dies after the new crop of seed has | | | | groundcover perennial plants are among the most |
| matured. The perennial plant does not have a life | | | | popularly grown because they are colorful, dense, |
| span that is limited to one year unless it is grown | | | | clean growing and grow in many sizes. The most |
| out of zone. For instance, the tulip bulb is a | | | | popular liriope cultivars are Liriope muscari 'Big |
| perennial plant when grown in the Netherlands, but | | | | Blue;' Liriope muscari 'Royal Purple;' Liriope muscari |
| in much of the United States, the tulip bulbs | | | | 'Super Green Giant;' and Liriope muscari 'Variegata.' |
| decline and won't flower again in many States, so | | | | Flowering bush hydrangea perennials are native |
| that tulips are planted thereafter as an | | | | plants to the United States, and many new |
| annual—not to return the following year. The | | | | hydrangea cultivars have been developed in bright |
| environmental factors of heat and humidity limit | | | | colors of red, blue, white, purple, and pink. |
| the planting and growing of tulip bulbs in much of | | | | Hydrangea bushes shed their leaves during the |
| the United States as a perennial plant. | | | | winter, but spring back to life in the spring, |
| Elephant ear bulbs can be grown as a perennial | | | | covered with flowers. |
| plant in warmer climates where the elephant ear | | | | Flowering vine perennials are grown to cover |
| bulbs grows in size each year to form huge | | | | fences, trellises, and walls—some with |
| clumps. Elephant ear bulbs when planted in | | | | evergreen foliage, others with flowers with a |
| Northern States like New York will not survive | | | | bonus of many colors, including red, coral, blue, |
| outside temperatures of snow and ice and must | | | | purple, pink, white, and yellow. Carolina jasmine, |
| be grown as an annual unless the elephant ear | | | | Gelsemium sempervirens, covers the entire vine |
| bulbs are dug up and stored inside the house. | | | | with bright yellow flowers, which are fragrant and |
| From these perennial bulb examples, it can be | | | | fast growing. Confederate jasmine, |
| demonstrated how important temperature | | | | Trachelospemum jasminoides, flowers with yellow |
| factors are in plant survival. Other factors of the | | | | or white blooms, perfumed like other sweet |
| environment are important, such as light intensity. | | | | jasmine vine perennials. Bleeding heart vine, |
| Yucca plants and agave plants thrive in hot, dry, | | | | Clerodendron thomsoniae, flowers bright red, |
| sunny conditions, and if either of these plants are | | | | heart-shaped blooms and climbs as a vine rapidly |
| grown in low light, the decline begins that finally | | | | for privacy screens. Coral vines, Antigonon |
| results in plant death. | | | | leptopus, are famous in the South for |
| Desert plants such as agave plants, yucca plants, | | | | heart-shaped leaves and fragile delicate flower |
| and aloe plants can survive in the dry sands of | | | | clusters of pink or white. Coral vines are known |
| the deserts and heat, drought, and intense sunlight | | | | locally in Florida as the Tallahassee vine. |
| that other plants could not tolerate. The yucca, | | | | The butterfly bush is sweetly scented and easy |
| agave, and aloe plants could not survive tropical | | | | to grow as a perennial bush or hedge. Butterflies |
| jungle humidities and shade. | | | | swarm on the flowers in summer and fall seasons |
| Fern plants are very adaptable to practically any | | | | that are tough and can easily become established |
| environment imaginable, from rocky heights on | | | | underneath pine trees in thickets, some are |
| arctic-like mountain tops, to the heavy shade of | | | | documented to have persisted for over 40 years |
| tropical rainforests, ferns thrive. As a nursery | | | | in one place. Important flowering butterfly bushes |
| plant, ferns are grown as bedding plants in sun or | | | | flower in red, pink, purple, white, and yellow. The |
| shade or as delicate indoor potted fern plants | | | | important cultivars grown are Buddleia lindeyana, |
| such as the lacy maidenhair fern, Adiantum | | | | Buddleia davidii 'Bonnie,' Buddleia davidii 'Pink Delight,' |
| peruvianium, and the foxtail fern, Asparagus | | | | and Budlleia davidii 'White Profusion.' |
| meyerii. | | | | Ornamental grasses have secured an important |
| Groundcover perennial plants are important in | | | | place in the landscape garden. As a bedding plant, |
| controlling erosion and in reducing soil evaporation. | | | | ornamental grasses such as black fountain grass, |
| Some groundcover plants form clumps and | | | | Egyptian papyrus, lemon grass, Pink Muhly grass, |
| others, like ivy, form vines that can rapidly grow | | | | Red fountain grass, Umbrella grass, Tricolor |
| to cover uphill bare spots or cover walls and | | | | society garlic, Northern sea oats, Pampas grass, |
| buildings. Ivy grows rampantly once established | | | | Cortaderia selloana, and Japanese silver grass |
| and is popular to use in planters and hanging | | | | have found valuable placement in office building |
| baskets. Iron plant, Aspidistra lurida, grows well as | | | | landscapes. |
| a shade plant and some aspidistra forms are | | | | Angel trumpet plants (Datura) are very desirable |
| covered with white dots on the waxy green | | | | to grow in warm climates. The trumpet flowers |
| leaves; others are variegated with white stripes, | | | | open as fragrant one foot blooms, drooping as |
| Aspidistra elatior 'Variegata.' Palm grass, Curculigo | | | | the as the day progresses. Flowers of many |
| capitulata, grows very well as a shade plant near | | | | datura, angel trumpet plants, cover the shrub all |
| pools. Dwarf mondo grass, Ophiopogon japonicus | | | | summer and fall in a blaze of color: red, pink, |
| nana, is an excellent liriope-type groundcover that | | | | white, yellow, orange, purple, etc. These datura |
| aggressively crowds out weeds and grows in | | | | (angel trumpet) plants are readily hybridized into |
| green or white forms for landscape contrasts. | | | | many attractive interesting color combinations, |
| The creeping fig vine, Ficus repens, rapidly covers | | | | known technically as 'Brugmansia' x 'candida. |
