Plant Name

Major source of honey in the UK Yes/No
Used by
HoneyBees - HB,
Short-Tongued Bumblebees - ST,
Long-Tongued Bumblebees - LT,
Solitary Bees - SOL

Type

The key ingredients a bird needs from your garden are
Shelter,
Food and
Water,
as expanded in Groundcover Plant
Name W Page

Height x Spread in inches (cms)

Spacing distance between plants of same species in inches (cms)

Foliage

Some poisonous ground cover plants are indicated, but there are others in Cultivated Poisonous Plants and
Wildflower Poisonous Plants

Flower Colour in Month(s).

Use Pest Control using Plants to provide a Companion Plant to aid your selected ground cover plant or deter its pests

Comments

United States Department of Agriculture
Plant Hardiness Zone Map -
This map of USA is based on a range of average annual minimum winter temperatures, divided into 13 of 10-degree F zones, that this plant will thrive in USA, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
There are other Hardiness Zone Maps for the rest of the world including the one for Great Britain and Ireland of zones 7a to 10a.
Zone 5-9 indicates that the minimum zone temperature this plant will grow is 5 and top minimum zone temperature is 9 - above this number is too hot or below 5 is too cold for the plant. If your zone in your area of your country is within that range or your zone number is greater, then you can grow it in your garden.

Pruning of
Woody Plants in Groups 1 - 13 and
Herbaceous Perennials in Group 14 with
Ferns in Group 15 and
Evergreen Perennials in Group 16.

Aster novi-belgii
'Ada Ballard'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 18
(90 x 45)

Spacing 9-12
(23-30)

Mid Green

Lavender-Blue in
September-October

Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade or Full Sun
Fully Hardy
Any well-drained moist Soil
Clump-forming

All Aster novae-belgii cultivars are susceptible to mildew.

Aster novi-belgii
'Royal Velvet'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 24
(120 x 60)

Mid Green

Violet-Blue in
September-October

Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade or Full Sun. Fully Hardy. Any well-drained moist Soil. Clump-forming.

Aster novi-belgii combine well with strongly textured or structured plants such as miscanthus, pampas grass, and some of the late-flowering kniphofias. Plants need spraying against mildew, and all but the shortest need staking. It is best to divide them in the spring, replanting a vigorous section of rhizome, but they can be left undisturbed for up to 3 years, before they start to decline.

Aster x frikartii 'Monch'

Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

30 x 18
(75 x 45)

Spacing 24-30
(60-75)

Dark Green

Lavender-Blue in
July-September

Pruning Group 14
Full Sun. Fully Hardy Zone 4-9. Any well-drained Soil. Upright.

Contrast with orange - some late-flowering crocosmias, or the early autumn tints of Vitis coignetiae. Associates with silver foliage, chrysanthemums, or dahlias with their yellow, pink and purple flowers. It benefits from staking with brushwood, which should be worked into the plant when about two-thirds of its flowering height, and is best replanted in fresh ground every 3 years or so.

Astilbe
'Fanal'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 18
(60 x 45)

Dark Green

Dark Crimson in
June-August

"False Spirae, Meadowsweet".
Pruning Group 14. Partial Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 5-8. Any well-drained Soil. Clump-forming.
Best for red spring foliage

All Astilbes are Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants.
Astilbe companions - Hosta, pulmonaria, helleborus, epimedium, ferns, polygonatumJapanese iris; particularly effective in groups.
Astilbes are attractive near pools and streams and in woodland settings. They combine well with bergenias and adapt to container culture.

Astilbe
'Professor van der Wielen'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 39
(120 x 98)

Mid Green

White in
July flowers in gracefully arching plumes

Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 5-8
Any well-drained Soil
Clump-forming
Good cut flower

Other smaller Astilbe for scree beds in rock gardens.

Astilbe 'Straussenfeder'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 24
(90 x 60)

Bronze tinted Green in Spring, Dark Green in Summer and Autumn

Coral-Pink in
August-September

Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 5-8
Any well-drained Soil
Clump-forming
Vigorous

Astiles make an excellent cut flower if harvested when half open. Many are also cut and air-dried then used in dried floral arrangements. The seedheads can be left on to extend the interest in the winter.

Astrantia major
 

Astrantia species
No HB, ST, LT, SOL

Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 18
(60 x 45)

Dark Green

Purple-Red in
June-July

"Greater Masterwort, Masterwort". Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade or Full Sun. Fully Hardy Zone 4-9. Any well-drained Soil. Clump-forming.
Plant near a lightly shaded patio or path where you can enjoy their detail. This is an ideal cut flower, fresh or dried. Self-sows.
Astrantia major 'Sunningdale Variegated' has leaves strikingly marked cream and yellow, becoming less variegated from mid summer onwards. This associates with early-leafing hostas, bluebells, forget-me-nots, rock cress, aurinias, primroses, polyanthus and euphorbias.

Astrantia companions - Lilium martagon, iris sibirica, milium effusum 'Aureum', hosta, pulmonaria, chaerophyllum, pimpinella, campanula, phlox paniculata, adenophora, geranium.

Athyrium filix-femina
 

Deciduous Fern 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 24
(120 x 60)

Light Green fronds like shuttle-cocks

...

"Lady Fern" is a very beautiful, lacy, fresh green fern, preferring fairly moist positions.
Pruning Group 15. Partial Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 5. Acid moist Soil in sheltered site. Erect.
It makes excellent ground cover in woodland gardens, bog or alongside streams.
It is perhaps most effective in schemes based on shades of green, especially in late spring and early summer, when its foliage is at its freshest. It contrasts well with smaller bamboos, hart's tongue ferns, grasses, and sedges. It may be grown through a carpet of low ground cover, when the repeated pattern of its shuttlecock-shaped clumps of fronds can make an arresting sight.
The 'Plumosum Cristatum Group' all have beautifully crested and finely cut fronds.

See further details and photos in Fern Nursery page and Fern Gallery.
The Fern Nursery garden is open on Saturdays from May until September. They have events, talks and ferns photo gallery.

Aubretia x cultorum 'Argenteo-variegata'

Honey Bees collect Pollen and Nectar. Bumble bees visit the flowers

No, HB, ST, LT, SOL

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

2 x 24
(5 x 60)

Mid-Green margined Silvery-White

Pinkish-Mauve
in March-May

"Aubretia, Rock Cress".
Pruning Group 16
Full Sun
Fully Hardy
Alkaline well-drained Soil - thrives in the sun in dry, rich, sandy loam and leaf-mould.
Mat-forming. Use in rock garden, spring bedding and for edging. If cut back after flowering, it produces a new crop of variegated leaves and shoots, which will add interest when the plant is out of flower.
Aubretia Companions - Phlox subulata, Alyssum saxatile and Iberis sempervirens. Others are early-flowering euphorbias, soft yellow wallflowers, aurinias, white rock cress, smaller narcissi, ipheions, chionodoxas, and small spring-flowering shrubs like daphes or spiraeas.
A single plant will, over 2 or 3 years, cover a square yard (metre) of soil or cascade over a similar area of wall, and when smothered with its small blue, purple, or white flowers it would be difficult to imagine a more pleasing sight. The plants are usually only a few inches high, but will 'clamber up' to a height of 24 (60) or so if taller plants nearby provide competition. They are equally at home in sunny south-facing crevices on walls or rock gardens with virtually no soil or moisture and a high pH, as they are in richer soils with a low pH and a northerly aspect. The bees will, of course, prefer those plants in full sun.

Aucuba japonica

Birds eat the scarlet berries.

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 60
(150 x 150)

Mid Green

Purple in
May

"Spotted Laurel, Japanese Aucuba, Japanese Laurel". Remarkably tolerant of poor conditions, though it responds to good treatment like moist instead of its normal dry soil
Pruning Group 1
Partial Shade or Full Shade or Full Sun
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy
Any Chalk or Clay Soil
Rounded
Thrives even in dark corners in town gardens. This continues to spread by basal sprouting and self-layering of its weak, soft-wooded stems and, as it thickens up, the mass of stems will support one another, allowing it to reach 120 inches (300 cms).

Aucuba japonica 'Crotonofolia'

Birds eat the scarlet berries.

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 48
(150 x 120)

Green mottled Yellow

Purple in
May

Pruning Group 1
Partial Shade
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy
Any Chalk or Clay Soil. Rounded
Aucuba japonica is one of the best evergreen shrubs for shady places, under trees, and for town gardens. The male and female flowers are borne on separate bushes, and when the 2 sexes are grown near together, the female bush produces bright-red berries in autumn.

Aucuba japonica 'Rozannie'

Birds eat the scarlet berries.
 

Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 120
(90 x 300)

Dark Green

Red-Purple in
May

Pruning Group 1
Partial Shade
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy
Any Chalk or Clay Soil
Rounded.
Hard pruning, when required for Aucuba japonica, is best done early in May; shorten long shoots, if desired , in summer.

Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'

Birds eat the scarlet berries.

Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 48
(150 x 120)

Green, Yellow speckled

Reddish-Purple in
May

Pruning Group 1
Partial Shade
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy
Any Chalk or Clay Soil
Rounded

Aurinia saxatilis 'Citrina'

Honey Bees collect Pollen and Nectar

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

8 x 12
(20 x 30)

Grey-Green

Lemon-Yellow
in May-June

"Basket of Gold, Yellow Alyssum". Very popular as a rock garden or wall plant. Ideal on slopes, fronts of borders, in large rock gardens, hanging over low walls;
and for carpeting rose beds where its grey leaves make a good foil for the bright colours.
Pruning Group 1. Full Sun. Zones 4-9, Fully Hardy. Any Soil. Mound-forming. Plant it in a prominent spot to show off its brilliant colour. It can also be grown in containers and moved to suitable spots in the landscape.
A large expanse of aurinias can appear dull in texture, so they are best arranged in diffuse groups, intermingled with other plants of contrasting form, such as bulbs or, in a larger rock garden, dwarf conifers.

Azalea

No, HB, ST, LT, SOL
 

Shrub

Lime-free soil mixed with humus in partial shade is required. Leave the fallen leaves of the evergreen Japanese Azaleas to complete its groundcover. Use Rhododendron kiusianum, Rhododendron indicum and Rhododendron simsii varieties. The Scottish Rhododendron Society have articles of interest, with review and yearbook back issues as well as –
Hannah Miller has a Guide to getting children started with gardening and garden sustainability

Azalea nectar is toxic to bees. Rarely visited by the honeybee because the nectar is too deep-seated to be readily available and because grayanotoxins are toxic to them.
Azaleas are Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants.

Procedure to compare ground cover plants in flower/foliage colour, flower shape and plant use, execute this:-

• Load Plants and transfer table on Groundcover plants B to this table in Plants Name A page within Evergr Per Gallery. Then, get close Plants.
• Load Evergr Perenn Gallery and load this page from it onto Safari. Then load Wildflower Shape Gallery. Do 3 plants from the Groundcover plants in this page by updating them from the internet and changing each plant row to brown when updated. Put the plants flower thumbnail into the relevant pages in these flower colour/month pages and then into the relevant flower shape comparison pages in Wildflower Shape Gallery. Then close Wildflower Shape Gallery and load Plants. Copy 3 changed and updated brown text rows to the respective rows in Ground cover Plants B page. Repeat this row until all the plants in that groundcover plant page have been done.
• When Page B has been done above then, close Wildflower Shape Gallery and load Evgr Per Shape Gallery and using the thumbnails from this gallery copy them to the relevant plant use pages in the Evgr per shape gallery.
• When the above has been done, then close Evgr per Shape Gallery and open up the relevant plant type gallery to copy the thumbnail to the valid flower colour/month or flower colour comparison pages in that gallery.
• When that has been done, then repeat the process for the next groundcover plant page letter.

Plant Name

Major source of honey in the UK Yes/No
Used by
HoneyBees - HB,
Short-Tongued Bumblebees - ST,
Long-Tongued Bumblebees - LT,
Solitary Bees - SOL

Type

The key ingredients a bird needs from your garden are
Shelter,
Food and
Water,
as expanded in Ground-cover Plant
Name W Page

Height x Spread in inches (cms)

Spacing distance between plants of same species in inches (cms)

Foliage

Some poisonous ground cover plants are indicated, but there are others in Cultivated Poisonous Plants and
Wildflower Poisonous Plants

Flower Colour in Month(s).

Use Pest Control using Plants to provide a Companion Plant to aid your selected ground cover plant or deter its pests

Comments

United States Department of Agriculture
Plant Hardiness Zone Map -
This map of USA is based on a range of average annual minimum winter temperatures, divided into 13 of 10-degree F zones, that this plant will thrive in USA, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
There are other Hardiness Zone Maps for the rest of the world including the one for Great Britain and Ireland of zones 7a to 10a.
Zone 5-9 indicates that the minimum zone temperature this plant will grow is 5 and top minimum zone temperature is 9 - above this number is too hot or below 5 is too cold for the plant. If your zone in your area of your country is within that range or your zone number is greater, then you can grow it in your garden.

Pruning of
Woody Plants in Groups 1 - 13 and
Herbaceous Perennials in Group 14 with
Ferns in Group 15 and
Evergreen Perennials in Group 16.

Acer campestre

Acer species
No HB, ST, LT, SOL

Deciduous Tree above 6 feet in height

180 x 120 (450 x 300)

Mid Green in Spring and Summer, Yellow with Red in Autumn

Delicate Green in Apr-May and produces nectar freely

Male Flower

"Field Maple, Hedge Maple, Common Maple" Used as field hedge. Native UK maple from Maple Family - nectar and pollen for insects. Makes excellent clipped hedge.
Pruning Group 1 from late Autumn to Midwinter.
Full Sun or Partial Shade
Zone 4-9, Fully Hardy
Moist Clay or Sandy Soil
Broadly Upright

All Acers can be used for Flower Arranging - see other Flower Arranging Plants and plants with scented flowers.

Acer capillipes
 

Deciduous Tree above 6 feet in height

360 x 300 (900 x 750)

Bright Green with Bright Red in Autumn

Yellow in May. Green bark with white striations. New growth is coral-red

Pruning Group 1 from late Autumn to Midwinter.
Full Sun or Partial Shade
Fully Hardy
Any Acid Clay, Sandy or Peaty Soil
Spreading / creeping, Arching. Rounded crown with ascending branches. Snake-bark of brown streaked with white.

This is one of the trees for lawns in Trees for Lawns .

Acer cappadocicum 'Aureum'

Deciduous Tree above 6 feet in height

600 x 360 (1500 x 900)

Bright Yellow in Spring, Light Green in Summer, Green with Yellow tints in Autumn

Yellow-green

in May

"Golden Coliseum Maple, Golden Cappadocian Maple" Better suited to parks and streets rather than a suburban garden. Can be used as a specimen tree. Use with Acer cappadocicum Rubrum.
Pruning Group 1 from late Autumn to Midwinter.
Full Sun or Partial Shade
Zone 5-9, Fully Hardy
Moist Acid Clay or Sandy Soil, but not waterlogged. It will also grow in chalk soil.
Spreading / creeping. Does not tolerate paving over its roots. Valuable for bees and butterflies. Can be used as a clearstem tree or multi-stem tree.

Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala (Acer ginnala) groundcover grows on any, clay, Lime-free (Acid) or Sandy Soil.

Deciduous Tree above 6 feet in height

336 x 300 (840 x 750)

Bright Green, Red in Autumn

Cream in
May-June

followed by red fruit

"Amur Maple". 3-lobed leaves which turn red in autumn; cream flowers are followed by red fruit.
Valuable to bees. See Bee Forage Plants and UK Butterfly with Egg, Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly Usage
of Plants.
Pruning Group 1 from late Autumn to Midwinter.
Full Sun or Partial Shade
Zone 4-9, Fully Hardy
Dry Clay or Sandy Soil
Slender Arching - it often branches from the base into several long cane-like stems.
Flattened Spherical Growth Shape.
Locally invasive species Category A in America.

Acer griseum
(血皮楓; 
pinyin: xuè pí fēng)

Deciduous Tree above 6 feet in height

360 x 360 (900 x 900)

Dark Green three-lobed leaves turn Red and Orange in Autumn

Yellow-green pendulous flowers in
April-May

"Paperbark Maple" Prized for its bark - chestnut brown with paler corky dots which it sheds each year in wide curling strips. Slow-growing, Spreading / creeping tree. Green foliage ages to red and orange in autumn. Speciman tree within lawn area for 15 years. This is one of the trees for lawns in Trees for Lawns .
Pruning Group 1 from late Autumn to Midwinter.
Full Sun or Partial Shade. Zone 5-9, Fully Hardy
Moist, Clay, Sand or Peaty Soil. Spreading. Ascending branches form slender, high-crowned trees.
Associate with bronze and red-flushed foliage plants like Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea Nana', Berberis wilsoniae and Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea'.

Acer negundo 'Flamingo'

It produces nectar freely.

