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Mackaya bella : ACANTHACEAE, (Mackaya). Foliage/flowering plant. Foliage much like Leea coccinea. Flowers lavender, though not seen here. Height 4 to 5 feet. South Africa. Zones 9-11.

Malvaviscus arboreus var. Drummondii : MALVACEAE, (Turk's Cap). Shrubby plant with rounded leaves and terminal 1" red flowers. Height on established plants is about 5', with a similar spread. Eventually, plants will layer and increase the width of the planting substantially. This is an all-summer, all-fall bloomer that probably should be in every garden with enough space in which to grow it. Zones 7-11. (Image / JPEG / 355x308 pixels / 23KB)

Malvaviscus arboreus var. mexicanus (Mexican Turk's Cap) has much larger flowers than the above, dangling from the leaf axils, with larger leaves, more Hibiscus-like in habit, but less free-flowering. Heaviest bloom is in late summer, into fall. Somewhat less hardy than 'Drummondii'. Plant in rich soil in sun or partial shade. Height 4-5'-6' here. Zones 7b-11.

Malvaviscus arboreus var. mexicanus 'Paquito Pink' (Pink Mexican Turk's Cap). Pale pink flowers are large (2"), though sparingly produced in summer and fall. Plant in rich soil in sun or partial shade. Zones 8-11.

Manfreda virginica (Agave virginica) : AGAVACEAE, (Rattlesnake-Master). Green and purple 2" tubular flowers on bare stalks, to 6' tall, in early summer. Our plants from a local population.

Marshallia graminifolia : ASTERACEAE, (Pink Barbara's Buttons). Light lavender-pink 1" balls on lax, 15" stems in late summer. Foliage Liatris-like (grassy). Native.

Marshallia trinerva, (White Barbara's Buttons). White 2" balls in mid summer. Lax stems to 24", with ornamental seed heads in late summer. Broad leaves. Native perennial.

Mazus reptans : SCROPHULARIACEAE. Creeping groundcover with purple or white, 1" bilabiate flowers in spring. Needs shade; dry okay, but moisture preferred. Height 1" or less!

Mimulus ringens : SCROPHULARIACEAE, (Allegheny Monkey Flower). 1½ inch lavender-blue flowers in summer, resembling Salvia flowers. Rhizomatous spreader for sun or shade. Height about 2 feet here, but can grow to 4 feet tall. Native to southern Canada and the U.S. east of the Rockies, except the southeast. Zones 3-8.

Mirabilis Jalapa : NYCTAGINACEAE, (Four O'Clock). Familiar old fashioned shrubby perennial with fragrant hot pink or soft pink flowers, opening late in the afternoon. Tuberous root insures some degree of hardiness and tolerance of adverse conditions. Root may be lifted like a tender bulb in the fall for replanting in the spring, though that's not necessary here. Height 4' or more. Zones 7-11.

Monarda fistulosa 'Claire Grace' : LAMIACEAE, (Claire Grace Bergamot). Deep pink flowers on 4-5' plants, blooming in early to midsummer. Reliable performer, with somewhat less disease (mildew) problems than regular bergamot. An SPH introduction. Zones 5-9. (Image / JPEG / 396x441 pixels / 46KB)

Monarda x 'Marshall's Delight', (Marshall's Delight Bergamot). Highly disease resistant hybrid bergamot, with pink flowers and fragrant foliage. Zones 5-9.

Monarda Pringlei, (Pringle's Bergamot). Spring bloomer with red flowers. Height less than 2 feet. Zones 6-9. (Image / JPEG / 453x352 pixels / 49.7KB)

Muehlenbeckia axillaris : POLYGONACEAE, (Wire Plant). Prostrate ground-hugging perennial / subshrub, with tiny rounded leaves and mini yellow flowers. Flowers are scarcely noticeable. Give shade and adequate moisture. Great weaver under leggy perennials. Height ¼", spreading 1 foot or more. New Zealand. Hardy here. Zones 8(?)-10.

Muehlenbeckia complexa : POLYGONACEAE, (Wire Plant). Interesting subshrub with wiry, prostrate branches, sparingly set with tiny, round leaves. New Zealand. Zones 8-10.

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Neomarica gracilis, (Walking Iris). Old fashioned walking iris, with intricately designed white flowers accented by purple and brown streaks and spots. Glossy green, arching leaves, like an iris. Height less than 2 feet. For partial to full shade. Southern Mexico to Brazil. Give winter protection. Zones 8b-11.

Neomarica longifolia, (Yellow Walking Iris). Yellow 2" flowers, spotted brown, appear in clusters all summer. The foliage is erect and iris like, with new plants formed from the inflorescences, the height is 2', and the plants enjoy partial shade and moist soil; most sun-tolerant of the Neomarica species listed here. Brazil. Hardy here. Zones 8-11.

Nicotiana alata 'Lumina' : SOLANACEAE, (White Flowering Tobacco). 2-inch white flowers at the top of 2-3 foot stems in summer. Perennial here, but may be grown as an annual farther north. Zones 8-10.

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Odontonema strictum : ACANTHACEAE, (Cardinal Spear). Shrubby perennial to 5', bearing slender 6" spikes of bright red tubular flowers at the tip of each branch in late summer. Waxy leaves request afternoon shade. Hardy here. This is one of those tropical-looking beauties that should find a place in every southern garden. Central America. Zones 7b-11. (Image / JPEG / 277x319 pixels / 37KB)

Odontonema strictum 'Gray-White', (Variegated Cardinal Spear). Leaves are narrower than regular Cardinal Spear, and are cast with a couple of shades of light grayish green, with white at the margins of the leaf. The variegation, unfortunately, is not entirely stable, so stems which revert to green must be removed. Flowers not seen here, and hardiness is untested. Zones 8-11 probably.

Oenanthe javanica 'Flamingo' : APIACEAE, (Flamingo Thing). Tricolored leaves of pink, cream, and green. Deciduous groundcover for sun or shade., though the pink is lost when grown in deep shade. Horizontal stems root at the nodes. Spreads about 2 feet from the plant's center in a season, though perhaps more in rich, well-watered soils. Height 6 inches or less. East Asia. Zones 7-11.

Oenothera Berlandieri (O. speciosa var. Childsii) : ONAGRACEAE, (Mexican Evening Primrose). Spring blooming pink 3" flowers with yellow centers. Called "Buttercups" in south Louisiana because of the profuse pollen. Aggressively spreading perennial; hardy here. Height one foot. Full sun; tolerant of poor, dry soils. Texas and Mexico. Zones 7-11.

Oenothera fruticosa, (Sundrops). Day blooming native, about 15" tall, with loads of yellow flowers during spring and early summer. May be cut to ground after flowering. Full sun and well drained soil. Eastern U.S.

Orthosiphon stamineus (O. spicatus) : LAMIACEAE, (Cat's Whiskers). Tender shrubby mint with terminal lavender flowers from fall through spring. Flowers have long stamens like a cat's whiskers; very showy in bloom. Height 4 feet. Tender here in lower Zone 8a. Zones 9-11.

Orthosiphon stamineus 'Alba', (White Cat's Whiskers). Tender shrubby mint with terminal white flowers from fall through spring. Flowers have long stamens like a cat's whiskers; very showy in bloom. Height 4 feet. Tender here in lower Zone 8a. Zones 9-11.

Otacanthus caeruleus, (Brazilian Snapdragon). Blue flowers, broadly two-lipped, at the branch tips and side branches in summer and fall. Flowers about 1 inch across. Plant height about 2 feet. Partial to full shade. Hardiness untested. Zones 10-11.

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