SOUTHERN GARDENING: 4 crops had high 2022 efficiency | Life

At the end of each year, I enjoy looking back at some of the better performers in my home landscape and on my travels with Southern Gardening.

I obviously don’t have space here to mention all the great plants I’ve seen and grown in 2022, but I think these four were the crème de la crème.

Asklepias tuberosa

One native plant to consider for your landscape is Butterflyweed, a selection that was chosen as a 2012 Mississippi Medallion winner. Butterflyweed, also commonly known as milkweed, is a low-maintenance plant that attracts many butterflies. In fact, spurge is the only food plant for monarch caterpillars.

Butterflyweed is a common sight along highways in the late summer months. The deep orange flowers that stand out on cut banks are a testament to the low maintenance requirements of this plant. Known botanically as Asclepias tuberosa, Butterflyweed grows up to 36 inches tall and 24 inches wide with an upright, clumping habit.

Clusters of tubular flowers are various shades of orange, but some have flowers shaded towards yellow. Last summer I found a colony growing along the Natchez Trace that was bright red.

Suburban Nancy Gayle Daylily

This particular daylily continues to be an annual entry on my list of top performing landscape plants. Suburban Daylily Nancy Gayle, a superb plant for all of our Mississippi gardens and landscapes, was developed at Suburban Daylilies in Hattiesburg.

This daylily has large, red flowers with yellow throats. And I mean big; They are larger in diameter than my hand. These rust-resistant plants grow in experimental beds throughout Mississippi and are quite impressive with their flowering performance. They bloom almost every year from mid-May to August in my home garden.

stage

I think the best description I’ve read of Pentas is that they are the shining stars of any landscape they are planted in. The star-like reference is repeated in its common name, Egyptian Star Cluster.

The name ‘penta’ comes from Latin for five, and the flowers are produced in clusters of five-petaled flowers from spring to frost in autumn. Each penta plant often has up to 20 clusters of flowers at any given time.

Pentas not only offer great colors for us to enjoy, but they are rich sources of nectar and magnets for butterflies and hummingbirds. These plants have a great tolerance to the heat and humidity of our Mississippi summers. They add an almost tropical feel to the porch or patio, especially when planted en masse in landscape beds or containers.

Vista Chewing Gum Supertunia

I think every member of the Southern Gardening Nation knows that Vista Bubblegum Supertunia is probably my favorite landscape plant of all time. She produces uninterrupted clear, light pink flowers that do well in Mississippi gardens.

These vigorous plants have a spread of 3 feet and can grow up to 24 inches tall. When clustered in the landscape bed, they form a pink ground cover. Vista Bubblegum is also a good choice for containers and hanging baskets where the flowering branches and shoots can tumble over the edge.

Vista Bubblegum Supertunia’s growth is so reliable that it was named a 2012 Mississippi Medallion winner.

You can’t go wrong by planting some or all of these plants in your 2023 landscape and garden.