Sun:

Alpine Squill

Scilla bifolia

These tiny blue flowers are some of the most shade tolerant of the spring flower bulbs.

American Plum

Prunus americana

This native plum has a sprawling habit, which showcases the beautiful white flowers in spring and the unique pink plums in midsummer. The plants become scaly with age and are somewhat disease prone.

Explore This Item

Balsam

Impatiens balsamina

This plant is ideally used in the front of the flower border and is prone to reseeding. It was a common garden plant in the 18th century.

Explore This Item

Banana

Musa coccinea

Since bananas must reach a certain size to set fruit, today they are mostly used in the garden for their dramatic foliage.

Explore This Item

Beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

All parts of this bold shrub are fragrant. It particularly deserves its name for the profusion of amethyst purple berries borne on its long branches.

Explore This Item

Bee Balm is a tall summer-blooming perennial with brilliant red flowers subtended by a whorl of showy, red-tinged, leafy bracts. The aromatic leaves can be used for tea, but are susceptible to mildew, so this plant needs good air circulation. A member of the mint family, bee balm spreads readily by rhizomes…

Explore This Item

Beets

Beta vulgaris

Beets are a popular root crop used for pickling, roasting, and salads. They come in an array of colors, including red, yellow, and red and white striped.

Explore This Item

Blackhaw

Viburnum prunifolium

These large spring blooming shrubs with edible berries do best in natural areas where they can achieve their full size.

Explore This Item

Blue Sky Vine

Thunbergia grandiflora

Blue sky vine is a large, twining vine that boasts beautiful pale blue flowers. It is a rapid grower and becomes quite large over the course of a season.

Explore This Item

Boxwood

Buxus spp.

Boxwood are the quintessential southern garden hedge plant. They are popular for use in knot gardens, parterres, edging, and as topiaries. While the historic English boxwood (Buxus suffruiticosa) are especially susceptible to a devastating and widespread blight caused by the fungus Cylindrocladium buxicola…

Explore This Item

Breadseed Poppy

Papaver somniferum

This elegant annual forms an attractive seedhead after blooming and is ideal for the middle of the border in the spring garden. It self-sows reliably, but does not transplant well.

Explore This Item

Browallia

Browallia americana

Airy blue flowers form a stunning mass mid-border late in the season when many other flowers are fading. In southern climates, this plant self-sows with vigor.

Explore This Item

Butter and Eggs Daffodil

Narcissus incomparabilis aurantius plenus

Butter and Eggs is pale yellow double daffodil with many frilly petals. Its height makes it well suited to the middle of the flower border.

Explore This Item

Calendula

Calendula officinalis

Calendulas are an old fashioned herb with bright yellow or orange flowers. They are profuse bloomers in the spring and fall, but will stop blooming during the hot part of the summer. Their flowers can be used in salads and soaps.

Explore This Item

Cardinal Flower

Lobelia cardinalis

The vibrant red blooms of the cardinal flower makes it an ideal plant for the shady summer garden. It reseeds readily and is ideal for naturalizing and sharing with friends.

Explore This Item

Carolina Allspice

Calycanthus floridus

Give this shrub ample room to sprawl, as it tends to sucker when it's happy. The unusual chocolatey maroon flowers give off a spicy sweet fragrance which is echoed in cut twigs and leaves.

Explore This Item

Cheese's Mallow

Malva sylvestris

High Mallow is an upright, bushy plant with magenta flowers and darker purple stripes. It reseeds readily and naturalizes quickly in the garden.

Explore This Item

Cockscomb

Celosia argentea var. cristata

A sturdy long-blooming annual, this impressive plant is ideal for the back of the border. Its bright flowers come in many colors, including hot pink, peach, deep rose, yellow, and red.

Explore This Item

Coffee

Coffea arabica

Coffee forms a large shrub with glossy green leaves. It has small white flowers. This plant produces the coffee beans so many of us rely on every day, but in this part of the world is primarily used as an ornamental.

Explore This Item

Cowslip

Primula veris

This cute perennial forms small masses of green foliage with bright yellow or red flowers in the early spring. It is particularly sweet when planted with bulbs or other spring ephemerals in the front of the border.

