Perennials, P
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Pachystachys coccinea : ACANTHACEAE, (Cardinal's Guard). Shrub to 5 or 6 feet, grown as a perennial here. Large, shiny, dark green leaves enhance the bright red 6" spikes of flowers that are held well above the leaves. Flowers in late summer or fall here. Requires winter mulch here. From the West Indies and northern South America. Zones 8b-11.
X Pardancanda Norrisii : IRIDACEAE, (Candy Lily). Irislike leaves grow about a foot tall. The flowers, in various shades of pink, purple, orange and red, are borne on thin stalks to 4' tall. Likes some shade and a rich, neutral soil. Zones 6-9.
Patersonia occidentalis : IRIDACEAE, (Australian Iris). Small iris-like plants grow about 2 feet tall. Flowers are blue-violet. Blooms after Louisiana irises in late spring. Australia. Zones 7-11.
Patrinia scabiosifolia 'Nagoya' : VALERIANACEAE, (Yellow Patrinia). A metaphysical performer! One of the longest blooming perennials, going from early June to September. Tiny yellow flowers massed in large, flat heads on 4-6' stems. Good broad, hairy foliage with red-purple fall color. Easy to grow, tolerating a very wide range of growing conditions. Highly recommended! Zones 5-9, requiring winter dormancy. (Image / JPEG / 345x420 pixels / 43KB)
Patrinia villosa, (White Patrinia) shows its stuff in late summer and fall, "stuff" being masses and masses of pure white flowers, like a giant baby's breath. Blooms for many weeks. The love-bugs love the flowers, and so do we. Hardy, with potential for use as a groundcover. The stems rise to 3' or so, then topple, rooting at the nodes. You can get an 8' spread in one season! Hardy here, probably Zones 6-9. (Image / JPEG / 597x404 pixels / 63.8KB)
Pavonia braziliensis : MALVACEAE, (Brazilian Pavonia). Thin arching canes hold 2" pink flowers with red centers. Foliage sparse when young, but eventually fills in nicely; evergreen at temperatures above 24�F. Hardy here; may reseed. Zones 7b-11. (Image / JPEG / 640x488 pixels / 30.8KB)
Pavonia praemorsa : MALVACEAE, (Yellow Pavonia). Three foot shrubby perennial, with one-inch, rounded, scalloped green leaves. The flowers are about an inch across, flushed red in bud, clear yellow on opening, and fade to red again as they age. The two-tone effect is captivating. Zones 9-11.
Pavonia spinifex. Yellow 2" flowers summer to fall. Hardiness untested here. Plant height to 4 feet, with sparse foliage. Showy in bloom. Zones 9-11.
Penstemon digitalis : SCROPHULARIACEAE, (Prairie White Penstemon, Beard-Tongue). Spikes of white flowers in early summer and red winter rosettes. Height 2-3'; for full sun to half shade, and well-drained soils. Seed grown. Zones 5-9.
Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'. The "red" refers to the leaves, which remain red most of the year. Flowers white like the species. Height 2-3'; for full sun to partial shade, and well drained soils. Zones 5-9.
Penstemon 'Coral'. Coral-peach colored flowers. Blooms early summer. Somewhat narrow, shiny green leaves. Height of leaves is about 6 inches; the flowers top out at about 18". Zones 5-9.
Penstemon 'Sander's Lavender'. Light lavender spring spikes. Height 3'.
Penstemon 'Sander's White'. Nearly white, with some lavender tones. Height 3'.
Penstemon 'White', (White Penstemon). Unidentified species with pure white flowers like P. digitalis, but the rosettes remains green in winter. Height 3-4'; full sun; well drained soils.
Penstemon tenuis, (Lavender Beard-Tongue). Mississippi native with lavender flowers in spikes in late spring to early summer. Height 3-4'. Zones 7-9.
Phlomis alpina. Rough-hairy basal leaves (from a rosette) grow to almost a foot long and less than a foot tall. The pink flowers are on a nearly leafless, thin spike, to about 4 feet tall.
