If you've ever flipped through a gardening website, magazine or book, you've probably seen the term “specimen plant” but you might not know what it means. A specimen plant is usually something interesting or different in the garden that is planted alone for an ornamental effect. read more
It is easy to remember what "specimen" plants are if you learn the Latin root that the word is based upon. The Latin root, spec- means "to look at." Consequently, a specimen plant is one you would single out in your landscape as being particularly worth looking at and thereby deserving of "center stage" in your yard. read more
Ruscus aculeatus, with prickly evergreen leaves and long-lasting red berries in the winter. Not hardy in zone 5, this will need to be brought in for the winter, but it makes a long-lived container specimen, especially the newer dwarf forms available from Plant Delight's Nursery. read more