Introduction
Plants that live and bloom year after year are known as perennials, and are the backbone of the well-planned garden. Everything from the tiny babies’ breath to the regal daylily, to the simple, delicate daisy is included in this broad category. Careful planning and preparation can offer a world of beauty with a minimum of care with perennials.
Authors
Michael N. Dana and B. Rosie Lerner
For a successful perennial garden, thorough planning and preparation are a must. Before planting, prepare the soil thoroughly to provide good drainage, adequate fertilization, ample moisture and protection from drying winds.
Purchase seeds or plants from reputable sources, preferably named and proven varieties. If you are starting from seed, either start the seed indoors or sow them in the area where the plants will be permanently located.
Allow for the mature development of the plant. Don’t overcrowd the plants and don’t interplant with too many annuals which may offer competition.
Perennial plants should be considered in your total landscape plan. Consider their height, flower color, season of bloom, and their growth habit, form and texture. They often can successfully be used in front of fences or larger shrubs.
Do not consider perennials as permanent plants. Most will need periodic division for continued quality bloom.
A list of recommended perennials, their descriptions and care follows.
| Botanical common name | Situation | Color | Height | Flowering Season | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernleaf Yarrow Achillea filipendulina | sun | yellow | 4' | July-Aug. | Graceful appearance with deeply cut grayish foliage. A robust plant. |
| Achillea millefolium var. rosea | sun | pink-red | 1' | July-Aug. | ‘Crimson Beauty’ has dark color and value as a cut flower. |
| Woolly Yarrow Achillea tomentosa | sun | yellow | 1' | June | A woolly, carpet-like plant suitable for rockeries. Good for cutting. |
| Hollyhock Alcea rosea | sun | assorted | 5'-8' | July-Aug. | Will thrive in almost any soil. Best used in background plantings. Try some double flowering varieties. |
| Yellow Tuft Alyssum murale | sun | yellow | 18" | June-July | The flowers are deep yellow in dense heads. Valuable for garden borders or in rock garden plantings. |
| Italian Bugloss Anchusa azurea | semi-shade | blue | 2'-5' | June-Sept. | Will bloom all summer if not permitted to produce seed. It is very hardy but will rot unless drainage is good. |
| Pasque Flower Pulsatilla vulgaris | semi-shade | purple, white | 1' | April-May | Ideal for rock gardens, but needs rich soil with adequate moisture and drainage. |
| Golden Marguerite Anthemis tinctoria | sun | yellow | 3' | July-Aug. | Ideal for difficult, sandy soil in grueling heat. Suggested are ‘Kelwayi’—deep yellow, ‘Perry’s Variety’—pure yellow, ‘Thora Perry’—orange tint, ‘Golden Dawn’—double, ‘Moonlight’— primrose-yellow, ‘Grallagh Gold’—butter-yellow. |
| Colorado Columbine Aquilegia caerulea | sun or semi-shade | white, blue | 2' | May-June | One of the most beautiful of our native American flowers. Very hardy. |
| American or Wild Columbine Aquilegia canadensis | sun or semi-shade | red-orange | 2' | May-June | An attractive plant for garden borders and wild gardens. |
| Golden Columbine Aquilegia chrysantha | sun or semi-shade | yellow | 2-1/2' | May-June | An attractive plant for garden borders and wild gardens. |
| Long-Spurred hybrida Aquilegia x hybrida | sun or semi-shade | assorted | 2'-3' | May-June | The modern hybrids have added a wonderful range of color in soft and brilliant tones. They require considerable winter protection. Suggested are ‘Snow Queen,’ ‘Copper Queen’, ‘Rose Queen’, ‘Crimson Star’, ‘Mrs. Scott Elliot’. ‘McKana’s Giant’. |
Rock Cress, Wall Cress | sun | white | 1' | April-May | Rampant trailer, the form ‘Florepleno’ is a double.’Variegata’ has leaves with conspicuous variegations of creamy white. |
| Silver King Artemisia Artemisia ludoviciana var. albula | sun | silver foliage | 2'-3' | Insignificant (remove) | Does not tolerate wet winters, foliage may be cut for dried arrangements, may require annual spring division for survival. Rampant spreader- USE WITH CAUTION |
| Powis Castle Warmwood Artemisia 'Powis Castle' | sun | silver foliage | 2' | Insignificant (remove) | Quite hardy, good for tall ground cover. Feathery silver leaves form a billowing mass. |