Phlox carolina 'Miss Lingard' : POLEMONIACEAE, (White Wedding Phlox). Smooth shiny foliage and pure white flowers atop 2-3' plants. Blooms spring to early summer. Mildew resistant, heat tolerant, and hardy. A favorite. Full sun to partial shade; moist, well drained soil. Zones 5-9. (Image / JPEG / 419x421 pixels / 38KB)
Phlox carolina 'Rosalinde', (Pink Carolina Phlox). Medium pink flowers in spikes on 2' plants. Narrower leaves than 'Miss Lingard'; also tends to be shorter. Zones 5-9.
Phlox divaricata, (Blue Woodland Phlox). Sublime achiever of early spring. Light blue 1" flowers cover the 12" plants for weeks. Full sun, if the soil is moist, but probably best in partial shade. Our plants from Grandmother Doogie, who cherished this plant. Hope you will, too! (Image / JPEG / 385x320 pixels / 47KB)
Phlox Douglasii 'May Snow'. White spring flowers on plants much like P. subulata, but generally more compact. Height 8" in flower. Full sun or light shade best, with good drainage.
Phlox Douglasii 'McDaniel's Cushion' : POLEMONIACEAE. Pink spring flowers on plants much like P. subulata, but generally more compact. Height 8" in flower. Full sun or light shade best, with good drainage.
Phlox Douglasii 'Rose Cushion' .Rose-pink spring flowers on plants much like P. subulata, but generally more compact. Height 8" in flower. Full sun or light shade best, with good drainage.
Phlox paniculata 'Robert Poore', (Summer Border Phlox). Bright pink flowers all summer on 4-7' plants. From landscape architect Robert Poore, of Flora, MS. The only reliable P. paniculata selection for this area. Zones 5-9.
Phlox stolonifera 'Pink Ridge'. Creeping phlox with ½-inch round leaves and trailing stems, rooting at the nodes. Pink flowers about 1" across in early spring. Zones 4-8.
Phlox subulata 'Alexander's Wild Rose', (Creeping Phlox). Pink flowers with a red eye. Needle foliage, with a dense habit and a height of 6". Neutral to alkaline soils recommended. Zones 4-9.
Phlox subulata 'Blue' has blue flowers and blue-green foliage. Compact.
Phlox subulata 'Candystripe'. Flowers white and pink striped. Good grower. Limited availability.
Phlox subulata 'Pink'. Our most vigorous P. subulata cultivar. Popular. (Image / JPEG / 385x320 pixels / 47KB)
Phlox subulata 'SPH White' is pure white, with light green, needle foliage. Branch sport of Phlox subulata 'Pink'. Vigorous.
Phyla alba : VERBENACEAE, (Licorice Verbena). Upright grower with large, shiny, scented leaves. Not hardy here, but worth growing as an annual for its scent. To 6' in a season. Zones 9-11.
Phyla nodiflora, (Frogfruit). Water-loving creeper with small white flowers from the swollen nodes. Height one foot or less. Spreads rapidly in a boggy situation; more controllably in ordinary garden soil. Hardy here. Zones 7-11.
Physostegia angustifolia : LAMIACEAE, (Early Obedient Plant). Late spring blooming native perennial. Blooms earlier than P. virginiana, and has narrower leaves. Height 3-4'. Zones 6-9.
Physostegia virginiana, (Obedient Plant). Named for the obedient nature of the flowers, which are hinged and will stay put when pushed to the side. The plant itself, however, is invasive and rarely stays put. This native plant is easy to grow, a fine plant for beginners, with lavender-pink flowers in summer. Height 3-4'. Zones 5-9. (Image / JPEG / 602x390 pixels / 55KB)
Physostegia virginiana 'Alba'. Pure white flowers on 2-3' plants. Best planted in a mass; but, then again, one plant will become a mass in just a few years.
Physostegia virginiana 'Vivid'. Dwarf form, height 2', with delayed bloom (late summer).
Piper auritum : PIPERACEAE, (Root Beer Plant). Giant rounded leaves to about a foot across, light green, smell just like root beer. Plants grow 4 to 6 feet tall, and spread to 4 feet. Narrow white 6" spikes of tiny flowers in late summer and fall. Forms colonies by underground runners. Bold and beautiful specimen for a shady, moist site. Has been hardy here to 17°F. Mexico. Zones 8-11. (Image / JPEG / 558x461 pixels / 54.3KB)
For Pityopsis graminifolia, see Heterotheca graminifolia. Plantago major 'Atropurpurea' : PLANTAGINACEAE, (Purple Plantain). Perennial with purple basal leaves, grown for foliage. Give full sun for best color. Remove flowers to prevent seeding-out. Eurasia. Zones 3-9.
