Everything in this slideshow
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Angel’s Trumpet
In full bloom, a good-size angel’s trumpet is absolutely arresting. The hanging flowers are indeed trumpet-shape and can reach more than 1 foot long, depending on variety.
Name: Brugmansia varieties
Size: To 6 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
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Agave
Though it’s not grown for blooms, agave is a stunning plant that lends an architectural flair to any container. Note, though, that most varieties have extremely sharp leaf tips. Cut them off or cover them to make them more friendly.
Name: Agave varieties
Size: To 4 feet or more, depending on variety
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
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Angelonia
This adaptable flower is sometimes called summer snapdragon. Its spikes of purple, white, or pink flowers appear all summer long, no matter how high the mercury rises.
Name: Angelonia varieties
Size: To 2 feet tall or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
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Bamboo
Although it’s a fast-spreading menace when grown in the ground, bamboo is a dramatic specimen plant when grown in a large container (where it can’t escape). It makes a perfect, fast-growing screen.
Name: Phyllostachys aurea
Size: To 20 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
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Banana
With its big leaves, banana makes a great big presence in the landscape. While most are plain green, look for types with a mottling of dark red or white edges for extra interest.
Name: Musa varieties
Size: From 1 to 15 feet, depending on type.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
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Canna
Perfect for creating a lush, tropical look, canna offers large leaves (variegated in many varieties) and glowing flowers in shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink.
Name: Canna varieties
Size: From 1 foot to 15 feet, depending on type
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist soil
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Lantana
Loved by butterflies, lantana produces multicolored flowers in festive shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, and white. Some varieties, such as ‘Samantha’, shown here, have attractively variegated foliage to boot.
Name: Lantana varieties
Size: To 2 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
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Mandevilla
One of the most regal flowering vines, mandevilla produces large trumpet-shape blooms in shades of red, white, and pink. It’s a fast-growing climber that blooms profusely.
Name: Mandevilla varieties
Size: Climbs to 10 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
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Passionflower
One of the most beautiful climbing vines, passionflower bears intricate flowers in rich shades of almost every shade of the rainbow. This is another butterfly favorite!
Name: Passiflora varieties
Size: Climbs to 10 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
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Pentas
Pentas produces clusters of beautiful starry red, white, or pink flowers. No matter how hot it gets, the flowers keep on coming all summer long. (And so do the butterflies that love them!)
Name: Pentas lanceolata
Size: To 2 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
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Plumbago
We enjoy the beautiful, sky-blue flowers of plumbago — and butterflies do, too. This shrubby vine is a quick grower and flowers prolifically all summer long.
Name: Plumbago auriculata
Size: Climbs to 10 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
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Salvia
A wonderful, heat- and drought-tolerant plant with indigo-blue flowers, ‘Black and Blue’ salvia also attracts lots of birds and butterflies.
Name: Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Size: To 3 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
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Sky Vine
This fast-growing vine smothers itself with large sky-blue flowers throughout the summer. It’s a favorite of butterflies; adults drink the nectar and some species will eat the foliage.
Name: Thunbergia grandiflora
Size: Climbs to 15 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
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Solanum
A beautiful shrub, solanum bears clusters of dark violet-blue flowers. This easy-growing plant is often sold on a standard form, meaning trained as a patio tree.
Name: Solanum rantonnetii
Size: To 5 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
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Tropical Milkweed
It’s hard to decide what’s prettier, the brilliant red, yellow, and orange tropical milkweed flowers or the scores of Monarch butterflies they attract. Note: Monarch caterpillars will eat the foliage of this plant.
Name: Asclepias curassavica
Size: To 3 feet or more
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
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