It's MAY! April brought another phenomenal record Spring Plant Sale (thanks to YOU), warmer weather and tons of blooms. In the large display gardens, our dedicated staff and volunteers have switched up from our winter annuals and bulbs to our summer annuals. While we’ll miss the dianthus and snapdragons that brightened our winter days, we’re looking forward to the fresh blooms and foliage that new annuals will bring! This summer and early fall look for pentas, vincas, coleus, and zinnias throughout many of our gardens plus a some more unusual plants like Pennisetum “Cherry Sparkler”, Euphorbia "Starblast Pink" and Gomprena “Las Vegas”.
Don’t forget to check out many of our perennial and shrub gardens that are sporting blossoms galore (and some very nice shady spots) like Stanly, Wilderness, Kellenberger, and Hawks Allee Gardens! Most of our gardens have benches and sitting areas so you can literally stop and smell the roses (or star jasmine or pittosporum).
If you missed Spring Plant Sale or our first virtual sale of 2025- don’t forget, you can always email gardens@tryonpalace.org directly to arrange for plant buying between regularly held sales. The list from our virtual sale (click here) has most of our current available inventory so if you see a plant (or a few dozen) you need, just contact us!
Get ready for our May garden lecture series, Saturday, May 10th at 10:30am! This lecture, led by Rachel Tipton, owner of Harbourside Gardens in Pamlico County, focuses on “Gardening on the Coast: The Dos and Don’ts”. Through her work, Rachel shares her deep passion for plants and design with her community, always eager to inspire others to grow and garden with purpose.
If you’re interested in a great way to get to know Eastern NC gardening while also helping Tryon Palace, we are looking for volunteers for raking, mulching, weeding, fence and trellis repair and MORE! If you’re interested in volunteering with us, please contact me at gardens@tryonpalace.org.
We hope to see you soon! Happy Gardening,
Hadley Cheris, Director of Facilities and Gardens, Tryon Palace
Annuals
- Annual Phlox (Phlox drummondii) mix
- Artemisia Sea Salt, SunFern Olympia
- Banana ‘Musa’
- Basil, multiple varieties- lavender, white, dark purple
- Cardinal Basil- massive purple flower heads
- Batchelor’s Buttons (Centaurea cyanus) blue, black, purple
- Begonias ‘Tophat White with Green Leaf’, ‘Whopper White with Green Leaf’
- California Poppy (Escholzia californica) yellow, white, orange
- Coleus Main Street series: Chartres Street, Wall Street
- Corn “Winning Streak”
- Dianthus- Super Parfait Raspberry, Zing Rose; Jolt Pink Magic; Jolt Cherry; Jolt Purple; Telstar White
- Dusty Miller ‘Silver Dust’
- Euphorbia “Starblast Snowdrift”, “Starblast Pink”
- Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana sp) various
- Gazania ‘Tiger Mix’, ‘Pink Shades’, ‘Colorado’, ‘Sunny Side Up’, ‘New Magic’, ‘New Day Yellow’, ‘Enorma Mix’
- Gerbera ‘Revolution Mix Select’
- Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena) “Las Vegas Mix)
- Marigolds- assorted yellows, reds, oranges
- Pennisetum “Cherry Sparkler”
- Pentas- Glitterati Red Star, Graffiti White
- Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes) Splash Select Rose, White
- Rhoeo Tricolor
- Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) various
- Stipa ‘Pony Tails’
- Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomea) ‘Flora Mia Cameo’
- Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus): Telstar Mix; Sweet White, Sweet Black Cherry
- Torenia- various
- Vinca- Cora Cascade XDR Series: Hotgenta, Magenta Halo, Polka Dot, Strawberry, White; Tattoo Dark Cherry
- Zinnias- Profusion Double Hot Cherry; self- seeded varieties: various colors
Perennials
- Amsonia (Amsonia tabernaemontana and A. hubrichtii) blue, lavender
- Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea montana)
- Baptisia ‘Carolina Moonlight’ (Baptisia sphaerocarpa x alba ‘Carolina Moonlight’) yellow
- Barrenwort (Epimedium grandiflorum) yellow
- Bath’s Pink (Dianthus gratianopolitanus) pink
- Bears foot Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) yellowish
- Bleeding Heart (Dicentra eximia) pink/white
- Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) blue
- Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) white
- Cape Leadwort (Plumbago capensis) blue
- Carnation (Dianthus sp.) various
- Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) red/yellow
- Granny's Bonnet Columbine (Aquilegia vulgare) rose, purple, white spurs
- Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) blue
- Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) various
- Coral Bells (Heuchera sp.) variety of leaf colors, blooms white or pink
- Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia numularia) yellow foliage
- Creeping Speedwell (Veronica umbrosa) blue
- English Daisy (Bellis perennis) white, pink
- Daisy, Ox-Eye (Leucanthemum vulgare); Shasta (Chrysanthemum X superbum) white
- Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ & ‘Sparkle White’) pink, white
- False Indigo, White Wild (Baptisia alba) white
- False Indigo, Blue Wild (Baptisia australis) blue
- Indian Pinks (Spigelia marilandica 'Little Redhead) red and yellow
- Lantana ‘Dallas Red’, ‘Evita Orange’, ‘Evita Rose’
- Lenten Rose (Helleborus X orientalis) pink, white, purple
- Moondance Hybrid Lenten Rose (Helleborus x iburgensis ‘Moondance’) white
- Mazus (Mazus reptans ‘alba’) white
- Mountain pinks (Phlox subulata) pink, lavender, white
- Pinks (Dianthus chinensis) pink