Platycodon grandiflorum 'Fuji Blue' : CAMPANULACEAE, (Balloon Flower). Erect perennial to 30", producing blue 3" flowers in summer. Inflated buds give rise to the common name. Full sun to partial shade. Zones 4-9.
Platycodon 'Fuji Pink' has pale pink flowers on 24" plants.
Platycodon 'Fuji White'.
Platycodon 'Mariesii Blue'. More compact than the 'Fuji' series, growing about 18" tall.
Plectranthus argenteus : LAMIACEAE, (Silver Plectranthus). Pinkish gray-silver leaves, bold and rippled, on stout stems to 3' tall. Succulent plants are bushy. Lavender flowers in spikes in summer. Not hardy here. Zones 9-11.
Plumbago auriculata : POLEMONIACEAE, (Blue Plumbago). Soft blue 1" flowers all summer on bushy plants to 4' tall and wide. South Africa. Zones 7b-11.
Plumbago auriculata 'Alba', (White Plumbago). White flowers all summer on bushy plants to 3½ feet tall and about as wide. Zones 7b-11.
Plumbago indica (rosea), (Red Plumbago). Rosy red plumbago flowers in long racemes, in fall. The leaves are glossy, light green, broad, and demand shade. Height 30". Southeast Asia. Zones 8-11.
Polygonum capitatum : POLYGONACEAE, (Creeping Polygonum, Fleece Flower). Pink stems and blue green leaves, festooned with creamy pink little balls of flowers through the summer and fall. Invasively spreading groundcover for partial to full shade. Hardiness unknown; at least Zones 7-11.
Pontederia cordata : PONTEDERIACEAE, (Pickerelweed). Native aquatic plant, with blue spikes of flowers through the summer months. Height about 4 ft. Succulent leaves to about 10 in. long. Native from Nova Scotia to FL and TX. Zones 4-11.
Proboscidea fragrans : MARTYNIACEAE, (Unicorn Plant, Ram's Horn). Sticky-hairy annual with pretty, fragrant, purplish-pink flowers hidden below the leaves, which are 6" broad and slightly lobed. The reason for planting this creature, however, is the totally bizarre fruit. A woody, two-valved capsule, terminating in a long curved beak, which splits, and is twice as long as the body. The young fruit can be pickled like cucumbers. Plants grow 3' tall, spreading 6' or more. Mexico.
Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum 'Tricolor' : ACANTHACEAE, (Tricolor False Eranthemum). Beautiful 4' tender shrub, with upright, caning growth. Large leaves are shiny, dark purple, with pink and cream markings. Flowers insignificant. Hardiness (of 'Tricolor') untested here, but the species has survived 19°F. The species is native to Polynesia. Zones 9-11. (Image / JPEG / 282x420 pixels / 38KB)
Pseuderanthemum laxifolium, (Lavender False Eranthemum). Lavender flowers during short days (fall through spring); very showy in bloom. Foliage is shiny, light green, slightly undulate. Height about 2 feet. Hardiness untested here. Zones 9-11.
Pseuderanthemum sinuatum, (Variegated False Eranthemum). Small plants (less than one foot tall) grown for the narrow leaves, lightly brushed with light green, and developing a purplish tinge in good light. Hardiness untested here.
Pycnanthemum flexuosum : LAMIACEAE, (Mountain Mint). Anise/pennyroyal scented shrubby mint. Native preferring somewhat dry soil and excellent drainage. Showy white flowers attract butterflies. Southeastern U.S.; Zones 5-9.
Pycnanthemum incanum (P. pycnanthemoides), (Hillside Mint). Five foot tall plants come into their own in late summer, when the upper leaves turn white as bracts for the clusters of tiny lavender flowers. Would make a great "moon garden" plant. Tolerant of very dry soils, in sun or partial shade. Highly scented leaves combine pennyroyal and lemon. Native. Zones 5-9.
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium, (Narrow-Leaf Mountain Mint). Linear needle like leaves, fine pennyroyal scent. Showy white flowers, fine textural accent, and a great butterfly plant. Height 3'. Eastern U.S.; Zones 5-9.
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This page most recently updated March 16, 2000.
