Tolmiea menziesii ‘Taff’s Gold’ (Piggyback plant)

Mayapples are a bit of a challenge to grow because they tend to rot easily, but they are well worth the extra effort. The leaves of ‘Kaleidoscope’ have distinctive markings, ranging in color from silver and light green to almost black. The flowers are maroon and bloom in early summer. A big bonus is that this plant is mostly evergreen. When new growth emerges in spring, remove any old, tattered leaves to show off the plant’s umbrella-like growth habit.

Hostas are the first plants to come to mind when shade tolerance is required, but not all of them can take the heat in our region. ‘Patriot’ has proven to be one of the toughest, and its white margins and relatively large leaves make it a beacon of brightness in the shade. As a bonus, it will flower in midsummer with lavender trumpets on tall spikes.

Agastache ‘Summer Breeze’ produces hundreds of 1.5-inch-long translucent, tubular blossoms. The flowers are painted in luscious sunset shades and appear from late spring to frost. In hot weather, peach, champagne, and soft pink are its colors, while in cooler months the flowers darken to pale copper and medium rose. It forms an open, airy, 2- to 3-foot-tall clump, and the upper third of each stem bears a long succession of hummingbird-attracting blooms.

This shrubby, woolly perennial is native to the warmest, dry regions of the US and Mexico. Its large, rose-like salmon-colored flowers appear in loose clusters from spring to frost. It grows to 3 feet tall and almost as wide, and can bloom nearly year-round in warm regions.