Regions / Italy
Italy - Inspiring Garden Ideas For All Gardeners
Be aware of the hardiness zone of your area before you decide to buy plants. Some plants might not survive over winter!
Italy lies in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 8-10. It enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. However, there are great variations between the north and the south.
If you know your hardiness zone, find the best plants or exciting garden ideas for your geographic area.
Abelia 'Edward Goucher'
Award-winning Abelia 'Edward Goucher' is a compact, semi-evergreen shrub with upright, gracefully arching stems bearing glossy, oval, dark green leaves with a bronze tinge when young. In midsummer, abundant clusters of lilac-pink, funnel-shaped flowers adorn the bush until fall. Their attractive bronze-tinged calyces further enrich the display and persist well after the flowers fall.
Abelia × grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope' (Glossy Abelia)
Changing color over the seasons, Abelia × grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope' (Glossy Abelia) is a dwarf, variegated, semi-evergreen shrub. Emerging bright yellow and lime-green in spring, its glossy oval leaves turn golden yellow in summer before taking on glowing orange and fiery red hues in fall. The leaf coloration does not burn or scorch in the hottest of weather.
Abelia × grandiflora 'Mardi Gras' (Glossy Abelia)
Changing color over the passing seasons, Abelia × grandiflora 'Mardi Gras' (Glossy Abelia) is a compact, low growing, spreading, semi-evergreen shrub. Borne on pink to red stems, its glossy oval leaves emerge bright pink in spring, mature to sparkling creamy white and green as the season progresses before taking on coppery shades in the fall.
Abelia × grandiflora 'Radiance' (Glossy Abelia)
Vigorous, Abelia × grandiflora 'Radiance' (Glossy Abelia) is a compact, dense, semi-evergreen shrub with vivid crimson stems contrasting the white variegated foliage. Emerging medium green with creamy yellow margins in spring, the glossy oval leaves soften to silvery-green with creamy white margins as the season progresses.
Abelia × grandiflora (Glossy Abelia)
Abelia × grandiflora (Glossy Abelia) is a medium-sized, rounded, semi-evergreen shrub with gracefully arching branches, densely clothed with small glossy oval, dark green leaves and clusters of pink-tinged, white, bell-shaped flowers. Slightly fragrant, the blooms are produced continuously cover a long period extending from late spring to fall. The foliage turn purplish-bronze in the fall.
Abelia x grandiflora 'Hopleys' (Glossy Abelia)
Noted for its stable variegated foliage, award-winning Abelia x grandiflora 'Hopleys' is a compact, semi-evergreen shrub with a luminous foliage of bright green leaves adorned with buttery yellow edges in spring, gradually fading to ivory-white. The glossy oval leaves are highly decorative and turn pink in the fall. In midsummer, abundant clusters of lightly-scented, lilac-tinged white flowers adorn the bush until fall.
Abelmoschus esculentus (Okra)
Grown for its edible fruit, Abelmoschus esculentus (Okra) is an annual boasting hibiscus-like flowers, 2-3 in. across (5-7 cm), in shades of yellow, pink, orange and red with contrasting centers. Blooming freely throughout the growing season, the blossoms give way to fruit capsules that can be used fresh or dried, and can also be cooked on their own or added to soups or stews.
Abelmoschus manihot (Sunset Muskmallow)
Fast-growing, Abelmoschus manihot (Sunset Muskmallow) is a tropical perennial often grown as an annual in temperate climate areas. It forms a bushy clump of magnificent palmate, dissected leaves, 4 in. across (10 cm), each adorned with 5-7 deep lobes.
Abies alba (European Silver Fir)
Abies alba (European Silver Fir) is a large evergreen conifer of conical habit with straight stems densely clad with glossy dark green needles with silvery undersides. The seed cones, 4-6 in. long (10-15 cm), are greenish when young turning to dark brown when mature. The bark is silvery-gray with a scaly texture. Growth is very slow in early years, and then rapid as the tree matures.
Abies amabilis 'Spreading Star' (Pacific Silver Fir)
Abies amabilis ‘Spreading Star’ is a low-growing, evergreen conifer forming a widely spreading mound adorned with thick, overlapping, horizontal to arching branches clothed in a lush foliage of fluffy, green, long needles with silvery undersides. Slow-growing, 3-4 in. per year (7-10 cm), this Pacific Silver Fir is a great choice for small gardens or rockeries.
Abronia fragrans (Fragrant Sand Verbena)
Sweetly fragrant, Abronia fragrans (Fragrant Sand Verbena) is an upright or sprawling herbaceous perennial adorned with showy snowballs, 3 in. across (7 cm), packed with 25-70 funnel-shaped flowers. Blooming from spring through early fall, the vanilla scented flowers are usually white, but are sometimes green, lavender or pink.
Abronia latifolia (Yellow Sand Verbena)
A good choice for dune areas, Abronia latifolia (Yellow Sand Verbena) is a trailing perennial forming a succulent mat of fleshy, oval to rounded leaves. In late spring to late summer, showy snowballs packed with small, fragrant, bright golden flowers rise on sturdy stems in the leaf axils of the trailing stems. If given the proper conditions, it will flower most of the year.
Abutilon 'Lucky Lantern Red' (Flowering Maple)
Noted for its long flowering season and compact size, Abutilon 'Lucky Lantern Red' (Flowering Maple) is a dwarf, bushy, rounded, semi-evergreen shrub bearing large, pendant, brilliant red, bell-shaped flowers. Blooming for weeks from summer to frost (and almost year-round in warm climates), they decorate the plant with a profusion of eye-catching, lantern-shaped blossoms which attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The pretty flowers stand out against the fresh green foliage of maple-like leaves that line the gracefully arching branches.
Abutilon 'Lucky Lantern Tangerine' (Flowering Maple)
Noted for its long flowering season and compact size, Abutilon 'Lucky Lantern Tangerine' (Flowering Maple) is a dwarf, bushy, rounded, semi-evergreen shrub bearing large, pendant, soft tangerine, bell-shaped flowers. Blooming for weeks from summer to frost (and almost year-round in warm climates), they decorate the plant with a profusion of eye-catching, lantern-shaped blossoms which attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The pretty flowers stand out against the fresh green foliage of maple-like leaves that line the gracefully arching branches.
Abutilon 'Lucky Lantern White' (Flowering Maple)
Noted for its long flowering season and compact size, Abutilon 'Lucky Lantern White' (Flowering Maple) is a dwarf, bushy, rounded, semi-evergreen shrub bearing large, pendant, pure white, bell-shaped flowers. Blooming for weeks from summer to frost (and almost year-round in warm climates), they decorate the plant with a profusion of eye-catching, lantern-shaped blossoms which attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The pretty flowers stand out against the fresh green foliage of maple-like leaves that line the gracefully arching branches.
