28 Perennials with Highly Attractive Foliage

No Flowers? No Problem. 28 PERENNIALS WITH HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE FOLIAGE

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Agave o. ‘Frosty Blue’

(Whale’s Tongue Agave) • One of the most cold hardy Agaves, tolerating temperatures as low as 5°F • Forms a solitary rosette of short, broad, cupped leaves lined with small teeth and tipped with steel grey, terminal spines • Its distinctive powdery grey color has almost a turquoise cast • Height: 2-3ft • Zones: 7b-10

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Aralia c. ‘Sun King’

(Golden Japanese Spikenard) • Emerges mid-spring with bright gold leaves held on contrasting reddish brown stems • Remains yellow in part shade; chartreuse to lime green in heavy shade • Tiny white flowers give way to purple-black berries in fall • Height: 3ft • Zones 3-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Astilbe ‘Amber Moon’ PPAF

(Astilbe, False Spirea) • Emerges radiant chartreuse yellow in spring with a tinge of red pigment in the newest leaves • Greens up a bit by late summer • Very tall, strong, blush red stems carry rose pink flowers in midsummer • A. chinensis hybrid; heat tolerant • Height: 34-38in • Zones: 4-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Athyrium ‘Godzilla’

(Japanese Giant Painted Fern) • Like Athyrium ‘Pictum’ on steroids • Thought to be a sporeling of ‘Pictum’ and the Lady Fern • Forms a massive, arching clump of silvery fronds with green highlights and dark purple stems • Spreads slowly where it is happiest in moist, loamy soils • Height: 3ft • Zones: 3-8

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Brunnera m. ‘Jack Frost’ PP13859

(Heartleaf Brunnera, Siberian Bugloss) • Though the leaves are dark green, they have a heavily frosted overlay which allows only the green veining to show through • From mid to late spring, baby blue, forget-me-not type blossoms are held in clusters several inches above the shimmering foliage • Height: 12-15in • Spread: 12-15in • Zones: 3-8

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Buddleia ‘Crown Jewels’ PPAF MONARCH™ Collection (Butterfly Bush) • Beautiful gold foliage that shines brightly from spring through fall • Contrasting, magenta purple flowers • Flowers pointed skyward on branched stems • Secondary flowering extend further into fall • Height: 3 ½ - 4ft • Zones: 5-10

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Carex s. ‘Snow Cap’

(Creeping Broad-leaved Sedge) • Nearly all-cream to bright white, wide leaves with narrow green stripes • Variegation is much whiter than ‘Variegata’ • Grows surprising well for a plant with so little green • Forms a dense, spreading clump of deciduous foliage; insignificant flowers • Height: 6-8in • Zones: 5-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Colocasia g. ‘Thailand Giant’

(Giant Elephant Ear) • Giant seedling from Colocasia gigantea • Glaucous green leaves can grow a whopping 5ft long by 4ft wide each • Produces pleasantly perfumed, white, lily-like flowers • Height: 9ft • Zones: 8-10

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Euphorbia x m. ‘Ascot Rainbow’ PP21401

(Spurge) • Striking variegated foliage; grey- green with a yellow edge • Foliage becomes flushed with shades of red, pink, and orange in cooler temperatures • No reversion observed in trials • Variegated cream, lime, and green flowers/bracts in spring • Height: 20in • Zones: 5-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Festuca g. ‘Elijah Blue’

(Blue Fescue) • Distinguished by a slightly taller stature, loose habit, and varied flower stalks • Soft powdery blue, spikey foliage keeps its color year round • Very durable and long lived • Height: 8-10in • Spread: 8-10in • Zones: 4-8

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Heliopsis h. var. s. ‘Sunburst’

(False Sunflower) • Terrific cream and green variegated foliage • Foliage greens up as season progresses • Single 2-2½in, golden yellow flowers • Height: 30-36in • Zones: 4-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Heuchera DOLCE® CINNAMON CURLS™ (‘Inheuredfu’ PPAF) (Coral Bells) • Forms a tidy, compact, rounded mound of glossy, dissected leaves with ruffled edges • Unique blend of coppery orange, red, and purple tones on the top and brilliant magenta red on undersides of the leaves • Insignificant flowers • Foliage Height: 8-12in • Scape Height: 18in • Zones: 4-9

(Coral Bells) • Excellent grower, very uniform in production • Forms a dense, upright mound of large, thick, durable, deep grape purple leaves with black veins • Holds its color longer into the season, then develops a bright silver coating in heat • Creamy white flowers in midsummer • Naturally heat and humidity tolerant • Foliage Height: 12in • Scape Height: 34in • Zones: 4-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Heucherella FUN AND GAMES™ ‘Leapfrog’ PPAF (Foamy Bells) • Brilliant chartreuse yellow with a prominent burgundy center in spring • Darkens to green with purple centers in summer then takes on apricot and rose tones in fall and winter • Pure ivory, bottlebrush-shaped flowers in late spring • Naturally heat and humidity tolerant • Foliage Height: 10-12in • Scape Height: 24in • Zones: 4-9