Explore This Item

Cranberrybush

Viburnum opulus

Cranberrybush has stunning white flowers reminiscent of a hydrangea, which makes up for its somewhat coarse texture and stiffly upright growth.

Explore This Item

Crocus 'Cloth of Gold'

Crocus angustifolius 'Cloth of Gold'

Crocuses cheerfully herald the coming spring with bright yellow flowers. They naturalize easily in gardens, offering clumps which grow larger year by year.

Explore This Item

Dame's Rocket

Hesperis matronalis

A fragrant spring bloomer, this perennial naturalizes readily. Its white flowers are refreshing among all the pink and blue spring blooms. This flower cuts nicely for pleasant smelling bouquets.

Explore This Item

Early Louisiana Daffodil

Narcissus jonquilla 'Early Louisiana'

Early Louisiana is a petite yellow daffodil that is well suited to naturalizing. It does well towards the front of the flower border.

Explore This Item

Eastern Redbud

Cercis canadensis

This small, spreading native tree offers a profusion of purplish-pink flowers lining the dark branches in April, followed by large heart-shaped leaves. The redbud evolved in the understory and wood edges of forests, where it is sheltered from intense sunlight, and is prettiest planted among dogwoods…

Explore This Item

Elecampane

Inula helenium

This plant's large leaves add a unique texture to the back of the border, while its yellow flowers provide late season interest. Elecampane is used in France and Switzerland to make absinthe.

Explore This Item

English Daisy

Bellis perennis

With its cute white flower, this petite daisy makes a charming addition to the garden. It is usually grown as a short-lived perennial, but it will reseed if permitted.

Explore This Item

Fall Daffodil

Sternbergia lutea

This crocus-like lemon yellow bulb is a surprising and unusual find in the fall garden. They perform best in sunny, protected locations.

Explore This Item

Fothergilla

Fothergilla gardenii

The aromatic flowers on this dwarf shrub are redolent of honey. It is a plant of multi-season interest with its brilliant fall foliage and unique branching.

Explore This Item

Four O'clock

Mirabilis jalapa

Named for the time of day the bloom opens, four o'clocks will attract hummingbirds and nocturnal pollinators to your garden. This bushy plant reseeds readily, producing hundreds of large black seeds that resemble hand grenades.

Explore This Item

Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea

Wands of bell-shaped flowers ascend from a broad, woolly basal rosette. This common cottage garden flower has an important role in the manufacture of heart medicine.

Explore This Item

Garden Phlox

Phlox paniculata

Garden phlox has long been a staple of the perennial border, providing height and bright blooms at the back of the bed. The pink flowers are fragrant and attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.

Explore This Item

Great Blue Lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica

This tall, late blooming perennial adds a pleasant blue to shady glades in the summer. Native to Virginia, it is often found along stream banks and in wetland areas. It self seeds enthusiastically.

Explore This Item

Hardy cyclamen

Cyclamen hederifolium

Small pinkish-white flowers emerge from corms in September, followed by mottled green and silver ivy-shaped leaves, adding an unexpected touch of color to the fall woodland garden.

Explore This Item

Heliotrope

Heliotropium arborescens

A fragrant addition to your summer border, this sturdy plant prefers well-drained soil and afternoon shade in the southern garden.

Explore This Item

Honesty

Lunaria annua

Honesty is an old fashioned plant with briliant pink flowers that give way to paper-thin silvery seedpods, hence its many common names.

Explore This Item

Honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

A woody, twining vine, honeysuckle needs some structure to support itself. It blooms nearly all summer and is attractive to hummingbirds and other pollinators. It is well-suited for arbors, pergolas, and fences.

Explore This Item

Hoop Petticoat Daffodil

Narcissus bulbocodium 'Golden Bells'

The Hoop Petticoat is one of the smallest daffodils grown at Mount Vernon and is often crowded towards the front of the border for ease of viewing. It has unique flowers with large bells and slender, petite petals.

Explore This Item

Hydrangea

Hydrangea arborescens

This versatile hydrangea tolerates a wide variety of conditions and is ideal for borders or natural areas. It benefits from an annual pruning in late winter to prevent the heavy blooms from flopping.

