wild white indigo, prairie false indigo
Baptisia alba var. macrophylla / Baptisia lactea
A stately plant with white flowers in June followed by black pods that make fabulous … Continued
browsing: heirloom garden plants
Heirloom gardens were planted in a time when folks didn’t coddle plants. Some were grown for food and medicine while others were planted for enjoyment. Many were brought along with settlers from faraway lands, while others were found in the native landscape and moved closer to home.
Many of us remember plants from our grandmother’s gardens. The list below includes plants to recreate these charming vintage landscapes.
Yellow wild indigo
Baptisia sphaerocarpa
Showy upright, mounded native with yellow, pea-like blooms along yellow-green stems rising above a foliage … Continued
‘Long Island Improved’ Brussels Sprouts
Brassica oleracea var gemmifera
Each stalk can bear 50-100 dark-green sprouts over an extended period. Compact plants produce sturdy … Continued
broccoli
Brassica oleracea var. italica
Bright green rounded heads form on medium-sized plants for mid-summer harvest when transplanted in March … Continued
‘Kent Belle’ bellflower
Campanula glomerata ‘Kent Belle’
24″ upright stems are abundantly covered with glossy, purple, 2-in. long bell-shaped flowers. This reblooming … Continued
Cannova Cannas
Canna Lily
Red-orange, pink, or yellow blooms over dark purple or deep green foliage makes a dramatic … Continued
Fish Pepper
Capsicum annuum
Considered by chefs to be the best for cooking fish and shellfish. 18 to 24” … Continued
Hungarian Wax Pepper
Capsicum annuum
As its name suggests, this heirloom pepper originated in Hungary. Easily confused with the similar-looking … Continued
Corno Di Toro Red pepper
Capsicum annuum species
Imported from Italy with 8 to 10” long fruits. Ripens to a gorgeous red at … Continued
Tennessee Cheese pepper
Capsicum annuum
Originally from Spain, where it is still used as a staple in many dishes. Fruits … Continued
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
2025 Kansas Native Plant Society Native Plant of the Year! Named because dried leaves were … Continued
spiked celosia
Celosia aregentea spicata
Our pink-spiked celosia is grown from seed harvested from the gardens at Monticello, where it … Continued