Cercis canadensis ‘Whitewater’ is a “hot plant” out of North Carolina and a North American native tree too! This small, deciduous tree with beautifully variegated white and green leaves was developed by Dr. Dennis Werner at North Carolina State University. It’s a good choice to incorporate into your garden where contrasting foliage color is desired. Traditional magenta-pink flowers of the redbud emerge in the early spring on bare branches ...   >> read article

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a drought- and heat-tolerant, full-sun perennial native in many states across the country. The plant grows to about 3-4 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide. Starting in summer, orange or orange-red flowers appear, which do a wonderful job of attracting butterflies and other beneficial insects such as bees, although it claims its fame by being one of the important host plants for monarch butterflies.   >> read article

Perk up your flowerbeds and patio this spring and summer with Revolution series gerbera daisies. Praised for its tight compact habit, reliable uniform growth and resilient dark green foliage, this outstanding new series blooms earlier than other cultivars and persists later into Louisiana summers, making it the perfect selection for container color and flowerbed fillers.   >> read article

Do you need a fast-growing evergreen screen that is resistant to deer and bagworms? Or perhaps you are looking for a great focal point evergreen as a specimen or in a grouping? If so, look no further than ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata ‘Green Giant’).   >> read article

Sweet alyssum, as the name hints, is certainly a sweet-smelling annual, but it’s often grown in such small quantities that the smell is overlooked. Butterflies are drawn to the fragrant small flowers that range in color from blue to lavender, pink, yellow and white.
  >> read article