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This month, I’m excited to highlight a captivating natural phenomenon that can be spotted in many home gardens, roadsides, hay fields, and prairie preserves: frost flowers. Also known as ice flowers, ice ribbons, or rabbit ice, these delicate ice formations are often mistaken for pieces of plastic or fluffy seed pods.

This month’s featured plant is a little different from the usual ornamental selections: spinach! This easy-to-grow leafy vegetable can be added to your flower beds or even mixed with your violas for a unique planting combination.

Osage Orange is a native tree which goes by many common names. Other regional names used to identify this tree include hedge apple, horse apple, bois d’arc, bodark, bow-wood, monkey brain, post tree and probably others.

Red Shield hibiscus is a fascinating plant in anyone’s garden. This hibiscus is grown for its burgundy red foliage not for its small inconspicuous flowers. This tropical hibiscus is a tender perennial subshrub that is native to East Africa.

Red Shield hibiscus is a fascinating plant in anyone’s garden. This hibiscus is grown for its burgundy red foliage not for its small inconspicuous flowers. This tropical hibiscus is a tender perennial subshrub that is native to East Africa.

Summer snapdragon’s name is somewhat misleading. Summer snapdragon, Angelonia angustifolia, is not even closely related to the common snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus, which is a cool season favorite of many.

African Daisy is a member of the daisy family with many similarities to its cousins. Like any other member of the aster family, it has symmetrical petals that radiate out from a central eye. Flower petals come in many different colors, from white to deep purple, and can be double, fringed, or spoon-shaped.

Gold Star magnolia, or the Cucumber Tree, is one of several deciduous magnolias that we have an opportunity to grow successfully in the Ozark region. Unlike the more common deciduous magnolias (Magnolia x soulangeana and Magnolia stellata), Gold Star has light yellow flowers vs. the purplish to white blossoms of the others.

Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ is a heirloom daffodil that is often overlooked from the many different daffodils gardeners can plant. This early fragrant buttercup-yellow flowering daffodil is a must have. Each six inch tall stem will produce 2 to 3 flowers.