GardenGateMagazine.com | GARDEN GATE 29
Showy medinilla
Medinilla magnifica
This tropical plant is always an eye-catcher
with huge pink fl ower clusters dripping
from thick, glossy dark green foliage. Showy
medinilla’s unique blooms last for weeks.
Imagine it growing from a hanging basket
near your entryway, greeting friends who will
stop to marvel at its interesting display.
A bit tricky to fi nd, this houseplant can
be grown from seed, but you’ll have to wait
a while to see it bloom. Better to hunt down
a mature plant in the tropical plant sections
of garden centers. Give it plenty of light
and a potting mix that drains well to avoid
water-logged soil. Even better, grow it in a
clay pot to give it more air circulation to the
roots. With enough light it can fl ower indoors
most of the year. If it gets a little leggy, prune
the plant back right after it fl owers and it will
reward you with a fuller, fl oriferous plant.Tender perennial Blooms: Pink berrylike blooms and
matching bracts in spring to summer Light: Part sun to
shade Soil: Moist, very well-drained Size: 2 to 4 ft. tall,
1 to 3 ft. wide Cold hardy: USDA zones 10 to 11 Source:
Logee’s Greenhouses, logees.com, 888-330-8038Foxtail lily
Eremurus spp. and hybrids
Just when you thought the spring fl ower
show was over, foxtail lily springs into action.
And what a show it is! From a nondescript
cluster of strappy leaves near the ground
emerge glorious spikes of warm color
shooting skyward several feet tall. Planted
against a backdrop of shrubs with dark
green or burgundy foliage, foxtail lilies will
virtually glow as they tower above their
garden companions. Cut a few for bouquets
indoors—they make an excellent cut fl ower.
Plant foxtail lily in full sun for the strongest
stems able to stand tall. Pick a site with
protection from strong winds as well, so the
spikes don’t get snapped off on a blustery day.
The rosette of leaves dies back later in the
summer after the blooms fade, so mix foxtail
lily in borders with late-summer-fl owering
perennials that will take up the space.Perennial Blooms: Long spikes of white, pink, yellow,
orange, or brown bloom from the bottom up in late
spring to early summer Light: Full sun Soil: Rich,
well-drained Size: 3 to 6 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide Cold
hardy: USDA zones 5 to 8 Source: John Scheepers,
johnscheepers.com, 860-567-0838GG14922_29_Top Picks.indd 29GG14922_29_Top Picks.indd 29 6/26/2019 10:09:44 AM6/26/2019 10:09:44 AMGardenGateMagazine.com | GARDEN GATE 29
Showy medinilla
Medinilla magnifica
This tropical plant is always an eye-catcher
with huge pink fl ower clusters dripping
from thick, glossy dark green foliage. Showy
medinilla’s unique blooms last for weeks.
Imagine it growing from a hanging basket
near your entryway, greeting friends who will
stop to marvel at its interesting display.
A bit tricky to fi nd, this houseplant can
be grown from seed, but you’ll have to wait
a while to see it bloom. Better to hunt down
a mature plant in the tropical plant sections
of garden centers. Give it plenty of light
and a potting mix that drains well to avoid
water-logged soil. Even better, grow it in a
clay pot to give it more air circulation to the
roots. With enough light it can fl ower indoors
most of the year. If it gets a little leggy, prune
the plant back right after it fl owers and it will
reward you with a fuller, fl oriferous plant.
Tender perennial Blooms: Pink berrylike blooms and
matching bracts in spring to summer Light: Part sun to
shade Soil: Moist, very well-drained Size: 2 to 4 ft. tall,
1 to 3 ft. wide Cold hardy: USDA zones 10 to 11 Source:
Logee’s Greenhouses, logees.com, 888-330-8038
Foxtail lily
Eremurus spp. and hybrids
Just when you thought the spring fl ower
show was over, foxtail lily springs into action.
And what a show it is! From a nondescript
cluster of strappy leaves near the ground
emerge glorious spikes of warm color
shooting skyward several feet tall. Planted
against a backdrop of shrubs with dark
green or burgundy foliage, foxtail lilies will
virtually glow as they tower above their
garden companions. Cut a few for bouquets
indoors—they make an excellent cut fl ower.
Plant foxtail lily in full sun for the strongest
stems able to stand tall. Pick a site with
protection from strong winds as well, so the
spikes don’t get snapped off on a blustery day.
The rosette of leaves dies back later in the
summer after the blooms fade, so mix foxtail
lily in borders with late-summer-fl owering
perennials that will take up the space.
Perennial Blooms: Long spikes of white, pink, yellow,
orange, or brown bloom from the bottom up in late
spring to early summer Light: Full sun Soil: Rich,
well-drained Size: 3 to 6 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide Cold
hardy: USDA zones 5 to 8 Source: John Scheepers,
johnscheepers.com, 860-567-0838