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".

Ophiopogon planiscapus “Nigrescens”-Black Mondo Grass

Propagating Ophiopogon or Black Mondo Grass is similar to Liriope, but smaller leaved, which is cutting off the rhizomes extending out from the parent plant or by digging up the parent plant and dividing the roots into equally rooted transplants in the spring. Black Mondo Grass has pinkish blooms in mid summer, is deer resistant, evergreen down to Zone 6, grows to 4"-6" in height and prefers full sun but will take partial shade. Since it is expensive at big box stores, purportedly “rare,” the best option for homeowners is to purchase maybe a half a dozen and in five years they could have a goodly amount if divided every spring.

Helianthemum-Rock Rose or Sun Rose

Propagating Helianthemum or Rock Rose should be done every 4-5 years because the plant becomes woody so in the spring dig up the plant and divide the root crown and discard the woody part and transplant the siblings. The are a number of varieties that come in yellow, pink, white or orange. They generally bloom in April to June and reach a height of 6"-12" and are deer resistant. They will grow in Zones 5-7/8 and are normally drought resistant and do not appreciate wet feet in winter so plant in a sandy well draining soil. They are evergreen and are native to the Mediterranean. Cut back after flowering to induce new flower buds.

Arenaria montana-Mountain Sandwort

Propagating Arenaria or Mountain Sandwort is done either in the spring or preferably in the fall by transplanting the well rooted rhizomes that spread out from the parent plant or if happy it is a great self seeder. It grows to a height of 2"-4" and will take light foot traffic so it is a plant that can be placed between flagstones. It blooms May through June and the basic color is white but there is also a pink variety. It is well suited for alpine gardens and prefers a sandy well draining soil in full sun and is drought resistant when established, deer resistant and also evergreen.

Caltha palustris-Marsh Marigold

Propagating Caltha or Marsh Marigold is preferred in the spring after it blooms because you can view the plants but it can be done in the fall but they must be marked because they will be dormant. Divide the rootstock. Marsh Marigold is the harbinger of spring in northern zones and its blooms will surface shortly thereafter in either the standard yellow or a white variety. It is found in wet settings as the name suggests and should not be allowed to dry out when dormant, summer through fall. It is a good self-seeder, is deer resistant, grows to a height of 6"-12" and prefers shade but will also do well in moist full sun area.

Verbascum-Mullein

Propagating Verbascum or Mullein is done in the spring by digging up the parent plant and dividing the crown into several well rooted stock. Mullein was a weed until it was hybridized since it was found in well drianed gravely soils in full sun. It is a short lived perennial, 2-3 years, that blooms most of the year, although it does go dormant in mid summer but comes back in late summer and blooms until fall, but deadheading will make the flowers flourish. The blooms attract butterflies but deer stay away. Colors range from yellow, to lavender to peach and the plant will grow to a height of 36".