- Poet’s Laurel (Danae racemes) orange berries
- Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) pink
- Rue (Ruta graveolens) chartreuse
- Salvia (Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’) red & white
- Salvia (Salvia greggii) red, pink
- Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides) pink
- Spotted Dead Nettle (Lanium macultum) variegated foliage
- Stokes’ Aster (Stokesia laevis) blue, white, yellow, purples, pinks
- Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) red, white, pink
- Valerian (Centranthus ruber) red
- Virginia Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) blue, purple, pink, white
- Wallflowers (Cheiranthus allionii) orange
- Wild Geranium (Geranium pratense) magenta
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) white, pastels
- Vinca (Vinca minor) blue
Bulbs, Corms and Rhizomes
- Asiatic Lilies (Lilium sp.) reds, yellows, orange, pink
- Daylilies (Hemerocallis sp.) variety
- Elephant Ear (Colocasia) ‘Black Coral’, ‘Hawaiian Punch’, ‘Maui Sunrise’, ‘Redemption’, 'Waikiki'
- Gladiolus specie byzantinus
- Ground Orchid (Bletilla striata) purple or white
- Iris:
• Bearded Iris (Iris germanica) variety
• Bearded Iris “Immortality” white, reblooming
• Cemetery Iris (Iris schreekuppe) white
• Dutch Iris (Iridaceae x hollandica)
• Japanese Iris (Iris ensata) white
• Japanese roof iris (Iris tectorum) white, purple
• Louisiana Iris (Iris hexagona) purple, pink, black
• Siberian Iris (Iris siberica) purple, mix
• Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) yellow
- Poppy Anemone (Anemone coronaria De Caen) various
- Ranunculus Tecelote- orange, yellow, red, white
- Peony (Paeonia sp) variety - white, pink, fuchsia, fragrant
- Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum or P. multiflorum) variegated foliage, white blooms
- Variegated Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet)
- Windflower (Anemone coronaria) blue, magenta, white
Vines
- Clematis armandii Snowdrift/ Snow Drift Evergreen Clematis
- Clematis (Clematis sp.) purple, white, lavendar
- Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) orange/ red, NATIVE attractant for hummingbirds
- Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) orange
- Star or Confederate Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) white, fragrant
- Vinca (Vinca minor) blue
Roses
- Drift Roses (Rosa 'Meigalpio') red
- Knock out Roses (Rosa ‘RADrazz’) red
- Old Blush Rose (Rosa chinensis) pink
- Heirloom Roses:‘Safrano’ – yellow; ‘Marie Van Houtte’ – white; ‘Duchess de Brabant’ – pink; ‘Perles des Jardin’ – yellow; ‘Crème la Cerumois Superior’ – red; ‘Souvenir de la Mal Maison’ – light pink; ‘Champney’s Pink Cluster’ – light pink; ‘Dark Lady’ – deep red
- David Austin varities- multiple colors
Trees and Shrubs
- Anise Tree (Illicium floridanum) reddish
- Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) white
- Blackhaw or Walter Viburnum (Viburnum obovatum)
- Chinese Pittosporum (Pittosporum heterophyllum) white
- Chinese Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum ‘Sterile’) green to white
- Deutzia (Deutzia sp.) white
- Elderberry (Sambucus sp.) white
- False Holly Osmanthus (Osmanthus heterophyllus Goshiki) white, light fragrance
- False Indigo Shrub (Amorpha fruticosa) dark purple
- Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenia) fuzzy white
- Fragrant Osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) yellow **Smells AMAZING**
- Fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) white
- Glossy Abelia (Abelia grandiflora) pink, white
- Henry Anise Tree (Illicium henryii) pink
- Hollies (Ilex sp.): white/ cream blooms
- Japanese Fatsia (Fatsia japonica) green to black berries
- Japanese Pieris (Pieris japonica) white
- Japanese Pittosporum Wheeler's Dwarf (Pittosporum tobira Wheeler's Dwarf) white
- Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonica) white
- Kerria (Kerria japonica) single yellow & (Kerria japonica pleniflora) Double yellow
- Lantaphyllum (Viburnum X rhytidophylloides ‘Alleghany’) white
- Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) pink to white: STINK
- Leatherleaf Viburnum (Viburnum rhytophyllum) white
- Lilac “Bloomerang Dark Purple” (Syringa x) purple
- Mockorange (Philadelphus coronaries) white
- Ninebark (Physocarpus opifolius) white
- Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) white, white to pink to red
- Ornamental Pomegranate ‘Nochi Shibari’ (Punica granatum 'Nochi Shibari') Variegated white and coral bloom, reddish fruits
- Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana) pink with red
- Pomegranate (Punica granata) reddish fruit, coral blooms
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) purple
- Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) white, fragrant
- Sweet Bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) white, fragrant
- Sweet Betsy or Sweet Shrub (Calycanthus florida) rusty red
- Variegated Dwarf Pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira Mojo ) white
- Variegated Pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira Variegata) white
- Variegated Yucca (Yucca gloriosa Variegata) variegated cream and green foliage, white blooms
- Weiglia (Weiglia florida) pink and white
Kitchen Garden:
- Potatoes, Parsnips, Artichokes, Garlic, Collards, Brussel Sprouts, Kale, Cabbages, Sunflowers, Onions, Celery, Asparagus, Snap Peas, Walking Onions, Salad Burnet
- Fruits: Strawberries, Cherries; Pomegranates, Blueberries starting
- Transitioning to summer crops after mid- April last frost date