Nikko Blue hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’) is one of the most recognizable and widely grown bigleaf hydrangeas in American gardens, a classic mophead variety that has introduced generations of gardeners to the irresistible combination of large, globe-shaped flower clusters and dramatic, pH-responsive color. Named for Nikko, Japan, where the species grows abundantly in the…

Natchez crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’) is the gold standard of the crape myrtle world, a large, multi-stemmed flowering tree that has earned its place as one of the most widely planted and universally admired ornamental trees in the American South and beyond. Introduced by the National Arboretum in 1987 as part of its celebrated interspecific…

Munstead lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’) is one of the most beloved and widely grown lavender cultivars in the world, a compact, cold-hardy selection that has been delighting gardeners with its fragrant blue-purple flower spikes and silvery-gray foliage since it was introduced from the famous garden of British horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll at Munstead Wood in Surrey,…

Mr. Goldstrike aucuba (Aucuba japonica ‘Mr. Goldstrike’) is one of the most vividly variegated of all the Japanese aucubas, a bold evergreen shrub whose large, glossy leaves are so heavily splashed and speckled with bright gold that the plant seems to generate its own light in even the deepest shade. Where many shade-tolerant shrubs offer…

Montgomery astilbe (Astilbe japonica ‘Montgomery’) is one of the finest red-flowered astilbes in cultivation, a compact, floriferous perennial that brings a rare and genuinely saturated crimson-red to the shade garden at a time of year when bold color in low-light conditions is especially welcome. A selection of the Japanese astilbe species, Montgomery produces deep red,…

Monlo ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Monlo’), sold under the trade name Diabolo, is one of the most widely planted and instantly recognizable flowering shrubs in the modern landscape, prized above all for its dramatic deep burgundy-purple foliage that holds its rich color through the entire growing season. A selection of the native eastern ninebark, a species…

Monge lilac (Syringa vulgaris ‘Monge’) is one of the most dramatically colored of all the common lilacs, a large, deciduous flowering shrub whose single flowers open in a deep, rich claret-red that’s as close to true red as the lilac genus gets. Introduced by the masterful French hybridizer Victor Lemoine of Nancy in 1913, Monge…

Madame Lemoine lilac (Syringa vulgaris ‘Madame Lemoine’) is one of the most celebrated and enduring cultivars in the entire lilac world, a classic French hybrid that has been captivating gardeners with its extraordinary flowers since its introduction in 1890 by the legendary nurseryman Victor Lemoine of Nancy, France. Named in honor of his wife, Marie…

Hostas (Hosta spp.) are the undisputed workhorses of the shade garden, a genus of hardy, adaptable perennials that have earned their place as the most widely planted shade plants in North American gardens. Native to Japan, China, and Korea, they’ve been cultivated for centuries and have inspired one of the most passionate breeding communities in…

Masja hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Masja’) is a compact, floriferous bigleaf hydrangea that delivers one of the most saturated, deeply colored flower displays in the genus. A Dutch introduction that has earned a loyal following among gardeners on both sides of the Atlantic, Masja produces large, mophead flower clusters in rich crimson to deep rose-red, a…