Deciduous Tree above 6 feet in height

300 x 300 (750 x 750)

Broad Pink margins that turn White in Summer, on Green leaves

White in April-May

"Box-elder Maple, Box Elder". Use for Flower Arranging. Pink juvenile foliage matures to green with creamy margin. Excellent Hedge on well-drained soil.
Pruning Group 1 from late Autumn to Midwinter.
Full Sun or Dappled Shade
Zone 4-10, Fully Hardy
Moist Clay, Sand and Acidic Soil. This acer will tolerate drought.
Fast-growing Upright with Rounded / Spherical tree shape

Acer palmatum 'Atro-purpureum'

Deciduous Tree above 6 feet in height

144 x 144 (360 x 360)

Spacing 72-96 (180-240)

Reddish-Purple, Brilliant Red in Autumn

Reddish-Purple in
April

"Japanese Maple". Suitable for woodland garden. Associate with Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'.
All Acer palmatum cultivars require shelter from wind, particularly in spring, if the new growth is not to be badly scorched.
Pruning Group 1 from late Autumn to Midwinter.
Full Sun or Partial Shade
Fully Hardy
moist, Clay, Sand or Peaty acidic Soil
Round-headed

Acer palmatum 'Senkaki'

Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

240 x 180 (600 x 450)

Coral-Red in Spring, Orange-Yellow in Summer and Yellow in Autumn

Red-purple in April-May

"Japanese Maple, Coral Bark Maple". Tree for effect of coral red bark in the winter. Suitable for woodland garden. Associate with Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'.
Pruning Group 1 from late Autumn to Midwinter.
Partial Shade, shelter from Sun and strong winds
Zones 5-10, Fully Hardy
Moist, well-drained, Clay, Sand or Peaty acidic Soil. Round-headed.

Cut out dead wood of all acers in the summer. Thin crowded shoots and shorten very long unbalanced branches in early winter.

Achillea clypeolata 'Moonshine'

Butterflies attracted by the flowers.

Evergreen Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 20
(60 x 50)

Spacing 18 (45)

Silver

Bright Yellow in
April-August

"Yarrow" Pruning Group 16.
Full Sun
Fully Hardy Zone 3-8
Any, moist, well-drained Soil
Mat-forming
Divide each Spring.
Good foliage, does not spread. When achilleas die back for the year, they dry out and give a great structure to the garden, so are often used for dry flower arrangements.

Achillea ptmarmica
'The Pearl'

Butterflies attracted by the flowers.
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

30 x 24
(75 x 60)

Dark Green

White in
July-August

Pruning Group 14.
Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 3-8
Any, moist, well-drained Soil
Divide in Spring. Vigorous spreader, self-sows.

Aciphylla aurea groundcover grows on any Soil.
 

Evergreen Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 36
(90 x 90)

Grey-Green with bold Yellow margins and midribs.

Dry

Golden Brown in
June-August

from Commons-wikimedia

"Bayonet Plant, Golden Bayonet, Taramea, Golden Spear-grass".
Pruning Group 16.
Full Sun
Fully Hardy
Any Soil
Rosette-forming

Fierce spine-tipped leaves. Grows in well-drained gritty soil, preferring a generally cool but not too wet climate. Coloniser of arid windswept, cold dry grassland and tussock areas in New Zealand. Use in rock garden.

Actinidia kolomicta
 

Deciduous Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

160 x indefinite
(150 x indefinite)

Dark Green, Purple tinged in Spring, Dark Green becoming variegated with White and Pink in the top half of the leaf in Summer and Autumn

Fragrant White in
June

"Variegated Kiwi". Pruning Group 11 in late winter.
Full Sun
Zone 8 - Fully Hardy
Any moist Soil
Twining Climber for garden walls and fences. Tie main vines to wires against walls and fences as required.
The roots prefer a cool shady spot and will root by layering as they spread. A good plant for holding soil on a steep slope. Grow twining stems into old trees. It requires support since it will not self-cling. Green and white foliage tipped with pink. Attractive to cats.
If trained on wall, it is advisable to prune this every winter, leaving a framework of branches but shortening sideshoots to one or two buds.
 

Adiantum
pedatum
 

Deciduous Fern below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 12
(30 x 30)

Mid Green

Ferns do not have flowers

"Five-finger Fern, Maidenhair Fern, Five-fingered Maidenhair Fern". Cold Hardy. Pair with broad-leaved plants. Use as Green foliage Ground cover. The 'Klondyke' variety has young fronds tinged with red.
Pruning Group 15.
Dappled Shade, Full Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 3
Any moist, well-drained Soil
Erect
Grow in woodland or shady border where they slowly increase and are very hardy anywhere in Britain - see photo from The Fern Nursery. It may be interplanted with flowers or tucked into the pockets of a stone wall.
The Fern Nursery garden is open on Saturdays from May until September. They have events, talks and ferns photo gallery.

Adiantum venustum
 

Evergreen Fern below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x indefinite
(15 x indefinite)

Bronze-Pink in Spring, Mid Green on black stems remainder of year

Ferns do not have flowers

"Himalayan Maidenhair Fern, Evergreen Maidenhair". Cold Hardy. Use as Ground Cover and underplanting of roses and shrubs
Pruning Group 15.
Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 3
Any Moist, well-drained Soil
Grow in woodland or shady border where they slowly increase and are very hardy anywhere in Britain - see photo from The Fern Nursery.

Aegopodium podagraria 'Variegatum'
groundcover grows on any, clay, Lime-free (Acid) or Sandy Soil.

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x indefinite
(60 x indefinite)

Deep Green margined and splashed Creamy White

Moist

Compound umbels of numerous white, pink or cream flowers in
May-June

"Variegated Ground Elder, Ash Weed, Bishop's Weed, Gout-weed, Ground Ash, Herb Gerard. Ground Elder in Wild-flower". Invasive plant.
Pruning Group 14.
Full or Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 3-8
Any Soil, but prefers Clay Soil
Ground-covering. Invasive - Ground Elder, Gout Weed or Bishop's Weed should be planted between barriers, such as a path and a house foundation. Mowing it 2 or 3 times a season keeps it low and even and the leaves small and compact.

Frost hardy but drought tender, preferring moist well-drained soil in an open sunny position. It has off-white splotches on the edges and surface of its variegated leaves. Excellent weed-proof ground-cover. Invasive. Best in a pure, contained planting as a ground cover. Can be quite effective when grown in the shade of trees or large shrubs.

Ajuga reptans 'Atropurpurea'

Ajuga reptans and its cultivars produce dense ground cover from which emerge spikes of blue flowers and are very popular with bumblebees

No HB, ST, LT, SOL

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 36
(15 x 90)

Reddish-Purple

Moist

Deep Blue in
April-June

"Bugle, Bugleweed". Bugle in Wildflower. Reddish-purple foliage. Full sun brings out the richest leaf colour on this creeping plant, but, if the foliage is to form a dense, ground-covering, shining, metallic purple carpet, the roots must be fairly moist. It will put up with the poorest of soils so is good for planting around the base of trees/shrubs as well.
Pruning Group 16. Partial Shade, although it colours best in sun. Fully Hardy Zone 5
Any Moist Soil
All Ajuga can be used for Flower Arranging - see other Flower Arranging Plants and plants with scented flowers. Bugle can make a carpet to replace grass as one of the plant alternatives to traditional lawn grass.
Ajuga reptans is Mat-forming groundcover spreading / creeping by creeping stems from which root new plantlets. Its rounded, flat and purple leaves contrast to anything with a soft feathery leaf such as geraniums or the grassy leaves of irises.
Ajuga companions - A good edge-softener for polygonatum, coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam', hosta 'Sum and Substance', bronze fennel, grasses, iris, lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea', and like plants; also works well under fruit trees and bulbs.
Bugles can be used with other prostrate foliage plants to create a carpet of varied textures and colours. The dark foliage of this plant can be contrasted against the tiny, pale, glaucous leaves of Hebe pinguifolia 'Pagei'.

Ajuga reptans
'Burgundy Glow'

Butterflies attracted by the flowers.

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 24
(15 x 60)

Silvery Green suffused deep Wine-Red

Moist

Sky Blue in February-May

"Bugle, Carpenter's Herb". Pruning Group 16.
Partial Shade, which inhibits weed growth, but will scorch in full sun.
Fully Hardy Zone 3-10
Any Moist Soil
Mat-forming groundcover, which spreads fast but does not like to be dry. This has leaves which are basically green and cream but which are overlaid with a suffusion of bright pink and clear wine-red. Cold weather intensifies the foliage colour. In soils that retain moisture easily, this plant makes excellent ground-cover.
Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants.

Ajuga reptans 'Catlins Giant'

Butterflies attracted by the flowers.

