Helichrysum—Licorice Vine

Licorice vine in hanging basket

We believe supporting players deserve some recognition for all their hard work, filling and spilling in the background to maintain a strong foundation while fancy flowering plants get all the glory. Such is the fate of helichrysum, more commonly known as licorice vine. It's a plant we keep handy in the design tool box and we have to admit, we sometimes tend to take it for granted.

‘Gingerland’ strap leaf caladium

Tropical foliage plants like caladium are important design tools for adding brilliant color to shade situations in both outdoor displays and interiorscapes. They do so with exotic flare, plus we can count on the vivid leaves to last throughout the season, unlike the color provided by flowering plants that eventually drop their blooms.

Some tropicals can get quite large, like alocasia and colocasia, so they're limited as to where we can use them. This is where caladium comes in handy—though it's related to both of those elephant ear varieties it's much, much smaller with even more colorful leaves. Among caladiums strap leaf types are unique: notice the striking heart-shaped leaves and how many of them you see. How do you like the pretty mounds? This is an interesting spin on the typical houseplant caladiums we're all so used to seeing.

 We currently offer two intriguing strap leaf selections:

‘Red Ruffles’

‘Red Ruffles’ has slender, ruffled red leaves that are edged in deep green. It makes a particularly striking presentation in mass plantings or mounded up for a nice, full hanging basket.

‘Gingerland’ looks like a party going on with confetti in the air. Creamy white leaves are edged in green and flecked with eye-catching dark red specks. This variety combines especially well with other red caladiums, including ‘Red Ruffles’.

Both of our strap leaf selections are available in the 4.5-inch square pot.

Angelonia Archangel™ ‘Purple’

Angelonia is one of our all-time favorites for summer—you already know that. It survives heat, humidity, and drought like an Olympic athlete and never looks the worst for wear. We like the way these vertical blooms stand up straight and proud—there is an elegance about them that sets them apart from other tough summertime survivors.

For strong hits of color we recommend the Archangel™ series—it has the largest blooms on the market, at three times the size of other angelonia varieties. Notice the way the dark green foliage makes the flowers pop—it's striking. The breeders at Ball Seed have also upped the heat tolerance in this series—it's a great choice for summer.

We’re all for making life easy in the heat, so we've planted some of our beautiful Archangel™ Mix in 10-inch hanging baskets. Shades have been preselected to complement each other so just find strategic sunny spots—around patios, decks, and entryways—to display these low-maintenance summer snaps and enjoy them.