Premium Annuals

These perennials bloom so well for so long that we describe them as premium annuals.    All will bloom this year. In protected spots, with some winter watering, you might be rewarded with repeat performances for years until a bitterly cold wint

 Sunset Agastache (Agastache rupestris)

Plant Select® 1997 Sunset orange and lavender flower spikes top gray-green root beer scented foliage from later summer through fall in fairly hot summer settings. This hummingbird and butterfly magnet has a good record of surviving our winters when it is planted in drier mineral soil in spots without reflected warmth in winter. While the usual agastache needs full sun, Sunset tolerates part shade as well. Water needs are relatively low for this xeric plant once established.

Bloom Time	Height	Width	Zone	Watering	Sun
Mid summer through Autumn	18 to 24 inches	18 to 36 inches	4b		Full Sun to Part Shade

Coronado Agastache (Agastache aurantiaca)

Plant Select® 2001 An abundance of yellow hooded flowers stained with orange on spikes top this highly aromatic silvery leaved southwestern desert native from midsummer to frost. The size of this hummingbird and butterfly magnet is 2-3 feet tall by 3 feet wide. Plant in full sun and well drained soil or clay kept on the dry side. Low water need when established.

Bloom Time	Height	Width	Zone	Watering	Sun
Mid summer to Autumn	2 to 3 feet	3 feet	5/6		Full Sun

Size	Cost

 Corsican Violet (Viola Corsica)

Plant Select® 2003 Lovely bright purple violet from the Mediterranean with 1” flowers from spring to fall. Tolerates drought but blooms best through summer with supplemental water. The 8 inch tall by 6-8 inch wide plants only survive winter in protected spots but moderate seeding occurs in watered beds for a casual wild garden look.

Bloom Time	Height	Width	Zone	Watering	Sun
Spring to Fall	8 inches	6 to 8 inches	5/6		Full Sun to Part Shade

Size	Cost
Standard	$3.50

 Salvia Furman’s Red (Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’)

Plant Select® 2005 This southwesatern everblooming sage repeatedly covers itself in crimson to scarlet flushes of color on an 18-24 inches tall by 12-14 inches wide woody perennial. Expect the show to last from summer into fall but do not expect the Zone 5b plant to over winter. Suitable for bedding, borders and larger containers, quite heat tolerant and moderately xeric. Full sun and relatively low water need.

Bloom Time	Height	Width	Zone	Watering	Sun
Summer to Fall	18 to 24 inches	12 to 14 inches	5b		Full Sun

Size	Cost
Premium	$8.50

No matter how drought tolerant these plants are—they still have been grown in a potting mix and not your soil, so for the establishment year plan to water up to 3 times/week. Remember too, to water the surrounding soil. Roots don’t grow into dry soil. During intense heat, it maybe necessary to water even more frequently!

Rain Gauge

Throughout this site, the following are used as guidelines for watering established plants:

These plants need regular watering somewhat like a bluegrass lawn so that they never dry to depth in the root system during the active growing season and need occasional winter watering to prevent root dessication and resultant plant death.

These plants are adapted to intermittent deep watering with soil drying to a depth of a few inches between waterings. Watering frequency may be every couple of weeks during the active growing season and maybe only one winter watering for optimal care.

These truly xeric plants can live with our 12 inches of natural precipitation and only need a winter watering during a multi-year drought but they will thrive with a monthly watering. Overwatering will kill some of these.