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 24
(15 x 60)

Dark Bronze and Purple

Moist

Blue in April-August

"Carpet Bugle". Pruning Group 16. Can be planted over spring bulbs such as snowdrops (Galanthus).Use at edge of shady border to make an evergreen carpet of large, glossy, bronze-purple leaves and under deciduous trees and shrubs. Does not like to dry out. Deer resistant.
Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 4-10
Any Moist Soil
Mat-forming and vigorous groundcover.
Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants. Avoid planting adjacent to lawn areas since little islands of ajuga may start appearing in the grass. Bugle is very effective when planted in the semi-shade of other plants or buildings.

Ajuga reptans 'Multicolor'
 

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 24
(15 x 60)

Dark Bronze Green leaves marked with Cream and Pink

Moist

Dark Blue in
April-June

"Bugle Weed". Pruning Group 16.
Partial Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 3-10. Any Moist Soil
Mat-forming groundcover, which is slow to grow.
Use at woodland edge, between trees or shrubs in mostly light shade.
Variegated white with green midrib foliage.
Ajuga reptans is an excellent plant for providing an infill between other late spring and early summer flowers, its tints helping to highlight brighter blooms of bolder shape. Try it with pink, lilac, and white Symphytum ibericum and it also harmonizes with the flowers of Helleborus x hybridus.

Ajuga reptans 'Rainbow'

Butterflies attracted by the flowers.

Semi-Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 24
(15 x 60)

Dark Bronze in Green marked with cream and pink

Dark Blue in April-July

"Bugle". Pruning Group 16.
Partial Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 3-10
Any Moist Soil
Mat-forming groundcover, which is slow to grow. Glossy, purple-brown tinted, deep-green, crinkly-textured leaves that are irregularly margined with cream and pink. Grow in rock garden. Attracts bees.
See Bee Forage Plants and UK Butterfly with Egg, Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly Usage of Plants.
Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants.

Ajuga reptans 'Variegata'

See Ground Cover below 24 inches

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 24
(15 x 60)

Grey-Green leaves margined and splashed Cream

Dark Blue in
April-July

"Bugle". Pruning Group 16.
Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 3-10
Any Moist Soil
Mat-forming groundcover
Perfect contrast to ferns. Needs part shade for best variegation. Perfect addition to an alpine container to highlight other plants, with glossy, grey-green and creamy variegated foliage. Plant with hostas and in pots.

Akebia quinata
 

Semi-Evergreen Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

336 x 36
(840 x 90)

Mid Green, Tinged Purple in Autumn

Fragrant
Red-Purple in
April-June

"Chocolate Vine, Akebia five-leaf" with fruity fragrance.
Pruning Group 11 after flowering.
Partial Shade or Full Sun
Zone 7 - Fully Hardy
Any Moist Soil
Twining Climber through other shrubs or small trees or against wires on walls and fences. Has unusual shaped fruit. Useful on slopes where it quickly covers bare ground and its deep roots hold the soil, providing some erosion control. It should be planted away from low-growing shrubs since its aggressive habit can smother them.

Alcea rosea (Althaea rosea)

Butterflies attracted by the flowers.

No HB, ST, LT
Alcea rosea 'Queeny Mix' has fully double flowers which are no use whatsoever to bees. You need 'single-flowered ' hollyhocks to be useful to bees.

Biennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 12
(60 x 30)

Spacing 24-36 (60-90)

Pale green

Moist

White, Pink, Red, Yellow, Lavender in June-September

Self-seeds

"Common Hollyhock". Cannot be grown alongside foxgloves. Grow as biennial to limit growth of hollyhock rust. Use in cottage gardens and against fences or walls.
Pruning Group 14.
Full Sun
Fully Hardy Zone 3-9
Any Soil
Tall upright inflorescences. The flowers are in a range of colours from white to dark red, including pink, yellow and orange. Different colours prefer different soils. The darker red variety seems to favour sandy soils, while the lighter colour seems to favour clay soils. Grown for their tall spikes of single flowers on rich, moist but well-drained soil. Stake plants on exposed sites and water copiously in dry spells. Renew each year due to possible rust problems. Soak with liquid manure occasionally when the flower spikes are developing. If not removing each year, then cut down to within 6 inches (15 cms) of soil after flowering. Will not tolerate wet winter soils. When preparing the soil, trench it 3 spits deep and work in plenty of decayed manure. If planted singly in April, they should be 36 inches (90 cms) apart each way, or they can be planted in groups of 3 with 12 inches (30 cms) from plant to plant.

Alcea companions - delphinium, larger campanulas, large grasses, picket fence - remember to paint the picket fence in a contrasting colour to Hollyhock flower. Alcea rosea 'Nigra' has 'single flowers. There are other cultivars of Alcea rosea.

Alnus cordata

Birds eat the catkins.

Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

960 x 360 (2400 x 900)

Glossy Dark Green

Yellow catkins in March-April

"Italian Alder". Thrives in dry situations. A park tree or wide avenues and streets, tolerant of paving in poor, dry soil. Shallow rooting.
Pruning Group 1 between leaf fall and midwinter.
Full Sun
Fully Hardy
Any Moist or Dry Soil
Conical

Alyssum montanum 'Mountain Gold'
 

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 18
(15 x 45)

Grey

Fragrant Golden Yellow in
June

"Mountain Alison". Trim lightly after flowering to maintain compactness.
Pruning Group 16
Full Sun
Fully Hardy
Any Moist Gritty Soil which is well-drained.
Mat-forming and prostrate. Other smaller Alyssum for scree beds in rock gardens.
This is one of the Patio plants, which are normally container grown and only moved outside to the patio or garden for the summer months. At other times they would be best kept in a frost free greenhouse or conservatory. Many patio plants are grown for their foliage colour or for ornamental or architectural effect rather than simply for their flowers. A good patio plant must be able to withstand full sun and be suitable for pot growing. Further details in Containers in Garden Use Page.

Alyssum wulfenianum

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 18
(15 x 45)

Grey or White-hairy

Pale Yellow in June

Trim lightly after flowering to maintain compactness. Pruning Group 16. Full Sun. Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy.
Any moist Gritty Soil which is well-drained. Rock garden, stone wall or cascading over banks to use its foliage next to other foliage colours. Tufted.

Alyssum saxatile (Golden alyssum) is a great favourite for old lime mortar walls. This Gold Dust being a cottage garden favourite has hot, hard yellow flowers every spring.

Amelanchier laevis
(Amelanchier canadensis)

Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

240 x 240 (600 x 600)

Bronze in Spring, Mid Green in Summer, Red or Orange in Autumn

White in
April

"Allegheny Serviceberry, Sarvis Tree". It flowers as the leaves unfold in late spring followed by Blue-Black Fruit.
Pruning Group 1
Partial Shade or Full Sun
Zones 4-9, Fully Hardy
Acid Moist Soil
Broadly Spreading / creeping. Speciman plant for its spring and autumn foliage

Amelanchier lamarckii

No HB, ST, LT, SOL
Bees collect nectar and pollen

Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

276 x 240 (690 x 600)

Bronze in Spring, Dark Green in Summer, Red and Orange in Autumn

White, 5-petalled, strap-
shaped flowers blanket coppery brown juvenile leaves on the shoots in
April-May

"Juneberry, Snowy Mespilus, Lamarck Serviceberry". Purple-Black Fruit. Glossy, purple-brown tinted, deep-green, crinkly-textured leaves that are irregularly margined with cream and pink. Grow in rock garden. Attracts bees. Can be used in the container through summer and planted into the border or possibly raised beds for winter.
Pruning Group 1. Partial Shade or Full Sun
Zones 6-9, Fully Hardy
Acid Moist Soil
Broadly Spreading / creeping
Amelanchier is defintely 1 of the top 5 plants for autumn colour and
it must one of the earliest sources of pollen in the year.
See Bee Forage Plants and UK Butterfly with Egg, Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly Usage of Plants.
Associate with soft pink flowering Clematis montana cultivar, white lilacs in spring and cotoneasters for autumn harmonies.

Anaphalis margaritacea

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 24
(60 x 60)

Mid Green

White in
August-
October

"Pearl Everlasting".
Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade or Full Sun - but must be in an open position otherwise it becomes straggly.
Fully Hardy Zone 4-8
Any Moist Soil, which must not dry out in the Summer - prefers chalky soil.
Clump-forming and cover the ground by means of root runners.
All Anaphalis can be used for Flower Arranging - see other Flower Arranging Plants and plants with scented flowers. Use dried as Winter decoration, but must be cut in tight bud.
Companions - sedum, verbascum, carex, hosta, low fall asters, salvia, lychnis coronaria, scabiosa ochroleuca.

