Some plants are naturally very slow 
to emerge from dormancy in the spring. 
In fact, some will not look full until 
mid to late May.  This may sound 
frustrating but most plants in this 
category bloom later in the summer 
when there is a heat induced flowering 
lull. The spring blooming plants that 
already put on a show and are looking 
tired and burnt by late July and August. 
Now its time for the heat-lovers. The 
following plants are very slow to 
emerge but are well worth their wait:

Crape Myrtle (all cultivars)
Hardy Hibiscus (all cultivars)
Orange Butterfly Weed
Blue Balloon Flower
Creeping Plumbago
Pink Guara (all species)
Wild (perennial) petunia
Green Solomons Seal
Winter damaged Nandina (all cultivars)
Evergreen Groundcover Bamboo(most species)
Fothergilla (flowers early-leaves delayed)
winter damaged evergreen shrubs (most)