Mexican Sunfower – Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’ – The bright orange flowers top large dark green lobed leaves. The flowers attract butterflies and bees and finches that enjoy the seeds. Grow in full sun and well-drained soil Torch grows up to 6’ tall and 2’ wide

Wasabi Coleus – Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Wasabi’ – A large (up to 30” tall and 28” wide) well branched coleus. Grows best in partial shade. The chartreuse leaves hold their color all season and brighten any garden or container. It flowers very late in the season or not at all – so no pinching required.

Red Leaf Hibiscus – Hibiscus acetosella – Full to part sun, heat tolerant, pinch to encourage branching, good in garden or container as vertical interest, and can be grown as a houseplants as well Hardy zones 9a – 11b

Pink Pomegranate Coleus – Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Pink Pomegranate’ – sun tolerant coleus, colorful leaves unite the combination of red leaf hibiscus and wasabi coleus

Burning Bush – Kochia scorparia – also known as summer cypress and Mexican fireweed. Drought tolerant, full sun. Fine foliage in summer that turns a brilliant red in fall. Annual that produces lots of seed, considered weed or invasive in some areas.

Salvia – Salvia ‘Summer Red Jewel’ – early and prolific bloomer, dwarf and densely branched reaching about 20” at maturity, attracts butterflies and hummingbirds to the flowers and goldfinches to the seeds. Grow in full sun, wind and rain tolerant, 2011 AAS winner

Cherry Berry Hosta – Hosta spp.– linear cream leaves with dark green margins and rosy petioles, flower stems are red, needs some direct sun for the reds to appear, 10” tall x 20” wide

Cherry Berry Hosta – Hosta spp.

SunPatiens® – Impatiens x hybrida ‘SunPatiens’ series – a cross between New Guinea and wild impatiens for a truly sun tolerant, compact series (18 to 24”), Commercial Flower Growers of Wisconsin provided these for Energy Park at WI State Fair (2011) They flourished in the full sun and heat

ColorBlaze® Marooned^TM Coleus – Solenostemon scutellarioides – large (24-36” tall x 18 – 36” wide), sun or shade coleus, heat tolerant, late or non blooming, great in the garden, container and as houseplant (hardy zones 10a – 11b)

Violets – Viola ‘Rain Blue and Purple’ F1 – cold and heat tolerant violas the 1 ½” blooms change color from purple and white to purple and blue as they mature, less than 10” tall and 10 to 14” wide, 2009 AAS Winner

Lobelia – Lobelia ‘Hot Springs’ series full sun, moist well-drained soil, 8 to 14 inches tall x 7-16” wide, tidy habit, cold and heat tolerant (note these are under shade structure)

Angelonia – Angelonia ‘Archangel Raspberry’ – also called summer snapdragon, robust flowers on sturdy stems, uniform growth, 12-14” tall x 10-12” wide, grow in full sun in the garden or container, heat, humidity and drought tolerant

Spider Flower – Cleome ‘Senorita Blanca’ – dwarf cultivar of spider cleome, good in garden or container, white flowers with a pale lavender blush, seed-less, long bloomer, heat and humidity tolerant, 24-48” tall x 18-24”

Globe Amaranth – Gomphrena globosa ‘EZ Gro Purple’ – great as cut flower, hold their color, heat and drought tolerant, compact and prolific bloomer

Treasure Flower – Gazania ‘Big Kiss White Flame’ F1 – Full sun, heat and drought tolerant, large (4 ½”) creamy flowers with rose stripes, 10 to 12” tall and wide, gazania flowers close in low light

*American Garden Awards – “The American Garden Award is a unique opportunity for the gardening public to vote on a specific flower that they think has the most appealing garden characteristics. Some of the world's most prestigious flower breeders have chosen their best varieties to enter in this competition. Then, in cooperation with over 24 highly respected public gardens throughout the United States, we present the entries so consumers can view the plants in person, then vote on their favorite”. www.americangardenaward.org

Bidens – Bidens ‘Goldilocks Rocks’ – 12-14” tall x 14-18” wide, more compact than species, grow in full sun, heat and drought and light frost tolerant, long bloomer, no deadheading, annual (perennial 9a-11b)

Alyssum – Lobularia Frosty Knight^TM – White striped foliage, white fragrant flowers, full sun to part shade, drought, heat and humidity tolerant, 6-12” tall x 18-24” wide

Alyssum – Lobularia Blushing Princess^TM – lavender toned snow princess, flowers open white and turn a lavender-silver, Fragrant, full sun to part shade, heat, drought and humidity tolerant, tolerates light frost, trailing plant that grows 4-8” tall and 24” wide, annual (perennial hardy in zones 9a – 11b)

Earth Kind Roses – The goal of this program was to help gardeners enjoy roses while limiting the use of fertilizers, pesticides and water. The Texas Agrilife Extension Service started the program by conducting field trials of 100 rose cultivars for at least four years. They evaluated the roses for outstanding performance, superior pest resistance and tolerance of a wide variety of soils from acid to alkaline and sand to clay. To earn the Earth-kind designation roses also needed good heat and drought tolerance once established. Testing has expanded to Northern United States, and several countries.

Eggplant ‘Hansel’ – compact plant (less than 3’) produces lots of finger-like clusters of purple tender non-bitter fruit, flavor and quality long lasting on the plant (until fruit reaches 10inches) a plus for busy gardeners, great in the garden or in a container, perfect for edible landscapes, starts producing in 55 days. 2008 AAS Winner

Tomato ‘Terenzo’ – high yielding tumbler type tomato (16”) good for hanging baskets and containers, cherry tomato with high sugar content for sweet flavor and crack resistant. 2011 AAS Winner

Tomato ‘Solar Power’ – 2” sweet, brilliant -orange tomatoes with 3 times the nutritional beta-carotene, ready to harvest in 63 to 75 days, indeterminate

Pepper ‘Cajun Belle’ – Small mini belle shaped fruit with a hint of heat and Cajun flavor, compact plant (10-24”) that can produce up to 50 fruit/plant, 2010 AAS Winner

Pepper ‘Cayennetta’ – mildly spicy pepper, easy to grow with no staking required. Good cold and heat tolerance, foliage protects fruit from sun scorch, fruits in 97 days, 24” tall, 2012 AAS Winner

Coral Bells – Heuchera ‘Big Top Gold’ – Note the heat and drought tolerance of this coral bells growing in full sun in record temperatures this summer (2012). The large leaves and large creamy flowers make it a standout in the garden. The orange-green leave curl and expose a bit of the contrasting purple-red underside. Grows up to 20” tall and 28” wide Hardy in zone 4a - 9b.

Coneflowers – Echinacea ‘Sombrero’ series – considered hardier than earlier red, yellow and orange coneflower introductions. A compact, branched coneflower topped with brightly colored flowers. Prefers full sun and well-drained soils and is drought resistant once established. Up to 24” tall and 22” wide, Hardy in zones 5a to 9b.

Hardy Cactus & Succulents – Opuntia polyacantha 'Major', O. macrohiza, O. macrohiza 'Red Throat', Sempervivum spp., Sedum spp. Opuntias can be found in most of North America. Full sun and good drainage, especially in winter, are critical for hardy cacti survival. For more information and opportunities to associate with avid cacti and succulent growers visit wicactusclub.org

Jade Princess Millet – Pennisetum glaucum ‘Jade Princess’ – chartreuse foliage makes this a standout in the garden or container, contrasts with the fragrant dark brown plumes, full sun, grows up to 48” tall x 24” wide (pollen-less)