Red and White Gardens

Color theme gardens are all the rage and what colors blend better together than red and white. Think of all the shades the two colors come in. White can be bright, cream or a dull shade. Red can be many shades. The only design limitation is how wild your imagination is. A checker board, maybe??Who says your garden has to look like all of the others.

White Flowers

Yucca or Adam's needle (Yucca filamentosa) is an evergreen, ornamental shrub that produces medium-green, sword-shaped, evergreen leaves 2 1/2 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide. White flowers grow on spikes from 3 to 8 feet tall in July and August. The flowers are followed by chartreuse fruit capsules that turn brown as they mature in the fall. Adam's needle is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Plant in full sun or partial shade and a soil that is moist and well drained.

Comfrey (Symphytum grandiflorum) is a perennial flower native to Europe. Comfrey grows from 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall and 1 1/2 to 2 feet wide. Elliptic to egg-shaped medium to dark-green leaves grow up to 7 inches long on the ground and up to 2 inches long on the flower stems. The tube-shaped flowers bloom in May and June, growing in drooping clusters. Plant comfrey in full sun or partial shade and a moist, rich, well-drained soil. The plant is moderately drought tolerant and is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9.

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium "Aureum") is a weedy perennial that is native to Europe. Feverfew grows low to the ground, reaching from 6 to 12 inches tall and up to 18 inches wide. White daisy-like flowers with yellow center disks grow in clusters over the summer. Fern-like leaves start out as chartreuse and become green in the summer months. Feverfew grows in zone 5 to 7 and likes full sun and a rich, moist and well-drained soil.

Red Flowers

Firecracker flower (Dichelostemma ida-maia) is a member of the lily family. Red tube-shaped flowers grow in an umbrella shaped cluster at the top of a leafless stalk.
Three, long grass-like leaves grow from the base of each stem. Bloom time is May, June and July. The plant is hardy in zones 5 to 8.

Swamp hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) is a member of the mallow family. This shrub grows up to 7 feet tall. It will disappear in the winter only to rise again in the spring. The leaves are fuzzy and grow from 2 to 3 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches long. The flowers measure 6 inches across. Plant in full sun and a good, rich, moist soil. Hardiness zones are 5 to 10.

Montbretia (Crocosmia 'Emberglow') is hardy in zones 5 to 9. Deep orange-red flowers bloom in July and August. The plant flourishes in full sun or partial shade. For best results, plant in moist, well-drained soil. Look for sword-shaped leaves and tube-shaped flowers.

Tour your local garden center and see what other red and white plants you can discover.

Sources:
Missouri Botanical Garden
Floridata
University of Texas
Ohio State University: Yucca filamentosa
Missouri Missouri Botanical Gardens: Symphytum grandiflorum
Missouri Botanical Gardens: Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum'