Malvastrum lateritium-Creeping Mallow

Propagating Malvastrum or Creeping Mallow is as simple as propagating strawberry plants because aerial roots shoot out from the center of the parent plant so just cut a shoot and plant along with bone meal. Creeping Mallow blooms from July to September and the color is an apricot-pink with a yellow center. The plant is evergreen in mild winters, Zones 6-10, its flowers attract butterflies, the plant reaches 6"-8" in height and prefers full sun, but is not drought tolerant.

Farfugium japonicum-Leopard Plant

Propagating Farfugium or Leopard Plant is best done in the spring by locating well rooted rhizomes that spread out from the parent plant. It is only hardy down to Zone 8 but evergreen. It is native to Japan and Korea. It does best in partial shade with no afternoon sun and prefers a moist but not soggy soil and mulch but not too heavily. It is mainly a foliage plant with dark green leaves offset with yellow polka dots although it has yellow daisy like blooms in the fall.

Hepatica acutiloba- Sharp-leaf Hepatica

Propagating Hepatica is done in the fall by digging up the plant and dividing the rooted crowns, it doesn’t like being disturbed so don’t dabble, into equal transplants. This is one perennial that will bloom along with your bulbs in the spring, even in Chicago, and is evergreen in warmer climates. Daisy type blooms range from pink, lilac, white or a mix of all three and they are deer resistant. Some use the leaves as an herbal remedy but they can also be poisonous so do your homework beforehand. The plant is a native to the Northeast and prefers a moist shady location.

Teucrium chamaedrys-Creeping Germander

Propagating Teucrium or Germander can be accomplished in the spring or fall by locating well rooted rhizomes that spread out underground from the parent plant. The plant reaches a height of 6"-8" and blooms in the summer, July-August, and its flowers are pink. The blooms attract butterflies but not deer, are evergreen in warmer zones, and are drought tolerant once established. Since the plant remains compact there is very little trimming necessary and could be considered a woody plant.

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi-Bearberry or Kinnikinnick

Propagating Arctostaphylos or Bearberry which is considered a woody plant versus a true perennial should be done in the spring by pruning off the well rooted stems that spread out from the parent plant and transplant. Bearberry is evergreen, its leaves turn a bronze-red in winter and birds enjoy its red berries after flowering. Hummingbirds also enjoy the pinkish blooms nectar in the spring. It will take light foot traffic and is a great plant to use for soil erosion because it is drought resistant and will take full sun or light shade, not clay soils. It is also deer resistant and grows to a height of 4"-6".

Francoa sonchifolia-Chilean Bridal Wreath

Propagating Francoa or Bridal Wreath, which is hardy down to 20 degrees, is done by digging up the clump in the spring and dividing the crown into well rooted transplants. It is native to Chile and will take either full sun or partial shade, but performs best in cool settings, so no afternoon sun and is a slow grower. It is evergreen and deer resistant. It will bloom from June through to September, comes in either white or pink, and will eventually reach 24" in height.

Rosmarinus officinalis-Trailing Rosemary

Propagating Rosmarinus or Trailing Rosemary can either be accomplished by layering or by digging up the parent plant and dividing the crown. Different varieties of Rosemary have varying shades of blue flowers in spring and are generally evergreen in Zones 8-9. The plant attracts butterflies, is fragrant, prefers full sun, is drought resistant and reaches a height of 4"-6".