Explore This Item

Jerusalem Artichoke

Helianthus tuberosus

Jerusalem artichoke is a perennial sunflower relative that produces a profusion of bright yellow flowers atop ten foot stalks. It is valued for its edible tubers, which resemble the flavor of water chestnuts.

Explore This Item

Johnny Jump-Up

Viola tricolor

This delightful little flower is a harbinger of spring in many gardens, but also adds charm to a fall or winter garden depending on your region. The flowers are edible and can be used to wonderful effect on cakes and in salads.

Explore This Item

Jospeh's Coat

Amaranthus tricolor

This voluptuous annual is grown for its showy multicolored foliage in shades of green, yellow, and red.

Explore This Item

Larkspur

Consolida ajacis

A favorite in the Mount Vernon gardens, this annual reseeds readily. Its pink, blue, and white flowers add height to the spring border.

Explore This Item

Lemon Balm

Melissa officinalis

Lemon balm is a spreading herb with a strong citrusy fragrance. It can be used for teas and cooking and is frequently used for essential oil. Gardeners should be aware that it can be aggressive and should be carefully contained.

Explore This Item

Lettuce

Lactuca sativa

Lettuce is a cool season leafy vegetable that is most frequently used in salads. Its leaves come in a variety of colors, from green to red to splotchy.

Explore This Item

Leucothoe

Leucothoe axillaris

This glossy-leafed shade loving shrub has a graceful arching habit and panicles of white flowers in the late spring.

Explore This Item

Maximus Daffodil

Narcissus hispanicus 'Maximus'

Maximus is a standard among daffodils for its height and large yellow blooms. It does well in the middle of the border where it can be easily seen.

Explore This Item

Mock Orange

Philadelphus coronarius

Mock oranges are common in older gardens, although they are regaining popularity with the introduction of dwarf and double-flowering cultivars. Richly fragrant, they offer a profusion of star-shaped flowers with yellow centers.

Explore This Item

Monkshood

Aconitum napellus

This late blooming perennial adds height and colorful spires to the end of summer shade garden. It prefers afternoon shade in the southern garden, but will tolerate sun further north.

Explore This Item

Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus

A sprawling annual herb, nasturtiums have long been a charming kitchen garden plant. Their flowers, leaves, and seeds are all edible, and add a peppery bite to salads.

Explore This Item

New England Aster

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

The pink and purple flowers of asters add color and height to the late summer garden. Due to their spreading habit they will naturalize when planted in the garden. A mid-spring trim will delay bloom time and help keep them restrained.

Explore This Item

New York Ironweed

Vernonia noveboracensis

This towering perennial is crowned with clusters of brilliant purple flowers. The size can be kept in check by a mid-spring pruning.

Explore This Item

Nora Barlow Columbine

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata 'Nora Barlow'

A fluffier flower sets this columbine apart from the simpler native type. It has cheerful magenta and white flowers on tall stems and reseeds readily.

Explore This Item

Odorus Flore Pleno Daffodil

Narcissus odorus flore pleno

Odorus Flore Pleno is a medium to small daffodil with double yellow flowers. It is strongly fragrant.

Explore This Item

Parsnips

Pastinaca sativa

Parsnips are a large root vegetable which somewhat resemble white carrots and can be used in similar ways. Just like the wild parsnip, cultivated plants attract a range of pollinators and are host plants for several moths and butterflies, including swallowtails. Handling the plants should be done with…

Explore This Item

Pawpaw

Asimina triloba

This small, colonizing tree produces the largest edible fruit indigenous to the United States. It has dark maroon flowers in the early spring which are pollinated by flies.

Explore This Item

Peony

Paeonia sp.

Herbaceous, shrub-like plants bear single or double flowers in shades of pink and cream. They are an old-fashioned favorite in East Coast gardens.

Explore This Item

Persimmon

Diospyros virginiana

Persimmons are an unusual American fruit that can colonize in abandoned fields and open woods. Female trees bear astringent orange fruits that become fully ripe after a frost.