Andromeda polifolia 'Alba'

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

16 x 24
(40 x 60)

Dark Grey

White or Pale Pink in April-June

"Common Bog Rosemary, Marsh Andromeda". It grows in bog-like conditions. This species require an acid soil where constant moisture is assured, and are best grown in peat beds, shady woodlands, or rock gardens. Other smaller Andromeda for peat beds and raised beds.
Pruning Group 16
Partial Shade or Full Sun
Fully Hardy Zone 2
Acid Wet Soil
Semi-Prostrate More Details can be had from Heather World as linked to in the last row in this table.

Anemone apennina

See other Anemones in Allium and Anemone Gallery
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

8 x 12
(20 x 30)

Spacing
3-4
(7.5-10)

Dark Green in Autumn, Winter and Spring

Blue in
April-May

"Windflower". Pruning Group 14 . Partial Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 6. Any Moist Soil. Semi-Prostrate mound.
Plant under deciduous shrubs or deciduous woodland, as its leaves die down by midsummer. Spreads quickly in a shaded site. Ideal for naturalising in short grass. The clumps can be divided and moved successfully in spring after flowering.
All Anemone can be used for Flower Arranging - see other Flower Arranging Plants and plants with scented flowers.
May require a full season after planting to establish and produce reliable results. Ideal for naturalizing to create a carpet through which to grow larger spring flowers and bulbs, such as narcissi, smaller tulips, primroses, polyanthus, cowslips, erythroniums and epimediums. It enjoys humus-rich soils and a sunny site in cool climates, although in warmer areas it can tolerate a considerable amount of shade, such as that of deciduous woodland.

Anemone blanda 'Atrocaerulea'

See other Anemones in Allium and Anemone Gallery

Honey Bees collect Pollen and Bumble -bees visit the Anemone flowers

Deciduous Tuber Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 6
(15 x 15)

Anemone blanda Spacing
3-4
(7.5-10)

Dark Green in Autumn, Winter and Spring

Deep Blue in
April-May

Pruning Group 14.
Partial Shade or Full Sun
Fully Hardy Zone 4-8
Any Moist Soil
Clump-forming for deciduous woodland or between deciduous witch hazel or Daphne mezereum, with woodland ferns. Anemone blanda and Anemone coronaria are recommended for a change of position at intervals of 2 or 3 years, for the maintenance of size and richness of the flowers.

Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants.
Anemone blanda star-shaped flowers are produced above the leaves. Anemone blanda will grow in dry soil.
The bulbs are best planted in Aug-Sep, 3-4 (7.5-10) deep. Soak overnight before planting if bulbs very dry. Mix leaf mould with the soil before planting to provide moisture retention in the summer. When growing happily, it will start to seed about to form large colonies. Annual top dressing of leaf mould in the autumn.
Anemone companions - For spring bloomers - bulbs, aquilegia, dicentra, helleborus, omphalodes, ranunculus ficaria, trillium, primula.
For late summer and autumn bloomers - grasses, hardy fuchsias, aster, dahlia, eupatorium, phlox, astrantia.

Anemone blanda 'Radar'

See other Anemones in Allium and Anemone Gallery

Deciduous Tuber Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 6
(15 x 15)

Dark Green in Autumn, Winter and Spring

Magenta with white centres in
April-May

Pruning Group 14 . Partial Shade or Full Sun. Fully Hardy Zone 4-8. Any Moist Soil.
Clump-forming for deciduous woodland or between deciduous witch hazel or Daphne mezereum, with woodland ferns.
Other smaller Anemones for scree beds in rock gardens, trough or sink, or peat beds and raised beds.
Although in Anemone blanda's Mediterranean homeland this anemone grows in full or part shade, in cooler gardens the flowers require full sun to open completely. For more naturalistic plantings Anemone blanda contrasts well with soft yellow flowers such as those of primroses - Primula vulgaris.

Anemone blanda
'Violet Star'

See other Anemones in Allium and Anemone Gallery

Deciduous Tuber Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 6
(15 x 15)

Dark Green in Autumn, Winter and Spring

Amethyst with White backs in
April-May

Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade or Full Sun
Fully Hardy Zone 4-8
Any Moist Soil
Clump-forming for deciduous woodland or between deciduous witch hazel or Daphne mezereum, with woodland ferns.
The winter bark of Silver Birch makes an excellent setting for the anemone blanda bulbs, as do the yellow and red coloured twigs of Cornus stolonifera and Cornus alba.

Anemone nemorosa

See other Anemones in Allium and Anemone Gallery

No HB, ST, LT, SOL

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

4 x 12
(10 x 30)

Mid Green in Autumn, Winter and Spring

White in
April-June

"Windflower, Wood Anemone". Pruning Group 14 . Partial Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 4-8. Any Moist Soil
Creeping
Plant - cover rhizome with soil to a depth of 1 inch (2-3cms) - under deciduous shrubs, in soil which has been enriched with leafmould, as its leaves die down by midsummer, and in woodlands.
If you have autumn leaves fall on your lawn, mow them up and mulch the flower beds with that. If you have autumn leaves in the street, repeat the process to obtain the material for leafmould. Plant with Narcissus 'February Gold', which flowers at the same time, under deciduous shrubs. Its varieties are excellent rock garden or peat garden plants for cool part-shaded situations.
This plant is excellent for naturalizing in woodland, and for planting among late-leafing perennials and taller bulbs in beds such as Anemone x lipsiensis, Arum italicum 'Marmoratum', Corydalis solida, Dryopteris erythrosora, Hosta undulata var. albomarginata, Lathyrus vernus, Muscarii armeniacum and Primula denticulata 'Snowball'.

Anemone ranunculoides

See other Anemones in Allium and Anemone Gallery

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

2 x 18
(5 x 45)

Mid Green in Autumn, Winter and Spring

Deep Yellow in
April-May

"Buttercup Anemone". Spreading / creeping rapidly if given peaty soil and abundant moisture like near a waterfall. When planting only cover rhizome with soil to a depth of 1 inch (2-3cms).
Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade (Light Shade)
Fully Hardy Zone 4
Any Moist Soil
Companion for other shade-loving plants such as Hepatica (Anemone hepatica), Hellebores and Trillium, and is ideal in a cool part of a rock garden or on a peat bed.

Antennaria dioica rosea

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

2 x 18
(5 x 45)

Grey-green

Rose-pink
in May-August

"Cat's Ears, Pussy-toes".
Pruning Group 16
Full Sun
Fully Hardy Zone 5
Any dry Soil
Mat-forming
Use in rock garden, growing against walls, ground cover between stepping stones or well-drained border verges.
Antennaria companion for other small, undemanding rock plants - little achilleas, creeping thymes, rock roses (helianthemum) and the blue grass Festuca glauca.

Anthemis punctata cupaniana
 

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 36
(30 x 90)

Finely dissected, Silvery-Grey with dull Grey-Green in Winter topped by flowers

White, yellow-eyed daisies in
June-August . deadhead to encourage more flowers

This makes wide masses of foliage. Take out the flowered stems as the heads fade to keep the plant neat and encourage more flowers. Pruning Group 16. Full Sun. Frost Hardy Zone 6, but likely to die out in wet winters, but small rooted pieces usually survive. Any Sandy or Gravelly dry Soil in rock garden. Mat-forming

All Anthemis can be used for Flower Arranging - see other flower arranging Plants and plants with scented flowers.
Anthemis nobilis is useful for mowing as a substitute for grass in very sandy soil; fragrant when bruised; 'Plena' - the double-flowered form (no good for bees) is more ornamental; the variety 'Treneague' is dwarf and non-flowering.
Anthemis companions - solidago, grasses, sages, geranium, monarda, patrinia.
Grow at front of border, where it can tumble over adjacent paving or edging stones. It succeeds in a gravel garden. Associate with other silver foliage, with lavenders, sages, Dwarf Bearded Irises, and with lime green flowers such as euphorbias or compact grasses like the smaller Stipa species.

Anthyllis montana
(Vulneraria montana)

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 24
(30 x 60)

Grey-green

Red, Pink or Purple
in May-July

"Mountain Kidney Vetch" is native to the mountains of Southern Europe and parts of the Alps.
Pruning Group 16. Full Sun. Fully Hardy.
Any Soil
Clump-forming with small, finely divided, silvery green leaves with purple, white or pink clover-like single flower-heads followed by seeds in pods. Use in rock garden or alpine garden.
Other smaller Anthyllis for scree beds in rock gardens.

Arabis caucasica 'Variegata'

Honey Bees collect Pollen and Nectar

Arabis species
No, HB, ST, LT, SOL

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 18
(15 x 45)

Olive- Green margined cream foliage below flowers.

