Spotted Wandering Jew

In the decade since my previous comment, my growing zone has improved from 6a to 7. Spotted Mexican Wandering Jew is now a perennial her...Read Moree. During hot, dry periods, it shriveled up in full sun, but hung on. When the season cooled down in early September, it had a surge of growth and blooming. Easy to grow; very rewarding..

Others have described this well, I have had it for several years. It can take a lot of sun if kept moist, will rebound after wilting. Sho...Read Morert and small in sunny dry areas, getting taller and larger with better moisture and less sun. Weak stems probably can't stay very tall on their own, but can sprawl between other plants or just make a loose groundcover.

A late sprouting, long blooming perennial shade plant in my Zone 6A garden. It's prospered here for at least six years. The blossoms ar...Read Moree Spiderwort look-alikes. I had to consult an expert (a gardener at the Barnes Arboretum) to get a positive identification because it's rare in my circles. The speckled foliage is attractive. Said to be native to mountains in Mexico.

This plant provides excellent late-season color and interest, even in shade gardens. While it can self-seed invasively, it is easily rem...Read Moreoved where unwanted, but it handsomely fills voids with its purple-mottled foliage that contrasts subtly with more typical greens. Undersides of leaves are purple as well, and the purple is more vivid when planted in sunnier locations. Note that it is late to re-emerge in spring, especially where shade prevents the soil from warming. But even if last season's plants don't survive the winter, the self-sown seeds will provide a new show yielding flowers by mid summer. New foliage is a distinctive grayish color when it emerges.