(Foamy Bells) • One of the very best in Walters Gardens Heucherella breeding • Full clump of large, deeply lobed, soft green leaves with light silvering and heavy wine red to purple veining • Pure pink flowers from early through midsummer • Proportional, densely packed flower spikes pack quite a punch • Foliage Height: 8in • Scape Height: 10-13in • Zones: 4-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Hibiscus ‘Midnight Marvel’ PP24079

(Rose Mallow) • Very deep wine purple, dissected maple-like foliage is thick and leathery • Glossy, black-red buds open to 8-9”, deep scarlet red flowers from midsummer thru early fall • Relatively compact habit; intermediate in size between ‘Cranberry Crush’ and ‘Summer Storm’ • Height: 4ft • Zones: 4-9

(Rose Mallow) • 7-8 inch, slightly cupped pure white flowers have a red eye that bleeds only a little way in the just as slightly ruffled, overlapping petals • Bright lime green carpels that hold the flowers contrast nicely with deep bronze-green foliage. • Blooms cover the plant from top to bottom • Height: 4ft • Spread: 5½-6ft • Zones: 4-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’

(Hosta) • Dark blue-green, seersuckered leaves with heavy substance display a unique cupped form up to 3 inches deep • Demonstrates good slug resistance • White flowers appear just above the foliage on 22" scapes in early summer • Foliage Height: 18in • Spread: 36in • Zones: 3-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Hosta ‘Curly Fries’

(Hosta) • Arching, wiggly clump of extremely rippled, long and narrow leaves • Position in morning sun, as its chartreuse foliage will be brightest • Mature plants will develop red speckled petioles • Lavender flowers in midsummer • Foliage Height: 6in • Scape Height: 16in • Zones: 3-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Hosta ‘Island Breeze’ PPAF

(Hosta) • Sport of ‘Paradise Island’ with wider margins, thicker leaf substance, and a strong growth rate • Bright yellow leaves with dark green margins in early spring • Centers turn chartreuse in shade and lighter yellow in sun • Dark lavender flowers on showy red petioles in midsummer • Foliage Height: 12in • Scape Height: 28in • Zones: 3-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Hosta SHADOWLAND™ ‘Empress Wu’ PP20774 (Hosta) • One of the largest hostas in commerce • Huge, thick, dark green leaves • Forms a massive, upright clump • Pale reddish violet flowers • Foliage Height: 3-4ft • Scape Height: 4ft • Zones: 3-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Hosta SHADOWLAND™ ‘Wheee!’ PP23565 (Hosta) • Extremely ruffled, cream colored margins extend from the tip of each green leaf all the way down the petiole to the crown. • Leaves are of excellent substance; slug resistant • Light lavender flowers in midsummer • Foliage Height: 11-18in • Scape Height: 24in • Zones: 3-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Imperata c. ‘Red Baron’

(Japanese Blood Grass) • Upright clump of green leaves with blood red tips; nearly all-red in fall • Rarely flowers • Spreads slowly by underground runners and is typically not invasive in northern and eastern climates • Spreads more quickly in the south; make steps to contain its growth there • Height: 18-20in • Zones: 5-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Mangave ‘Pineapple Express’ PPAF MAD ABOUT MANGAVE™ Collection (Mangave) • Agave-Manfreda cross • Refined, spiky habit • 1 inch wide, dark green leaves are long and slender with pronounced burgundy spotting • A waxy coating gives the leaves a mint-green finish • Tiny spines line the margins and a very sharp, cinnamon terminal spine complete the spiky look • Height: 18-20in • Spread: 34in • Zones: (8)9-10

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Miscanthus s. ‘Oktoberfest’ PPAF

(Miscanthus) • Improvement over ‘Graziella’ - blooms earlier and has much improved fall color • Wide, deep green leaves develop deep purple and red highlights beginning in late summer or early fall • Shimmering burgundy flowers turn tan as they age in early fall • Height: 6-7ft tall in bloom (4 ½ft before blooming) • Zones: 5-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Phlox p. ‘Shockwave’ PP23265

(Tall Garden Phlox) • Stable variegated sport of ‘David’s Lavender’ • Leaves are deep green with sunny yellow to creamy yellow margins • Large clusters of lavender pink blooms in late summer and early fall • Height: 12-18in • Zones: 4-8

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Schizachyrium s. ‘Smoke Signal’ PPAF

(Little Bluestem) • Glaucous blue-green foliage • Begins to take on scarlet red tones in late summer and deeper red-purple through the fall • Maintains its strictly upright habit through fall • Comparison to ‘Twilight Zone’: more vibrant red fall color • Blooms in early fall • Height: 3-4ft • Zones: 3-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected] Tricyrtis f. ‘Autumn Glow’

(Formosa Toad Lily) • Improvement over ‘Gilt Edge’ with much more impressive variegation • Wider, yellow leaf margins are showier in the shade • Orchid-like, reddish purple to blue violet speckled blossoms • Blooms late summer into early fall in the north, earlier in the south • Great perennial for late season interest • Height: 24-26in • Zones: (4)5-9

Walters Gardens, Inc. Proud Supplier of Proven Winners® Perennials P.O. Box 137 • Zeeland, MI. 49464 Phone: 888-925-8377 • Fax: 800-752-1879 Email: [email protected]