There is a sole species of deciduous shrub in this genus.  Found in thickets and woodland in China and Japan.  It has alternate, bright green, roughly diamond shaped leaves with serrated edges up to 2 ½” long.  It bears saucer or cup shaped yellow flowers up to 2 ½” across.  Kerrias are grown for their foliage and flowers, and are suitable for a shrub border or an open position in a woodland garden.

Grow in fertile, moderately moist, well drained soil in full sun or partial shade.  Divide in autumn.

Prone to Coral spot, fireblight, leaf blight, twig blight and canker.

Kerria japonica ‘Phenthoa’

Zones 4-8

grow in full sun

Peonies are long lived plants, but they often resent disturbance. They are ideal for a mixed, herbaceous, or shrub border. If ingested, all parts can cause mild stomach upset. Grow in deep, fertile, humus rich, moist but well drained soil in full sun or slightly filtered sun light, feed annually with organic matter. They need cold winters and the soil should not be allowed to dry out in summer. They may need staking and remove deadheads and dead shoots.

Zones 4-8

grow in full sun

Peonies are long lived plants, but they often resent disturbance. They are ideal for a mixed, herbaceous, or shrub border. If ingested, all parts can cause mild stomach upset. Grow in deep, fertile, humus rich, moist but well drained soil in full sun or slightly filtered sun light, feed annually with organic matter. They need cold winters and the soil should not be allowed to dry out in summer. They may need staking and remove deadheads and dead shoots.

Zones 4-8

There are about 71 creeping, trailing, or tuft forming, fibrous or tuberous rooted, evergreen perennial, in the Commelinaceae family, in this genus. They naturally occur in woodlands, scrub, or disturbed ground from Canada south to Northern Argentina. The leaves are alternate, usually fleshy, blade like to lanceolate shaped, often purple flushed or variegated, and hairy or hairless. Short live, spreading, usually saucer shaped flowers, each 3 petals and 3 sepals and 6 yellow anthers are produced in terminal or axillary cymes, which are fused in pairs, with paired, boat shaped bracts, in late summer. The flowers are white, pink or purple but most commonly bright blue some of which open in late morning and close by night. Hardy Tradescantias are suitable for a mixed or herbaceous border. Contact with the foliage may irritate skin.

Grow in moist, fertile soli in full sun or partially shade. After flowering, cut back flowered stems to prevent seeding and to encourage further flowers or cut back ruthlessly when they become straggly to encourage bushiness. Divide in autumn or spring.

zones 4-9

perennial

comes in quart or 1 gallon pots

‘Shell Pink’
– grows 6″ tall and 36″ wide or more and bears pure white flowers
above silver leaves that are narrowly edged green.

Flower color determines planting season and light requirement: white and purple flowered species are planted in spring and prefer full sun, the yellow flowered one are planted in fall and prefer shade. The vigorous, ground covering species need moist, but well drained soil in deep or partial shade. Site away from other small plants, and dig out rhizomes when necessary to confine spread. Divide in autumn or spring

Zones 4-8

Grow in moderately fertile, humus rich, moist but well drained soil in light dapples shade to deep shade. May become chlorotic on poor, dry soil or if over exposed to sun.

zone 7-9

This popular genus contains about 7 species of mainly deciduous, sometimes semi evergreen shrubs. They occur in open woodland in China and Japan with one species from Southeastern Europe. They produces opposite, simple, smooth or toothed edged, sometimes 3 palmate leaves. The 4 petalled, brilliant yellow flowers are salverform with narrow tubes, and with very long or short styles on different plants. /They are borne before or with the leaves in early and mid spring, often profusely, although low or widely fluctuating winter temperatures often kill flower buds. Grow in a shrub border, on a bank, against a wall, or as a specimen plant, they are also useful for hedging. They make good cut flowers.

Easily grown in moderately fertile, moist but well drained soil in full sun or light dappled shade. Seldom flowers in warm climates.

Prone to Arabis mosaic virus, stem gall, dieback, root knot nematode, and leaf spots.

F. viridissima var. koeana ‘Igwang’ – Green-stem Forsythia – This erect, deciduous or semi evergreen shrub grows 5-10′ feet tall and wide. From upright shoots, which remain green in the second year, carry lance shaped, slightly glossy, leaves that have yellow splashes of color, to 6″ long, which turn maroon in autumn. From mid spring to late spring it bears butter yellow flowers, 1 1/4″ across, are carried singly or occasionally in pairs or three’s.

Zones 6-8

This popular genus contains about 7 species of mainly deciduous, sometimes semi evergreen shrubs. They occur in open woodland in China and Japan with one species from Southeastern Europe. They produces opposite, simple, smooth or toothed edged, sometimes 3 palmate leaves. The 4 petalled, brilliant yellow flowers are salverform with narrow tubes, and with very long or short styles on different plants. /They are borne before or with the leaves in early and mid spring, often profusely, although low or widely fluctuating winter temperatures often kill flower buds. Grow in a shrub border, on a bank, against a wall, or as a specimen plant, they are also useful for hedging. They make good cut flowers.

Easily grown in moderately fertile, moist but well drained soil in full sun or light dappled shade. Seldom flowers in warm climates.

Prone to Arabis mosaic virus, stem gall, dieback, root knot nematode, and leaf spots.

F. viridissima – Green-stem Forsythia – This erect, deciduous or semi evergreen shrub, grows 12″ inches tall and 36″ inches wide. From upright shoots, which remain green in the second year, carry lance shaped, slightly glossy, leaves, to 1 3/4″ long, which turn maroon in autumn. From mid spring to late spring it bears primrose yellow flowers, 1″ across, are carried singly or occasionally in pairs or three’s. grow in a rock garden

Zones 6-8

This popular genus contains about 7 species of mainly deciduous, sometimes semi evergreen shrubs. They occur in open woodland in China and Japan with one species from Southeastern Europe. They produces opposite, simple, smooth or toothed edged, sometimes 3 palmate leaves. The 4 petalled, brilliant yellow flowers are salverform with narrow tubes, and with very long or short styles on different plants. /They are borne before or with the leaves in early and mid spring, often profusely, although low or widely fluctuating winter temperatures often kill flower buds. Grow in a shrub border, on a bank, against a wall, or as a specimen plant, they are also useful for hedging. They make good cut flowers.

Easily grown in moderately fertile, moist but well drained soil in full sun or light dappled shade. Seldom flowers in warm climates.

Prone to Arabis mosaic virus, stem gall, dieback, root knot nematode, and leaf spots.

F. viridissima – Green-stem Forsythia – This erect, deciduous or semi evergreen shrub from China grows 5-10′ feet tall and wide. From upright shoots, which remain green in the second year, carry lance shaped, slightly glossy, leaves, to 6″ long, which turn maroon in autumn. From mid spring to late spring it bears butter yellow flowers, 1 1/4″ across, are carried singly or occasionally in pairs or three’s.

Zones 6-8