Scented White
in Mar-Jun

"Wall Rock Cress, Variegated Wall Cress" for rock gardens, rabbit resistant and edging. Trim its spays of 4 petal, star-shaped, umbels of flowers after flowering to maintain compactness. Pruning Group 16. Full Sun
Fully Hardy in Zones 3-9
Any well-drained dry Soil and it will tolerate poor, dry, infertile soil, but not clay or bog. It prefers a rough limy soil. Mat-forming. Perfect nook-and-crany plants. Especially suited for covering slopes, spilling over walls and tucking between stones. It will grow in containers.
Arabis Companions - Aubretia, Phlox subulata and Alyssum saxatile.
Other smaller Arabis for scree beds in rock gardens, trough or sink, or peat beds and raised beds.
Arabis albida loves to sow itself in an old mortar-and-lime wall and from a tiny crevice will make great mats of foliage that hang down 12 (30 cms) or more. When once established, then cut it right back to the wall every summer. It then produces new foliage and is very pleasant for the rest of the year.

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Birds eat the scarlet fruit.
No HB, ST, LT, SOL

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

4 x 20
(10 x 50)

Bright Green. Leaves develop intense red tones in autumn and winter.

Pinkish-White
in Dec-Jun followed by deep red berries

"Common Bearberry, Bearberry, Kinnikinnick" is circumpolar in northern latitudes in rocky, open woods; dry, sandy hills; mountainous regions. A completely prostrate shrub that can cascade over walls or embankments to form curtains of neat, dark green foliage. The leaves remain green for 1–3 years before falling in autumn, when their colour changes to a reddish-green or purple, pale on the underside. Terminal clusters of small urn-shaped, 5 petal, flowers. Bears and other animals eat the berries. Pruning Group 1. Partial Shade or Full Sun - it grows well in poor soil, as long as it has full sun. Zones 4-9, Frost Hardy. Acid well-drained dry or moist unfertilized Soil. Mat-forming, that it is useful to control erosion on hillsides and slopes due to its deep roots and in rock gardens.
This is one of the plants that are unlikely to succeed on Alkaline Soils and others are listed in Plants for Lime-Free (Acid) Soil A-F Page 3.
Other smaller Arctostaphylos for peat beds and raised beds.

Arisaema sikokianum
(Arum sazensoo, Arisaema magnificum)

Birds eat the red berries.

Deciduous Tuber Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

18 x 6
(45 x 15)

Bright Green, divided leaves are below the flowers

Purple base, white cup and hood with purple, green and white stripes in April-May

"Japanese Cobra Lily, Japanese Jack-in-the-pulpit". Grow frost-tolerant species in shelter, part-shade, or woodland in cool peaty soil. Give protective mulch in winter, guard from slugs. Plant in woodland or cottage garden and underplant roses and shrubs. These tubers must not dry out when dormant and may need winter protection in colder areas.
Roots are poisonous.
Pruning Group 14. Partial Shade. Frost Hardy Zone 5-9. Acid well-drained, moist, sandy, humus-rich Soil. Stemless. Likes a sheltered site.
Arisaema companions - Ferns, helleborus, shade-loving hosta and bleeding hearts, primula, polygonatum, smilacina, disporum, disporopsis.

Aris-arum probos-cideum
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 10
(15 x 25)

Arrow-head-shaped Green shi-ning leaves on long stalks dire-ctly from the ground

Maroon and White in
April-May

It is a woodland plant from the Italian Apennine mountain range, thriving in any cool shady or partly shaded position. Hidden Maroon and White flowers enclosed within hooded Dark Brown-Purple spathe; with the 6 (15) long tail of the flower earning it the name of "Mouse Plant". Pruning Group 14. Partial Shade.
Fully Hardy Zone 7-9. Any well-drained humus-rich Soil. Cushion-forming
A dense, Spreading / creeping, woodland plant with hidden flowers for edges of paths and beds.

Arisarum companions - ferns, primula, polygonatum humile, small cyclamen, viola cornuta, corydalis.

Artemisia schmi-dtiana
 

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 18
(30 x 45)

Silver and hairy

Fragrant Yellow flower-heads in
Aug-Nov. Seeds ripen Sep-Nov

"Silvermound" is native in Japan.This has a foamy mass of silky, platinum-pale, finely dissected leaves to make a strong impact as a mat-forming edging, in alpine and rock gardens as well as in pots. Attracts butterflies.
Pruning Group 16. Full Sun. Fully Hardy, Zone 1-9. Any well-drained Soil, including dry sand or clay soil in a rock garden. Spreading / creeping silver carpet and grow better in poor soil. Artemisia stelleriana makes a more dense ground-cover and Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana' is a choice miniature also for dry soil.
Other smaller Artemisia for scree beds, trough or sinks in rock gardens.
Associate with other silver-leaved plants like lavenders, sages, pinks and cistus. In a broad and shallowly banked grouping, a carpet of compact silvery Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana' spreads before tussocks of bronze sedge - Carex flagellifera, in front of the handsome spurge Euphorbia characias.

Arum creticum
 

Deciduous Tuber Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 6
(30 x 15)

Glossy spear-shaped Dark Green from December-May are below the flowers

Single Sweetly scented White or deep Yellow goblet-shaped spathe in
Mar-Apr

"Lords and Ladies, Cretan Arum". Pruning Group 14. Full Sun - Although tender, given a sheltered sunny site this species can survive over winter in cold areas, although they prefer part shade. In hot areas it requires some shade. Toxic if eaten. Plant may not flower in the first year after planting. Frost Hardy Zone 7-9. Any well-drained humus-rich Soil in sheltered moist woodland edge site. Grow in pots, but do not let the soil dry out.
Mat-forming. Dormant from June through September, orange-red berries.

Arum companions - Astilbe, epimedium, hosta, ferns, snowdrops and other early bulbs, helleborus orientalis, helleborus foetidus, vancouveria planipetala, xanthorhiza, disporum, smilacina racemosa, anemone blanda, trillium.

Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmo-ratum'

Deciduous Tuber Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 6
(30 x 15)

Pale Green are marbled with Cream from Nov-Jun

Greenish-White spathe in
Jun-Aug above the leaves

"Italium Arum". Pruning Group 14. It has large, arrow-shaped, glossy green leaves heavily marbled with cream. Over time it makes a dense clumping carpet that covers the ground from late autumn till mid spring under trees, shrubs and hosta. Flowers are followed in Sep-Nov by a display of vivid red-orange berries. Plant them in May-Jun. Partial Shade or Full Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 6-9. Any well-drained moist Soil in sheltered site. Mat-forming.
Associate with ferns, galanthus, helleborus. It is toxic to cats, dogs, horses and people.

Aruncus dioicus 'Kneiffii'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 18
(120 x 45)

Very finely divided fern-like mid Green leaves

Cream in
May-Jul in high plumes

"Goats beard". Pruning Group 14. Partial Shade or Full Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 3-9.
Moist Clay Soil in border or woodland garden. Best grown on moist, even somewhat boggy soil, but will grow well in dry soil. Clump-forming and grown for its foliage which is extremely finely divided.
Associate in waterside plantings, or for use as a specimen - It contrasts with a crisply formal opening through a hedge of beech - Fagus sylvatica. A pair of clipped box (Buxus sempervirens) in pots, one on each side, echoes the formality of the beech. Partner with euphorbias, ligularias, telekias, golden philadelphus and medium-sized bamboos.
Aruncus companions - Campanula latiloba, shrub roses, grasses, hosta, corydalis; it's good as a speciman plant, for the more wild parts of the garden, or the back of the perennial border.

Arundi-naria auricoma
(Pleiobl-astus aurico-mus)

Bamboo 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 60
(150 x 150)

Brilliant Yellow with Green stripes and margined with fine bristles

...

Pruning Group 17. Partial Shade or Full Sun. Fully Hardy. Zones 6-10 Any moist sandy or clay Soil in sheltered site. Upright bamboo. Grow in open glades in a woodland garden in enclosed root barrier areas. Shear to ground each spring to encourage new and healthy growth. Arundinaria is one of the shrubs used in the first line of wind reduction from the sea. Gardening by the sea has the problems posed by salt-carrying gales and blown sand. Copious amounts of compost and mulch to conserve soil moisture, and the following defensive planting will protect the more tender plants from strong winds in your garden in the Coastal Conditions Garden Use Page.
Types of bamboo 1. Runner types send out underground stems to varying distances and sent up a vertical shoot. These will grow in large thickets or grove if left alone. Runners are mainly found in temperate regions.
2. Clump bamboos have underground stems that sprout vertical shoots much closer their parent plants glowing slowly outward. Clumpers tend to be tropical or subtropical.

