This one will make ya groan... The Purple Mart Inn Not sure if it should look like a store or a big hotel for Purple Martins. he-he I do like "Tarred and Feathered" he-he Reminds me of that old Shake N Bake commercial where the little girl tells her family that she "hep'd" her mom make supper.

Hi all thanks, sorry I was not clear. In the first pic there are three hosta- The hosta at the top in the first picture was purchased as Warwick comet, its young first year. I know that there is a small piece of luna moth that wound up planted tucked into the mystery /unknown plant. (Early in the spring an animal uprooted a brunch of plants and when I put them back in the ground I must have joined these two. I will need to move them apart this fall) For the second picture the name lakeside prophesy does ring my memory bell. Yeah! one down. For the first picture another name that came to mind while looking around was the queen, I may need to wait a bit more to see how this plant looks later this summer. Thanks all for your help, this forum has the best experts when Id'ing and I appreciate it.

Yes, it is Crepe Myrtle, as everyone has said. They love full sun, hot conditions and plentiful water. Make sure you specify that you want a tree, not a shrub, as some species are shrubs. The tree in your picture has obviously been pruned heavily. Some people like to do this. I personally love them left to grow as high as they like. The high flowers look lovely, as do the mottled trunks.

Interesting.... At first glace, the flowers and the description of a thick root made me think of Bowman's Root (Gillenia trifoliata). It is also a native plant. It's a good substitute for Gaura - which I cannot get to survive here! It might be a good addition to a garden with the plant pictured above if you need to plant it in a partly shaded location (although it does fine in sun too...)