PLANT LIKE A PRO.

Ask Tom Bowman, nursery buyer from Homestead Gardens, about his favorite plants, and he lights up. Two that come to mind are underused natives: bush honeysuckle (Diervilla*) and oakleaf hydrangeas. When a nurseryman, or woman, endorses plants, you know they’re going to be easy to grow and indestructible.

This underused shrub is native to most of the eastern half of the United States. It thrives in dry shade, flowers beautifully, has great fall color and it’s deer resistant, too.

The trumpet-shaped flowers bloom in late spring and early summer and attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. It is not fussy, prefers dry to slightly moist soil in full sun to part shade. Plus, it is drought resistant once established. Use in shrub borders, woodland gardens, on slopes or as a low hedge. Prune back after flowering if necessary.

This is an excellent landscape plant that will succeed in even the most challenging sites. Tom’s favorites include:

The name says it all. The foliage on this well-behaved native shrub is as dark as night in deep shades of cherry and chocolate. Firefly refers to the yellow flowers that dance above the leaves. The foliage colors look impressive when planted in a sea of green shrubs. In fall, the color becomes even darker.

» Height: 24-36”

» Spread: 24-36”

» Hardiness Zone: 4-7

» Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies + bees

» Sun or Shade

» Deer Resistant

» Perfect for Dry Shade

» Outstanding Foliage Color

A native selection from Proven Winners is a show-stopper. New growth is bright orange with pink undertones. In autumn, it simply glows as the foliage turns a deep reddish-orange. The foliage color will be best when grown in bright light.

» Height: 36-48”

» Spread: 36-48”

» Hardiness Zone: 4-7

» Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies + bees

» Sun or shade

» Deer Resistant

» Perfect for Dry Shade

» Outstanding Fall Color

No garden should ever be without an oakleaf hydrangea. This American native attracts an array of pollinators, has enormous flowers, amazing fall color and is shade and heat tolerant. Its exfoliating, cinnamon-colored bark adds winter interest as well. Hardy in zones 5-8.

Oakleaf hydrangeas thrive in rich, moist but, well-drained soil. They’ll grow in full sun or part shade. At the height of summer, the leaves might droop, but they’ll pop back up in the morning. An addition of compost or mulch will help the soil stay moist when the heat is on.

Native oakleaf hydrangeas can grow to be 8 to 10 feet tall and wide. If that’s a little too much of a good thing for your garden, the smaller but no less beautiful, Gatsby Series from Proven Winners is for you. Tom says the Gatsby is one of his all-time favorites for reliable beauty all year-round.

This Gal’s smaller size will fit easily into your home’s landscape. The large, lacecap flowers are pure white and honey scented. It’ll attract pollinators by the score. It starts to bloom in early summer and ages to a light pink shade. The flowers stay attractive right through fall. They can be used on fresh or dried flower arrangements. As autumn approaches the foliage will begin to change in color to a deep wine red that is stunning to behold. Height and Spread: 5-6’.

Unbelievable, double florets make these blooms stand out from the crowd. The flowers are tightly packed and pure white. They would make a stunning bouquet. As they age they turn a lovely shade of green and would be perfect for dried flower arrangements. The wine-red fall color adds another season of beauty. Height and Spread: 6-7’

Large, showy flowers go through a magical transformation from bright white to a glorious shade of pink. They provide months of color in the landscape. As the foliage turns mahogany red in autumn it extends the season of interest through fall. Height and Spread: 6-7’

To learn more about any of our native shrubs please feel free to ask our Homestead Gardens nursery staff. They welcome the opportunity to discuss these fabulous plants.

After earning an Associates Degree in Forestry, Tom spent 19 years propagating and growing large specimen ornamental trees and shrubs. He then ventured into sales, representing nurseries up and down the East coast and Oregon. He has been with Homestead Gardens for 4.5 years. Nursery Buyermeet tom