Arund-inaria fortunei
(Pleio-blastus auricomus, Pleioblastus variegatus, Pleioblastus variegatus fortunei)

Bamboo below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

15 x 12
(37 x 30)

Dark Green with Cream stripes

...

"Chigozasa, Dwarf White-striped Bamboo" is native in Japan. Prefers well-drained but moist rich soil in full sun. Variegated clones need sun to keep their colour. Most are best pruned to ground level each spring. Invasive, difficult to control and even surviving mowing. Pruning Group 17. Zone 4-10.
Full Sun, but prefers Part Shade and out of cold, drying winds, easpecially coastal winds. Frost Hardy.
Any moist acidic Soil in sheltered site surrounded by concrete or buildings, or in pot. Upright bamboo.
Grow in open glades in a woodland garden. Use in poor growing conditions to control erosion, but it will displace native plants.

Arundi-naria japonica
(Pseudo-sasa japonica)

Evergreen Bamboo above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

138 x 30
(345 x 75)

Arching canes of large, heavy and glossy deep-green leaves

...

"Arrow Bamboo, Metake" is native to Japan and Korea in damp woodland areas, forming dense thickets in open areas.
Pruning Group 17. Partial Shade or Full Sun. Frost Hardy to -17.7 C. Any moist Soil in sheltered site.
Grow as dense hedge or screen by plaiting the smaller canes together, in pots and in coastal areas. The culms make an excellent wind break for windy gardens as they slow windspeeds without creating turbulence.

Arun-dinaria murielae
(Fargesia muriel-iae)

Evergreen Bamboo above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

120 x 36
(300 x 90)

Bright Green in Spring, Yellow-Green rest of year

...

"Umbrella Bamboo" is native in mountains of central China, which forms a dense clump of closely spaced canes that are hard to see under a mass of foliage. Pruning Group 17. Partial Shade or Full Sun. Fully Hardy. Any moist Soil in sheltered site. Grow as dense hedge or screen next to a pond or a stream.
Like all other fargesias, it does not have running rhizomes and needs no containment to prevent spread. There are two basic types of bamboo; clumping (non-invasive) and running. Individual bamboo canes are called culms or stems. The clump type, in which category Fargesia murielae falls, grows in large clumps and is relatively slow in spreading.

Arundinaria nitida
(Fargesia nitida)

Bamboo above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

156 x 36
(390 x 90)

Dark Green

...

"Fountain Bamboo, Chinese Fountain Bamboo" is native to China and it has Dark Green, large, lanceolate leaves with purple flushed green canes. Non-invasive and clump-forming. In its native habitat it grows in damp semi wooded areas. This species of bamboo is an important source of food for the giant panda, but is of little value to UK wildlife. Pruning Group 17. Partial Shade - Tolerates sun, but the leaves will curl up readily in strong sunlight. Fully Hardy. Zones 5-9. Any moist well-drained Soil in sheltered site.
Grow as speciman in a large container, as a hedge or screen, along sides of ponds and streams, deer resistant.

Arundi-naria pygmaea
(Pleio-blastus pyg-maeus, sasa pygmaea)

Bamboo below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

16 x 36
(40 x 90)

Mid Green

...

"Pygmy Bamboo, Dwarf fern-leaf Bamboo, Keorishimachiku". A dwarf-suckering species long cultivated in Japan, where it carpets the floors of forests. Prefers well-drained but moist rich soil in full sun or part shade. Most are best pruned to ground level each spring.
Pruning Group 17. Zones 7-10 - it is hardy to UK zone 6. Partial Shade or Full Sun, but prefers full shade and a position sheltered from North and East winds. Fully Hardy. Any moist acidic Soil in sheltered site, with lots of space for it to spread at will. Upright bamboo.
Grow in open glades in a woodland garden, in pots, as speciman, or as erosion control on banks.

Asarina procum-bens
(Antirrhinum asarina)

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

2 x 24
(5 x 60)

Grey-green, kidney-shaped

Pale Yellow streaked with red in a single standard, 2 wings and a keel flower
in Apr-Oct

"Creeping Snapdragon, Climbing Snapdragon" is a trailing, sticky-stemmed plant with softly furred, grey-green leaves and white snapdragon flowers tinged with yellow, from the Pyrenees. It prefes to be out of the hottest sun, but is content in a dry wall in light shade, where it is likely to sow itself into small crevices.
Pruning Group 16. Prefers Partial Shade. Frost Hardy - Zone 7. Well-drained dry Sandy Soil.
Trailing over shady walls or rocks, raised beds or a shady bank. Spills out of pots and can be used in bedding as an annual. Usually killed in severe winters so provide a winter mulch of straw or evergreen boughs.

Asarum europ-aeum
 

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

3 x 12
(7 x 30)

Glossy, leathery, heart-shaped, Dark Green leaves above the flowers

Greenish-Purple then Brown, bell-shaped, solitary, terminal and nodding in
Mar-May

"European Wild Ginger, Asarabacca, Hazelwort, Wild Spikenard" is native to Europe.
Pruning Group 16. Part Shade, Full Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 3-9. Chalk. Moist not boggy cool soil, but will grow in dry soil as well. Creeping.
Use as ground cover at the edge of a border, on bank, on slope, in deciduous or coniferous woodland or rock garden, and underplant shrubs. European wild ginger spreads slowly. Attracts butterflies and is deer resistant.

Asarum companions - perfect counterpoint to Maidenhair Ferns, then on to rhododendron, trillium, hosta, ajuga, vancouveria, astilbe, polygonatum. In a naturalistic woodland garden, gingers form an exceptionally attractive dense mat. Combine with evergreen shrubs or wildflowers.
All parts of this plant are poisonous.

Asplen-ium scolope-ndrium
 

Evergreen Fern 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 24
(60 x 60)

Glossy bright, strap-like, leathery Green fronds with wavy margins

...

"Hart's Tongue Fern" is excellent on chalk, and makes dense cover in clumps if closely planted and originates from the Northern Hemisphere. Pruning Group 15. Partial Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 5. Alkaline well-drained Soil with added grit. Stemless.
Growing in a crevice in a limestone rock garden, the unfurling fronds of Asplenium scolopendrium are furnished from spring into summer with the blue blooms of Lithodora diffusa 'Heavenly Blue'.
See further details and photos in Fern Nursery page and Fern Gallery.
The Fern Nursery garden is open on Saturdays from May until September. They have events, talks and ferns photo gallery.

Aster novae-angliae
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 24
(150 x 60)

Mid Green

Violet-Purple in
August-October

"New England Aster" is native to eastern North America. The flowers are visited by bees, birds and butterflies. Rabbit and Deer resistant.
Pruning Group 14. Partial Shade or Full Sun. Fully Hardy Zone 4-8. Any well-drained moist Soil. Clump-forming and it self-seeds.
Mildew resistant. Grow in cottage garden, butterfly gardens. Cut flower.

Aster novi-belgii
(Symhyo-trichum novi-belgii)
Novi-belgii means "from New York", which was formerly named Novum Belgium ("New Belgium")

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 36
(120 x 90)

Mid Green to purple-tinted leaves on erect, branching stems

Violet disc flowers in Sprays in
August-October

"Michaelmas Daisy, New York Aster" is native to the eastern United States of America growing in abandoned fields and wet meadows. There are over 1000 cultivars of this plant. Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade or Full Sun. Fully Hardy Zone 4-8. Any well-drained moist Soil. Plant in open position. The richer the soil in humus the taller the plants grow. Clump-forming. Mildew is a problem.
Use in rock garden, cottage garden, butterfly garden. Cut flowers last well in a vase.
Most members of the daisy family are highly attractive to bees, and provide nectar and pollen in good quantity. The late-flowering Michaelmas daisies have the added advantage of coming into flower when there is very little bee forage, and colonies are needing to collect fresh pollen to add to their winter store of protein. Not only is pollen stored in the cells at this time of year, but the bees are also storing protein within their bodies, in an organ called the fatbody, and this helps them survive the winter and reduces the ill effects of some diseases, such as nosema, a protozoan gut parasite. To the honey bee, any income of fresh food in autumn is very valuable, and the beekeeper-gardener should remember this when planning his/her garden.

Aster novi-belgii
'Ada Ballard'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 18
(90 x 45)

Spacing 9-12
(23-30)

Mid Green

Lavender-Blue in
September-October

Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade or Full Sun
Fully Hardy
Any well-drained moist Soil
Clump-forming

All Aster novae-belgii cultivars are susceptible to mildew.

Aster novi-belgii
'Royal Velvet'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 24
(120 x 60)

Mid Green

Violet-Blue in
September-October

Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade or Full Sun. Fully Hardy. Any well-drained moist Soil. Clump-forming.

