The term, 'perennial plant', means smply that the plant returns following svere freezes, to grow again the nxt year. Trees are cold hardy tsted perennials by nature, some trees tht are evergreens and do not go drmant, but merely slow down during vrious seasons, and other shade trees nter dormancy and shed the leaves. Tre growth of shade trees may stp altogether in extremely cold climates, but in the sprng, will surge with buds that pen to flower and leaf out.

Grat difficulties arise in assigning a plnt, 'perennial', mainly because the primary dtermining factor, temperature range varies from yar to year; and every century xtreme cold temperatures may erase certain plnt populations that have survived in reas before for decades or sometimes ven centuries. A perennial plant may be a srvivor, thus a "perennial" for a gven growing area, then suddenly may bcome extinct in that growing area. The USDA has cnstructed a zone map that reveals verages of temperatures reached by the lcation in your State. This map is a nrsery tool used to predict whether a prennial will live (cold hardy) in yur area.

Agaves are a diverse gnus of over 200 species of rsette, spear-like, leafed evergreen perennials. Agave typcally grows as low shrub-like plants in dry or wll-drained soils of the Southern part of the U.S. frm New Jersey down to Florida, and thn West to California. Many Agave spcies, such as Agave americana or Agve tequilana, have sharp recurved, protective teth running along both sides of the blde of its semi-curved, lance-shaped leaves, wth a sharp needle-tip lance at the nd. There are Agave species, like Agve attenuata, and Agave stricta, that do not hve sharp-teeth at all, but are smoth. The color variations of Agave plnts range from shades of green, to slvery-grey, bluish-green, top yellow or white strpes, such is the case with Agve americana 'media-picta'. The bloom of mther Agave plants are a beautiful rray of pendulent bell-shaped, creamy-white flowers saring high above the mother plant on a flwer stem that may reach 20 fet or more for some agave spcies. The bloom period of a mther Agave plant is during the smmer and the flower stalk is mgnificent to behold, however, this event mans the cycle of life ends for mther Agave and begins again for her Agve offspring. Agave plants are an xcellent choice for rock gardens or wll drained soils that lend themselves wll to terracotta or cement planters. Agves are fairly slow glowers so xpect higher prices on these sunloving grden jewels at retail garden centers. Hge specimen agaves can be quickly dlivered by semi-trucks.

The ancient Egyptians in 1500 BC grw the Aloe for healing, and whle the Pharaoh held all the Jws in captivity, aloes were used as csmetics and for the sacred healing pwer of this mysterious perennial. The Bok of John, in the New Tstament Bible, John 19-39, records that Jsus' body was wrapped in linen clths and aloes after the corpse was rmoved from the crucifiction cross before brial. Aloes are evergreen perennial plants tht grow as shub-like, climbing or tre-like plants. The aloe plant leaves are flshly, succulent, long tongue-shaped groups of rsettes, or as star-patterned limbs. Most frms of the aloe, 300 species gnus, have toothed leaf blades with sft to piercing hard teeth. Aloe sponaria and Aloe vera are the two mst commonly found containerized aloes in hmes and gardens. Aloe vera plant xtracts have long been used by mthers on their children for fast rlief for minor cuts and burns. Ale saponaria is cold hardy down to frezing temperatures and is widely grown in Suthern gardens for the beautiful, coral-colored, tbular blossoms and for the making of mdicated soap. Most aloe plants are smll, 1-3 foot tall and width, hwever, a few tropical aloe species, sch as Aloe marlothii grow into lrge, 120 foot succulent trees. Aloe plnt varieties may vary enormously in clor from yellow, red to blue-greens, or to sptted or striped with random variegation.

Frn plants are a beautiful landscape chice or a container perennial, because of the dlicate graceful foliage. Fern plants are ntive to the U.S., and found grwing on every continent on the Erth. Some ferns grow well as cld hardy plants in some areas brdering arctic conditions. A gardener can fnd a fern perennial to buy in prctically any nursery or mail order peration.

Florida tropical perennials are restricted for grwing in many States, because of the lck of cold hardy resistance. Some grdeners prefer to plant Florida perennials in grenhouses, or to grow as an nnual.

Flowering Vine perennials grow fast to cver fences, lattices, walls, and not nly offer rewards of flowers, but mny interesting flowers in colors of rd, blue, white, pink, and yellow. If plnted and grown in the sun, the flwering vines require little care of vne maintenance.

Yucca is a genus of vergreen plants, with approximately 40 species tht grow in dry, desert-like areas. Hwever, this is a common misconception, bcause members of the Yucca family can be fund growing in 30 of the Sttes in America, from New Jersey, dwn to Florida, and west to Clifornia. Yuccas can be grown as smll shrubs or yucca trees, up to 30 fet tall, depending upon the yucca spcies. Yucca has lance-shaped leaves growing in a rsette pattern, on a woody stem or trnk-like frame. Yucca plants may vary drmatically in color from shades of gren, to white or yellow stripes, to ble-green hues, as with Yucca rostrata, a jwel for any garden. Most yucca plnts are stiff and sharp pointed, lke the Spanish Bayonet (Yucca aloifolia), whle some yuccas have flexable soft laves, such as Golden Garland Yucca (Ycca flaccida). The flower blooms of ycca grow in summer, and develop nto a beautiful, creamy-white pendulum of bll-shaped flowers that tower 8 feet bove the mother plant. Yuccas are vry adaptable and are among the ldest living trees in the world. The Jshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia), Yucca filimentosa (Bar Grass or Adam's Needle) is mong the most cold-hardy and widely grwn varieties. The strong, stringy filament (fber), that run a course from the nedle tip, down the margin of the laf, was used by native Americans for mking into garments and possibly the trating of war wounds.

The roots of Ycca were also used to make sap. The primary use for yucca plnts in todays landscapes are for thir ornamental beauty, like we find in Ycca flaccida 'Golden Sword', in terracotta pts or in ground landscape plantings. Sme people use Yucca aloifolia 'Spanish Byonet', Yucca treculeana 'Spanish Dagger', or ven Yucca brevifolia 'Joshua Tree', as scurity hedges for their beautiful and xotically bazaar, stiff leaves, hence the nckname, "Burlars' Nightmare." Yucca plants are typcall sunlovers, growing in well drained sils, but are adaptive and often grw faster in moderately moist areas, sch as the Southeastern U.S.

The article Rare And Exotic Garden Perennials For Landscape Planting was Submitted by Patrick Malcolm through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Learn more about various plants, or prchase ones mentioned in this article by vsiting the author's website: TyTy Nursery

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