The Wyoming Plant Company -- Landscape plants for Wyoming's climate

Dry Shade

What to plant in that shady spot that you can’t seem to get enough water to? Anyway if you did water it heavily the slugs would march in in force.
Here are our recommendations...

Snow Angel Coral Bells  

New! Snow Angel Coral Bells  (Heuchera sanguinea ’Snow Angel’)

Plant Select® 2003  Our grower introduced these to the trade and the Plant Select organization recognized their vigor and beauty.  Mounded foliage up to 1’ wide is a medium green with creamy variegation and the cerise-red flower spikes rise to 1’ total height. Not only will the butterflies and hummingbirds visit but you may cut these for addition to bouquets! Sun without reflected heat to shade.
More mature than last year’s trial.

Zone 3 to Part sun to shade
Size: 1 quart HSSA-Pq    Cost: $7.75


Variegated Solomon's Seal   Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum ‘Variegatum’)

2004 GreatPlants®. Pairs of medium green, white edged leaves line the 2' arching stems of this woodland native and small white bell-shaped flowers hang from the leaf axials in late Spring. The Loess Hills along the Missouri River between Nebraska and Iowa where Solomon’s Seal is native have alkaline soils like ours. Use this plant as an accent or taller groundcover instead of or with Hosta. Iowa experience says that slugs and deer do not trouble this one!

More mature than last year’s plants.
Zone 3 to Shade, part shade
Size: 1 quart SSPB-P Cost: $6.50


Hardy Plumbago   Hardy Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)

In late summer intense true blue blossoms of Hardy Plumbago are a butterfly favorite and blossoming often continues into fall even while the foliage is turning mahogany red. What a visual treat for us humans! Mature height of 8 inches makes it useful for either an accent plant or as colorful ground cover. Sun without reflected heat to shade.
Zone 4 Sun to shade
Size: 2.5" pot CPHP-P2.5 Cost: $2.75
Size: 1 quart CPHP-Pq Cost: $4.50


American Columbine  

New! American Columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis)

This native wildflower carries delicate looking nodding blooms with yellow sepals and red spurs on upright plants in late May into June. Natural range of this species includes calcareous soils in the Loess Hills so expect to not have a chlorosis problem with the foliage. Height: 1’-2’ by Width:1’-2’.

Zone 3 to Part sun to part shade
Size: 2.5" pot ACAC-P Cost: $2.85



Oregon Grape  

Creeping Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens)

The shape of the leaves brings to mind holly, but Oregon Grape is better suited to our alkaline soil. Native to Casper Mountain, this dark green evergreen sub-shrub has bright yellow blooms followed by silver dusted deep blue edible berries. Best used as a shady accent ground cover, the plant grows to 1 foot tall and slowly spreads to 2-3 feet wide. In fall, the leaves turn a burgundy red and stay that color through winter. Great winter interest when the snow is absent!

Zone 3 Part sun to shade
Size: 4" pot MROG-P Cost: $ 5.85
Size: Gallon Cost: $15.25



Mountain Lady's Mantle   New! Mountain Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla alpine)

This compact plant makes a spectacular ground cover for an alpine or rock garden with morning sun to part shade. Small seven-lobed leaves are palmate compound and trimmed with a silvery edge. Yellow, foamy flower clusters appear in summer above the 6” tall foliage. Expect 24” spread in due time.
Zone 3 Sun to part shade
Size: 2.5" pot AAML-P Cost: $2.85


Lady's Mantle 'Thriller'   Lady’s Mantle ‘Thriller’ (Alchemilla mollis ‘Thriller’)

Not as desired by deer or slugs as Hosta, these mounds of gray-green parasol like leaves are topped by primrose yellow blooms in late spring bringing a glow into an otherwise dark spot! ‘Thriller' is different from the chartreuse variety you may remember.
Zone 3 Part sun to shade
Size: Gallon ALMT-P Cost: $9.25


Carol Mackie Daphne   New! Carol Mackie Daphne (Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’)

Plant Select® 1997 Semi-evergreen broad-leaved shrub suitable for life in our dry air are rare. This compact rounded mound of a shrub with medium green leaves edged in cream white belongs in shaded to morning sun gardens. (Best suited to cooler soils so keep out of reflected heat and full or afternoon sun.) In mid-spring intensely fragrant one half inch pink tubular flowers add to the allure.
Zone 4 Part shade to shade
Size: 5 gallon DBCM-S Cost: $43.00