Explore This Item

Pheasant's Eye Daffodil

Narcissus poeticus

The Pheasant's Eye daffodil is a clear white daffodil featuring a yellow cup with a red ring. It is one of the later blooming daffodils and it does best towards the middle of the border.

Explore This Item

Raspberry

Rubus idaeus

Raspberries are a sprawling thorny plant which benefit from a large growing area and the removal of older canes. They produce their first crop of fruit in May and June, and a later crop in August.

Explore This Item

Red Currant

Ribes rubrum

Red currants are a small tart fruit best harvested in June. They prefer well-drained soils as well as cool summer climates.

Explore This Item

Rhododendron

Rhododenron catawbiense 'Roseum Elegans'

The rhododendron is an evergreen plant with large, lush pinkish purple blossoms in the spring.

Explore This Item

Rhubarb

Rheum x hybridum

Rhubarb is an old-fashioned vegetable, grown for its brilliant red stems which are often used in pies and desserts. While its stems are noted for their culinary qualities, its leaves are poisonous and must be removed before cooking.

Explore This Item

Scarlet Rose Mallow

Hibiscus coccineus

This plant is the largest hibiscus grown at Mount Vernon, as well as the longest flowering. Its brilliant red blooms are a bold statement in the summer border. It is native to the swamps and marshes of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.

Explore This Item

Seventeen Sisters Daffodil

Narcissus tazetta 'Avalanche'

Seventeen Sisters is a multi-flowered daffodil which features many small white flowers with yellow cups held on stiffly upright stems. It is very fragrant.

Explore This Item

Siberian Iris

Iris sibirica

Thick clumps of spiky foliage and bright purple or blue flowers are perfect for mid-border planting. Like their German cousins, these benefit from division so they don't grow hollow in the middle.

Explore This Item

Snapdragon

Antirrhinum majus

This colorful cool season annual is a charmer in the middle of the flower border during the spring and fall.

Explore This Item

Snowdrop

Galanthus nivalis

Sweet white flowers naturalize easily in lawns or garden beds. This early bloomer is known for poking through the snow as early as February.

Explore This Item

Southern Catalpa

Catalpa bignonioides

This native plant is a medium deciduous tree with large white flowers in the spring and striking cigar-like seedpods in the fall. It features large heart-shaped leaves.

Explore This Item

Southern Magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora

An iconic tree of the south, magnolias are beautiful in both form, leaf, and flower. Widely for their fragrant blooms, they also provide winter interest with both their seedpods and shiny evergreen leaves which are often used in wreaths.

Explore This Item

Spiderwort

Tradescantia virginiana

Spiderwort has grassy foliage and interesting purple blossoms, but tends to flop after flowering. It does best in shady locations and benefits from a good haircut after blooming.

Explore This Item

Spinach

Spinacea oleracea

Spinach is a low-growing leafy green which is ideal in salads, but can also be prepared in soups, stews, or as a cooked green. It is a cool season crop, prone to bolting when summer temperatures get too high.

Explore This Item

Stinking hellebore

Hellebore foetidus

Don’t let the name fool you, as stinking hellebore’s evergreen foliage and clusters of drooping, bell-shaped, greenish-white flowers emerging from pale green bracts are a much-needed spot of color in the winter woodland garden. Established plants will readily self-seed to form colonies if flowers…

Explore This Item

Strawberry Bush

Euonymus americanus

This airy woodland shrub looks unassuming until it sets its brilliant red fruit in the fall, when it earns its many common names.

Explore This Item

Sugar Maple

Acer saccharum

This stately tree is well-known for its fall color and production of maple syrup. It is a tree of northern forests and does not tolerate the heat or humidity of the south.

Explore This Item

Summersweet

Clethra alnifolia

This dense suckering shrub tolerates wet soils and shade. In late summer it bursts into bloom, with long panicles of fragrant white flowers, followed by attractive yellow fall color.

Explore This Item

Swan's Neck Daffodil

Narcissus moschatus

The Swan's Neck daffodil is a white daffodil that keeps its flowers bent toward the earth. It is fairly small and should be planted close to the front for the best viewing opportunities.

Explore This Item

Sweet Alyssum

Lobularia maritima

Dense mounds of tiny fragrant white flowers form a spreading carpet under large perennials and annuals in the spring border.

