Phedimus spurius 'Dragon's Blood'

If you want a groundcover that makes people stop and ask what it is, Phedimus spurius 'Dragon's Blood' is the one. The foliage is a deep, brooding burgundy-red that intensifies with sun exposure and cold temperatures — in the right spot, in the right season, it looks almost impossibly dramatic for a plant that requires essentially no maintenance. Come summer, it throws up crimson-red flowers that match the mood of the whole plant perfectly. It's like the moody cousin at the garden party who turns out to be the most interesting one in the room.

Hardy to Zone 3, it handles everything from the rainy west side of the Cascades to the cold, dry winters east of the mountains without complaint. It spreads into a dense, weed-suppressing mat over time and looks great year-round — in summer the color is rich and saturated, in fall and winter it deepens even further as the cold sets in. Full sun brings out the darkest coloration. Rock gardens, dry slopes, hell strips, retaining wall tops — it thrives in all of those. Pair it with silver-blue or chartreuse sedums for a color combination that'll stop traffic. 'Dragon's Blood' is one of those plants that earns its name every single season.