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.