Explore This Item

Swiss Chard

Beta vulgaris var. cicla

Swiss chard is a leafy green that can be harvested continually to be used in salads or cooked. Its leaves may be plain green or have red midribs.

Explore This Item

Tiger Daylily

Hemerocallis fulva

This summer blooming perennial has strap-like leaves and large orange flowers. Because it naturalizes easily, this daylily can be commonly seen in roadside ditches and marking the sites of old outhouses.

Explore This Item

Tulip Poplar

Liriodendron tulipifera

One of the largest native trees in North America, the tulip poplar can reach heights of 150 feet in nature. It is actually a member of the magnolia family, and named for its distinct tulip-shaped leaves and flowers. These showy, goblet-shaped, orange-yellow-green flowers appear in late spring after the…

Explore This Item

Twin Sisters Daffodil

Narcissus x medioluteus

Twin Sisters lives up to its name, with each stem bearing two small white and yellow flowers.

Explore This Item

Valerian

Valeriana officinalis

This umbelliferous perennial is attractive to bees and other pollinators. It is mildly fragrant. Valerian is an excellent addition to the back of the garden and it reseeds readily.

Explore This Item

Van Sion Daffodil

Narcissus telamonius plenus

Van Sion is a bright yellow daffodil streaked with green. It is double, with many softly pointed petals.

Explore This Item

Virginia bluebell

Mertensia virginica

A harbinger of spring, emerging foliage is deep purple but quickly turns green, and is followed by terminal clusters of pendulous, trumpet-shaped blue flowers. Virginia bluebells will rapidly colonize in moist shady areas. They are herbaceous perennials, which means that foliage dies to the ground as…

Explore This Item

Virginia Sweetspire

Itea virginica

This semi-evergreen shrub is native to wetland areas and has an arching habit. Fragrant white flowers appear in summer followed by beautiful maroon foliage in autumn.

Explore This Item

Weeping Willow

Salix babylonica

Classically planted in moist areas such as lakes and ponds, this elegant tree should be given plenty of room and planted well away from structures.

Explore This Item

White Mulberry

Morus alba

Mulberry trees can be found throughout North America in fencerows, abandoned fields, and urban areas, due to the propensity for their seeds to be spread by birds who ravenously feed on the fruit. The glossy, serrated leaves take different forms on the same tree, generally undivided or distinctly lobed…

Explore This Item

Alpine Squill

Scilla bifolia

American Plum

Prunus americana

Balsam

Impatiens balsamina

Banana

Musa coccinea

Beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Bee Balm

Monarda didyma

Beets

Beta vulgaris

Blackhaw

Viburnum prunifolium

Blue Sky Vine

Thunbergia grandiflora

Boxwood

Buxus spp.

Breadseed Poppy

Papaver somniferum

Browallia

Browallia americana

Butter and Eggs Daffodil

Narcissus incomparabilis aurantius plenus

Calendula

Calendula officinalis

Cardinal Flower

Lobelia cardinalis

Carolina Allspice

Calycanthus floridus

Cheese's Mallow

Malva sylvestris

Cockscomb

Celosia argentea var. cristata

Coffee

Coffea arabica

Cowslip

Primula veris

Cranberrybush

Viburnum opulus

Crocus 'Cloth of Gold'

Crocus angustifolius 'Cloth of Gold'

Dame's Rocket

Hesperis matronalis

Early Louisiana Daffodil

Narcissus jonquilla 'Early Louisiana'

Eastern Redbud

Cercis canadensis

Elecampane

Inula helenium

English Daisy

Bellis perennis

Fall Daffodil

Sternbergia lutea

Fothergilla

Fothergilla gardenii

Four O'clock

Mirabilis jalapa

Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea

Garden Phlox

Phlox paniculata

Great Blue Lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica

Hardy cyclamen

Cyclamen hederifolium

Heliotrope

Heliotropium arborescens

Honesty

Lunaria annua

Honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

Hoop Petticoat Daffodil

Narcissus bulbocodium 'Golden Bells'

Hydrangea

Hydrangea arborescens

Jerusalem Artichoke