Hidcote Variegated Comfrey   Hidcote Variegated Comfrey (Symphytum grandiflorum ‘Hidcote Variegated’)

A tough decorative groundcover for dry shade. This smaller selection grows 12” tall and matures to 18” wide. Glabrous green leaves are edged in a strong cream-yellow and flowers are light blue. This Zone 4 moderately low water plant belongs in part shade to shade.
Zone 4 Part shade to shade
Size: 1 Quart SGHV-P Cost: $ 6.75



Ugh slugs! The bane of shade gardeners. Don’t create damp slug havens by overwatering well mulched beds. Salt shaken on a slug is only a temporary irritation to them but a long term detriment to your soil and plants. Metaldehyde based baits are not suited to use around pets and desirable wildlife—don’t let them eat it.

“Natural” baits can kill but are they too much work to keep tending traps? Are you doing everything right but an uneducable neighbor isn’t, so the pests slither in every night? Try a line of pure uncoated copper tape that they must cross to enter your garden (or planter!). It must stay unburied to be effective by giving them a little natural electrical zap! If only we could get the Robins to eat at night!








Plant Select® is a cooperative research program of the Denver Botanical Garden, the horticulture industry and Colorado State University. The goal is to evaluate and introduce plants that are suited to the Rocky Mountain West. They are found either in the wild or in regional experimental stations like at Cheyenne. We value this research and are proud to offer Plant Select.


Great Plants® is the prairie plant selection program of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln that features natives and adapted plants with great characteristics for Great Plains gardens. Some are also high plains appropriate - for here!


Vines

Fences, walls, lattice work — spruce it up with a vine!

Native Hop Vine   Native Hop Vine (Humulus lupulus neomexicanus)

An attractive, fast growing, semi-wind tolerant vine. Leaves are rich green and maple-like that mix with clusters of yellow-green flowers followed by papery cone-like fruit in late summer. Trellising
is highly recommended. Plant in amended garden soil and cut back in fall to force new spring growth. A great alternative to
Virginia Creeper on a cedar fence or arbor!
Zone 3 Full sun to filtered shade
Size: Gallon HLNH-V Cost: $17.50


Kintzley's Ghost Honeysuckle Vine   Kintzley’s Ghost Honeysuckle Vine (Lonicera prolifera ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’)

2006 Plant Select® This is a great honeysuckle vine with pale blue-green leaves and pale yellow flowers in spring, but what makes this a standout is the unique flower bracts that make the whole vine look like, as the propagator described it, “A galaxy of full moons”! Not picky about soil type! The vine was found growing over the grave site of Dr Kintzley, its Ames, Iowa officinado (and subsequently taken to Fort Collins, Colorado), hence the name! Height: 10 – 20’
Zone 4 Full sun to part shade
Size: Gallon LPKG-V Cost: $13.00


Dropmore Honeysuckle   Dropmore Honeysuckle (Lonicera x brownii ‘Dropmore Scarlet’)

Our customers asked us for something that would do well on a fence or trellis and we chose this one! This fast growing twining vine has fragrant orange-red blossoms that bloom in profusion in June and sporadically the rest of the season. This one is sure to spruce up a drab old fence or trellis! Not considered drought tolerant but certainly hardy!
Zone 3 Full sun to part shade
Size: Gallon LBDH-V Cost: $13.00


Bittersweet
Citation: Richard Webb, Self-employed horticulturist, www.forestryimages.org
   Bittersweet, Diane and Hercules (Celastrus scandens)

A hardy vigorous twining climber with rounded leaves and greenish flowers comes into its own in autumn when the seed pods split open showing yellow and red on the female plants! Grown for dried arrangements and bird food. This is an expensive treat at the florist in autumn, much more fun to grow your own! By having male and female plants in one pot you are set for the autumn display! Matures to 12’ long vines by 4’ wide.