Aster novi-belgii combine well with strongly textured or structured plants such as miscanthus, pampas grass, and some of the late-flowering kniphofias. Plants need spraying against mildew, and all but the shortest need staking. It is best to divide them in the spring, replanting a vigorous section of rhizome, but they can be left undisturbed for up to 3 years, before they start to decline.

Aster x frikartii 'Monch'

Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

30 x 18
(75 x 45)

Spacing 24-30
(60-75)

Dark Green

Lavender-Blue in
July-September

Pruning Group 14
Full Sun. Fully Hardy Zone 4-9. Any well-drained Soil. Upright.

Contrast with orange - some late-flowering crocosmias, or the early autumn tints of Vitis coignetiae. Associates with silver foliage, chrysanthemums, or dahlias with their yellow, pink and purple flowers. It benefits from staking with brushwood, which should be worked into the plant when about two-thirds of its flowering height, and is best replanted in fresh ground every 3 years or so.

Astilbe
'Fanal'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 18
(60 x 45)

Dark Green

Dark Crimson in
June-August

"False Spirae, Meadowsweet".
Pruning Group 14. Partial Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 5-8. Any well-drained Soil. Clump-forming.
Best for red spring foliage

All Astilbes are Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants.
Astilbe companions - Hosta, pulmonaria, helleborus, epimedium, ferns, polygonatumJapanese iris; particularly effective in groups.
Astilbes are attractive near pools and streams and in woodland settings. They combine well with bergenias and adapt to container culture.

Astilbe
'Professor van der Wielen'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 39
(120 x 98)

Mid Green

White in
July flowers in gracefully arching plumes

Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 5-8
Any well-drained Soil
Clump-forming
Good cut flower

Other smaller Astilbe for scree beds in rock gardens.

Astilbe 'Straussenfeder'
 

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 24
(90 x 60)

Bronze tinted Green in Spring, Dark Green in Summer and Autumn

Coral-Pink in
August-September

Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 5-8
Any well-drained Soil
Clump-forming
Vigorous

Astiles make an excellent cut flower if harvested when half open. Many are also cut and air-dried then used in dried floral arrangements. The seedheads can be left on to extend the interest in the winter.

Astrantia major
 

Astrantia species
No HB, ST, LT, SOL

Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 18
(60 x 45)

Dark Green

Purple-Red in
June-July

"Greater Masterwort, Masterwort". Pruning Group 14
Partial Shade or Full Sun. Fully Hardy Zone 4-9. Any well-drained Soil. Clump-forming.
Plant near a lightly shaded patio or path where you can enjoy their detail. This is an ideal cut flower, fresh or dried. Self-sows.
Astrantia major 'Sunningdale Variegated' has leaves strikingly marked cream and yellow, becoming less variegated from mid summer onwards. This associates with early-leafing hostas, bluebells, forget-me-nots, rock cress, aurinias, primroses, polyanthus and euphorbias.

Astrantia companions - Lilium martagon, iris sibirica, milium effusum 'Aureum', hosta, pulmonaria, chaerophyllum, pimpinella, campanula, phlox paniculata, adenophora, geranium.

Athyrium filix-femina
 

Deciduous Fern 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 24
(120 x 60)

Light Green fronds like shuttle-cocks

...

"Lady Fern" is a very beautiful, lacy, fresh green fern, preferring fairly moist positions.
Pruning Group 15. Partial Shade. Fully Hardy Zone 5. Acid moist Soil in sheltered site. Erect.
It makes excellent ground cover in woodland gardens, bog or alongside streams.
It is perhaps most effective in schemes based on shades of green, especially in late spring and early summer, when its foliage is at its freshest. It contrasts well with smaller bamboos, hart's tongue ferns, grasses, and sedges. It may be grown through a carpet of low ground cover, when the repeated pattern of its shuttlecock-shaped clumps of fronds can make an arresting sight.
The 'Plumosum Cristatum Group' all have beautifully crested and finely cut fronds.

See further details and photos in Fern Nursery page and Fern Gallery.
The Fern Nursery garden is open on Saturdays from May until September. They have events, talks and ferns photo gallery.

Aubretia x cultorum 'Argenteo-variegata'

Honey Bees collect Pollen and Nectar. Bumble bees visit the flowers

No, HB, ST, LT, SOL

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

2 x 24
(5 x 60)

Mid-Green margined Silvery-White

Pinkish-Mauve
in March-May

"Aubretia, Rock Cress".
Pruning Group 16
Full Sun
Fully Hardy
Alkaline well-drained Soil - thrives in the sun in dry, rich, sandy loam and leaf-mould.
Mat-forming. Use in rock garden, spring bedding and for edging. If cut back after flowering, it produces a new crop of variegated leaves and shoots, which will add interest when the plant is out of flower.
Aubretia Companions - Phlox subulata, Alyssum saxatile and Iberis sempervirens. Others are early-flowering euphorbias, soft yellow wallflowers, aurinias, white rock cress, smaller narcissi, ipheions, chionodoxas, and small spring-flowering shrubs like daphes or spiraeas.
A single plant will, over 2 or 3 years, cover a square yard (metre) of soil or cascade over a similar area of wall, and when smothered with its small blue, purple, or white flowers it would be difficult to imagine a more pleasing sight. The plants are usually only a few inches high, but will 'clamber up' to a height of 24 (60) or so if taller plants nearby provide competition. They are equally at home in sunny south-facing crevices on walls or rock gardens with virtually no soil or moisture and a high pH, as they are in richer soils with a low pH and a northerly aspect. The bees will, of course, prefer those plants in full sun.

Aucuba japonica

Birds eat the scarlet berries.

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 60
(150 x 150)

Mid Green

Purple in
May

"Spotted Laurel, Japanese Aucuba, Japanese Laurel". Remarkably tolerant of poor conditions, though it responds to good treatment like moist instead of its normal dry soil
Pruning Group 1
Partial Shade or Full Shade or Full Sun
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy
Any Chalk or Clay Soil
Rounded
Thrives even in dark corners in town gardens. This continues to spread by basal sprouting and self-layering of its weak, soft-wooded stems and, as it thickens up, the mass of stems will support one another, allowing it to reach 120 inches (300 cms).

Aucuba japonica 'Crotonofolia'

Birds eat the scarlet berries.

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 48
(150 x 120)

Green mottled Yellow

Purple in
May

Pruning Group 1
Partial Shade
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy
Any Chalk or Clay Soil. Rounded
Aucuba japonica is one of the best evergreen shrubs for shady places, under trees, and for town gardens. The male and female flowers are borne on separate bushes, and when the 2 sexes are grown near together, the female bush produces bright-red berries in autumn.

Aucuba japonica 'Rozannie'

Birds eat the scarlet berries.
 

Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 120
(90 x 300)

Dark Green

Red-Purple in
May

Pruning Group 1
Partial Shade
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy
Any Chalk or Clay Soil
Rounded.
Hard pruning, when required for Aucuba japonica, is best done early in May; shorten long shoots, if desired , in summer.

Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'

Birds eat the scarlet berries.

Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 48
(150 x 120)

Green, Yellow speckled

Reddish-Purple in
May

Pruning Group 1
Partial Shade
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy
Any Chalk or Clay Soil
Rounded

Aurinia saxatilis 'Citrina'

Honey Bees collect Pollen and Nectar

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

8 x 12
(20 x 30)

Grey-Green

Lemon-Yellow
in May-June

"Basket of Gold, Yellow Alyssum". Very popular as a rock garden or wall plant. Ideal on slopes, fronts of borders, in large rock gardens, hanging over low walls;
and for carpeting rose beds where its grey leaves make a good foil for the bright colours.
Pruning Group 1. Full Sun. Zones 4-9, Fully Hardy. Any Soil. Mound-forming. Plant it in a prominent spot to show off its brilliant colour. It can also be grown in containers and moved to suitable spots in the landscape.
A large expanse of aurinias can appear dull in texture, so they are best arranged in diffuse groups, intermingled with other plants of contrasting form, such as bulbs or, in a larger rock garden, dwarf conifers.

Azalea

No, HB, ST, LT, SOL
 

Shrub

Lime-free soil mixed with humus in partial shade is required. Leave the fallen leaves of the evergreen Japanese Azaleas to complete its groundcover. Use Rhododendron kiusianum, Rhododendron indicum and Rhododendron simsii varieties. The Scottish Rhododendron Society have articles of interest, with review and yearbook back issues as well as –
Hannah Miller has a Guide to getting children started with gardening and garden sustainability

Azalea nectar is toxic to bees. Rarely visited by the honeybee because the nectar is too deep-seated to be readily available and because grayanotoxins are toxic to them.
Azaleas are Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants.