Lilsprout, the two in our own garden are both 'Purple Smoke'. I did very largely cut them down after spring (and have for several years), but find the few flopped stems left grown at strange angles, such that they seemed likely to trip me up when working in the bed. I have the species in another garden, where there's a lot more space available. In this case it was staked and also wedged in between a wall and several other tall and tough plants at the back of the bed. I did cut out the unattractive dried seed pods but the foliage actually didn't look too bad when I started cutting it back (reducing the number of stems - to further expose a 'Nora Leigh' garden phlox) only this week. The plant's too big (in flower or not fully cut back) for our own small garden. If you have more space, it may be a good choice for you. False indigo does grow up and out, but the stems are weaker than those of either the hibiscus or butterfly bushes I've dealt with. The usual pattern here with our spring plants (primulas, lungworts, brunnera, Jacob's ladder, columbines, etc.) is that they're hidden under taller perennials in summer and put out new foliage in/by fall as spent summer perennials are thinned out and cut down. I've not noticed that, in the past, with false indigo. Maybe I just missed it. This post was edited by SunnyBorders on Thu, Sep 18, 14 at 8:08

I realized that I didn't really answer the original question of the thread. I'm zone 9-10, SW 18. hot and dry summers, mild winters! Apologies as this is NOT the OGR forum and some of my faves are OGRs or old HTs. :) :) :) Ones I really liked this year: Lavender Lassie - I saw a charming specimin of this at Descanso Gardens that I feel in love with. It was absolutely wonderful. I bought a 2 gallon from ARE and planted at the end of 2010. She's put up at least two 5' or so canes with such beautiful clusters of blooms at the end. She seems really strong and vigorous. I can't wait to see what she does next year. La France Cl. - Just gets more beautiful and beautiful. It has some little bit of something that makes it more romantic than a typical hybrid tea to me. Mme Berard - So beautiful. Growing fast and blooming frequently. Tipsy Imperial Concubine Just a baby but keeps blooming! The blooms are such a lovely mix of colors. Sombrieul now in it's 2nd year it's really starting to throw up huge canes,... like 6 feet. I'm in love with it. It's blooms are so beautiful. They have it growing up a huge arbor at Descanso, it's to die for. So many petals... ! Duftendes Weisskirchen Planted 8/10 as a band... it's just a charming little thing. It's blooms are such a vibrant purplish hot pink. It wants to bloom all the time and just is very happy. Eden Cl. and James Galway cl both put on a LOT of growth and bloom this year (they were planted early '10) The Faun (Bossa Nova) this blooms more than anything in my yard and I love the fully double old-style blooms on it. I love the low shape of the bush. Great for a border plant so far. Archduke Charles I love you, Archduke! The blooms change color and even though it's perported to be a slow grower, I'm still getting some growth on mine. Such a charming thing. Madame Joseph Bonnaire the most beautiful creature. Threw out a couple big canes and a big root down through the pot and into the ground. A vigorous thing! Bounced back after I repotted it and I can't wait to see what it does next year after I get it in the ground. The blooms are GORGEOUS. Madame Alfred Carriere Despite being in partial shade, throwing up huge canes... can't wait to see what it does next year. Delicate beautiful flowers,... such strong growth! Dissappointments: Tiffany - an own-root since late '09... still super tiny and rather upset. Might replace it with a grafted one. William Shakespeare 2000 1 of 2 died and the 2nd one hasn't grown (both put in the ground early '10). I'll see what it does next year. Yves Paiget Had to pot because the bed wasn't ready and it outright died, almost immediately after getting it. :\

One has to distinguish between plants that are invasive in natural settings and plants that are invasive in gardens. Lots of natives are invasive in the garden sense of the word. They spread in the garden and may require that the gardener control them. On the other hand, I don't know of any situations where a native plant has been invasive in a natural ecosystem, with the exception of Common Reed Phragmites australis (and it may be that a non-native variety of Phragmites is responsible for the invasion of east coast marshes). On the other hand, some species that are invasive in natural settings don't create much problem in the garden. For example, if you plant one of the shrub honeysuckles (e.g. Lonicera mackii) in your garden you'll probably have few problems with it - it won't spread about the garden very much, At the same time, however, it may be spreading seedlings throughout the local woods, displacing native plants and eventually taking over the understory of the woods. So think twice what is meant when someone says a plant is invasive. But your question is whether invasive and non-native mean the same thing, and whether it is OK to grow nonnative plants in your garden. Not all non-native plants are invasive, and almost everyone has at least a few non-natives in their garden. Almost all vegetables are non-native, as are most lawn grasses. I think it is fine to grow non-natives, but I try to avoid them as much as possible. If there is a native alternative then I select the native plant, and I try to avoid any non-native plant that shows a tendency to spread, especially if it spread to any wild areas. Lots of plants commonly recognized as invasive were at one time grown as garden plants, and I bet that there are garden plants we use now that will in the future turn out to be troublesome invasives. For example, butterfly bush (buddleia davidii) is invasive in some parts of PA, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it listed as an invasive plant in future years. In the mean time, however, lots of people, even people who are concerned about things like invasive plants, are growing butterfly bushes not realizing they may be a problem. I won't even point out that Norway Maple, Bradford Pear, Common Privet, Water Hyacinth, and even Purple Loosestrife are commonly sold in nurseries - all are extremely invasive over a wide geographical range. I think that plants that have been in cultivation in the US for a long time are probably less likely to be a problem than pants that are newly intruduced, but you can never be sure. So, I think that non-native daffodils are fine, but I'd get rid of that Russian Sage...

I noticed with those Paul,that if we have a cool spring they can flower for a long period. In summer..if we have those super hot days ( rare) that will stress these plants no matter if in shade and watered. They must grow like weeds in San Francisco. I saw a rectangular wooden planter of these- like you see under a window about 16"..and it was full of these in bloom in cool Berkeley.