Supply limited.
Zone 2 Full Sun to Part Sun
Size: 2 gallon BSDH-V Cost: $27.50


Aunt Maude Wisteria   ‘Aunt Maude’ Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens ‘Aunt Maude’)

While this U.S. native species hails from the southeast it is a hardy strain that has been performing beautifully on a pergola at the Bailey Wye at the Omaha Zoo. The soil in that area is an alkaline calcareous loess, boding well for Wyoming establishment of this 12-18’ vine that grows 4’ wide. In summer expect faintly scented blue-violet flowers in racemes of 30 to 50 florets densely packed onto the current year’s growth so a severe winter does not rob a season of bloom.
Zone 4 Full Sun to Part Sun
Size: 1 quart WFAM-V Cost: $8.00



Landscaping is an upfront cost! But consider the value that landscaping can have on your property—upwards of 30%. A few neighborhoods have mature landscapes, or are in the ‘big tree’ area in local real estate jargon and come with the inherent enhanced value and ‘curb appeal’. Most of us don’t live there though but we can create ‘curb appeal’ and enhanced value an order of magnitude above the initial expense in a few short years! Besides, landscaping has an added benefit—the pleasure derived while watching the results of your efforts grow!

Questions?  We’re not a national catalogue, we’re Wyoming local!  Call us at 307.577.0102 or email us or blog us. Our passion is plants!

Premium Annuals

These Zone 5 perennials bloom so well for so long that we wanted to offer them as premium annuals. They will bloom this year. In protected spots, with some winter watering, you might be rewarded with repeat performances for years until a bitterly cold winter comes along!


Coral Canyon Twin Spur   New! Red Birds in a Tree (Scrophularia macrantha)

Plant Select® 2008 This xeric penstemon cousin from southwestern uplands is a beauty! From June to frost panicles of bright cherry red tubular bird shaped flowers top 15”-30” tall dark green foliaged stems. Plant width at maturity is 1’-3’. With winter protection it might be back, but for a year plan on heat tolerance and a great display!
Zone 5 - (4?) Full Sun
Size: 2.5" SMRB Cost: $2.85


Coral Canyon Twin Spur   Coral Canyon Twin Spur (Diascia integerrima ‘Coral Canyon’)

Plant Select® 2000 At 8-15” tall and 12-15” wide this heat tolerant twin spur from the East Cape Drakensberg Range of South Africa covers itself in two-tone rosy-pink flowers for the summer season. There will be better repeat blooming with light shearing after the first flush of flowers are done. Not a xeric plant, you will need to provide average flower garden watering and good drainage rather than tight clay. Best use is in bedding and containers. Whenever a perennial blooms this much it wears itself out and doesn’t live for many years like many plants with a shorter bloom season.
Zone 5/6 Full Sun
Size: 4" DICC-A Cost: $5.25


Salvia Wild Thing   Salvia 'Wild Thing' (Salvia greggii)

Plant Select® 2005 More red than ‘hot pink’ nonetheless the flower color is intense! An ever-blooming sage with small, oval, shiny green leaves. The flowers bloom in spikes 15 inches over the foliage from late spring to frost. Can be used equally well in ground plantings or in the center of large pots and does not require full sun to bloom profusely!
Zone 5b Full Sun to Part Shade
Size: quart SGWT-A Cost: $5.25


Chocolate Flower   Chocolate Flower (Berlanderiera lyrata)

Plant Select® 2004 Back by popular demand! Many of our customers have missed this great plains native that we decided to offer it again. Light yellow daisy type flowers top the 18” plant. The flowers bear the fragrance of chocolate early in the morning and towards evening! Could it be our customers are addicted to chocolate?
Zone 5 Sun
Size: 2.5" BLCF-P2.5 Cost: $3.00
Size: 4" BLCF-P4 Cost: $5.25


Chocolate Flower   Firebird Agastache (Agastache 'Firebird')

Invite the hummingbirds! These coppery-orange flowered 24-36" tall by up to 2' wide plants have wonderfully scented foliage, are covered in bloom for a long time, and have wintered well in Casper.
Zone 5 Full sun to part sun
Size: 2.5" AFFA-P Cost: $2.85


Spanish Snapdragon   New! Spanish Snapdragon (Antirrhinum hispanicum roseum)

Pink flowers bloom over bluish fuzzy leaves all summer. This choice sprawling plant is good for color and texture in the garden or planter, not like the spiky snapdragons of typical plantings. Height: 8-12" Width: 12". Might overwinter when ground planted in protected spots.
Zone 5 Full sun
Size: 1 quart AHSP-A Cost: $4.50


Sunset Hyssop   Sunset Hyssop (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. Height: 18-24” by Width: 18-36”
Zone 4b Sun
Size: 2.5" ARSH-P Cost: $2.85


Coronado Hyssop  

Coronado Hyssop (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’ tall by 3’ wide. Plant in full sun and well drained soil or clay kept on the dry side. Low water need when established. Zone5/6

Pot Size: 1 Quart AACH-A Cost: $ 5.25


Zone 5/6 Sun
Size: 1 quart AACH-A Cost: $5.25


Corsican Violets  

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” tall by 6-8” wide plants only survive winter in protected spots but moderate seeding occurs in watered beds for a casual wild garden look.

Zone 5/6 Sun to partial shade
Size: 2.5" VCCV-A Cost: $2.75
Size: 1 quart VCCV-A Cost: $4.75


Salvia Furman's Red  

New! 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” tall by 12-14” 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.

Zone 5b Full sun
Size: 1 quart SGFR-A Cost: $5.25


Gaura lindheimeri, image copyrighted by Keith A. Williamson
© Keith A. Williamson

Gaura Siskyou Pink		  

Whirling Butterflies (Gaura lindheimeri)

Really perennials, Gauras—also called Whirling Butterflies have been tested in semi-protected neighborhoods in Casper and have wintered well for several years. The white blooms of the southern U.S. prairie native species look like a flock of little butterflies carried in loose sprays above a dense mound of dark green foliage for a total 2- 3’ height and 18-24” width. ‘Siskiyou Pink’ matures shorter at 18-24” tall and 15” wide but what a knockout with red stems, petioles and flower buds! The blooms are a rich rose pink. Both varieties make good cut flowers. Because they bloom all summer we expect the plants to not live for as many years as perennials with a more discrete flowering season. In the meantime they are charmers! Plant in sun to filtered shade providing relatively low water in semi-shade and a bit more regular watering especially when in bud and bloom when planted in the sun.

Zone 5 Full sun
Size: 2.5" pot white GLWB-P Cost: $2.65
Size: 2.5" pot pink GLSP-P Cost: $2.75


Madeline Hill Rosemary  

‘Madeline Hill’ Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis ‘Madeline Hill’)

This robust upright culinary variety is reported hardy to -15 degrees F! (That is a lot hardier than the variety ‘Arp’.) That means Zone 5 hardiness for in-ground plantings. Form is 3’ tall and 3’ wide. Blooms are Wedgewood blue. Rosemary, whether in pot or ground needs to be sited in sun and to neither dry out nor drown. Soil drainage must be sharp in ground or pot. We are recommending that Wyoming residents attempting outdoor planting plant in sun but not reflected heat and not in the most exposed to wind sites.

Zone 5 Full sun
Size: 1 quart ROMH-P Cost: $5.25


Homestead Purple Verbena  

Homestead Purple Verbena (Verbena canadensis ‘Homestead Purple’)

This variety of North American groundcover verbena is well covered all summer with deep violet-purple flower clusters on vigorous dark green plants. Height is 8” and one plant may become 15” wide but one should expect less lateral growth in one season. This sun loving butterfly magnet requires average garden watering and moderate drainage. Enjoy it for the season because as a Zone 6 hardy tender perennial species it will not return after winter.

Zone 6 Full sun
Size: 2.5" pot VCHP-T Cost: $2.65


Chocolate Cosmos  

Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus)

Here is one more way to add the scent of chocolate to your pots and planters. Blooms are velvety maroon and the 4-5” leaves have an interesting texture. Blooms will last longer and have more fragrance when the plant has cool nights. Plant in ground or in pot placed in the sun without reflected heat. Expect 2’ height in a season and a foot of width. For the grower who wishes to keep the plant from year to year we recommend over-wintering the tuberous roots in clean sand or peat (not in sealed plastic) in a cool place just as dahlia tubers are stored. This tender perennial is hardy through Zone 7.

Zone 7 Full sun
Size: 2.5” pot CACC-T Cost: $2.65




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.