Butterflyweed | sun | orange | 2'-3' | July-Aug. | A remarkably showy plant, well suited to the garden border. |
Frikart's Aster | sun | blue | 2-1/4' | Aug.-Sept. | Profusion of lavender-blue flowers on clean gray foliage. |
| New England Asters Aster novae-angliae | sun | purple, pink, white | 1'-4' | Aug.-Oct. | Hardy asters are unrivaled for their varying forms of bright colors in the perennial border. There are many varieties. |
| Astibe, False Spirea Astilbe x Arendsii | semi-shade | pink, red, white | 2-1/2' | July | Ideal for moist soil, with neat compound foliage. Suggested are: ‘Fanal’—garnet-red: ‘Red Sentinel’—carmine; ‘Federsee’— compact, crimson-rose; ‘Irrlicht’—white; ‘Bonn’— dainty pink; ‘Peach Blossom’—soft pink. |
| Basket of Gold, Golden Tuft Aurinia saxatilis | sun | yellow | 1' | Apr.-May | Showy free flowering plants. Valuable for garden borders or in rock garden plantings. ‘Dudley Nevill’—early, peach-buff to chrome yellow; ‘Compactum’—neater, compact plant; ‘Silver Queen’, ‘Sulphur Queen’—lemon-yellow. |
| False Indigo Baptisia australis | sun | blue | 3' | June | A strong growing plant which is well suited for wild garden or borders. Foliage is grey-green. |
| Blackberry Lily Belamcanda chinensis | sun | red, yellow, orange | 4' | July-Aug. | Noted for shiny black seeds that look like blackberries and are suitable for drying. Likes light, sandy soil. Self-sows freely-USE WITH CAUTION |
| Heartleaf Bergenia, Pigsqueak Bergenia cordifolia | shade | pink | 1-1/2' | April-May | Large, loose, cabbage-like evergreen foliage which bronzes in winter. Grows in wet or dry sites. |
| Siberian Bugloss Brunnera macrophylla | shade | blue | 18" | April-June | Striking true-blue color, good for naturalizing and in rock gardens. Divide occasionally. |
| Buttertflybush, Orange-eye, Summer Lilac Buddleia davidii | sun | purple, white | 3'-4' | July-Sept. | A woody perennial which freezes to the ground every winter. |
| Carpathian Harebell, Tussock Bellflower Campanula carpatica | sun | blue, purple, white | 6"-12" | July-Sept. | Fine for edging a hardy border and unsurpassed for rock gardens. Suggested are: ‘Wedgewood’—blue-violet; ‘White Star’—white; ‘White Carpet’—white; ‘Blue Carpet’— clear blue; ‘Riverslea’—purple. |
| Bellflower Campanula latifolia | sun | purple | 3' | June | Rather coarse, yet stately with large bell. |
| Canterbury Bells Campanula medium | sun | blue, pink, purple, white | 3' | June-July | A biennial and long-time favorite. Plant every year for next-year flowering. |
| Willow Bellflower, Peach-Bells Campanula persicifolia | sun | blue, white | 2'-3' | June-July | Very hardy and well suited for garden borders. Suggested are: ‘Telham Beauty’—huge 3" bells of powdery porcelain blue; ‘Wirral Belle’—double of steely blue-violet, ‘Blue Gardenia’—double deep blue, ‘Mt. Hood’—double white. |
| Mountain-Bluet Centaurea montana | sun | blue, | 2"-2-1/2" | June-Sept. | Very well suited to garden borders. Flowers desirable for cutting. |
| Snow-in-Summer Cerastium tomentosum | sun | white | 8" | May-June | A low, creeping plant with grey foliage which bears a profusion of small white flowers. Very desirable for rock gardens and borders. |
| Plumbago, Blue Leadwort Ceratostigma plumbaginoides | sun | blue | 1' | Aug.-Sept. | A late summer bloomer for rock gardens and low borders. |
| Painted Daisy, Pryethrum Tanacetum coccineum | sun | red, pink, white | 2-1/2' | May-June | A popular garden subject. Well suited for cutting. Suggested are: Singles: ‘Crimson Giant’—velvety crimson; ‘Victoria’—ruby red ‘Scarlet Glow’—scariet-crimson; ‘Mrs. D. C. Bliss’—Coral-orange; Doubles: ‘Helen’—soft, rose-pink; ‘Rosary’—rose-pink with silver center; ‘Sensation’—small red blooms; ‘Buckeye’— rose-red, flecked white; ‘Pink Bouquet’—rose-pink with silver center; ‘Mrs. C. E. Beckwith’—white. |
| Shasta Daisy Leucanthemum x superbum | sun | white | 2'-3' | June-Aug. | Large white flowers which often bloom profusely throughout the summer. Double forms are available. Suggested are: Singles— 'Becky', 'Snow Lady', 'White Knight'; Doubles—’Aglaia’,‘Wirral Supreme’. |
| Garden Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum hybrids | sun | white | 2'-3' | Sept.-Oct. | There are many early flowering cultivars that are well suited to garden culture. Greenhouse varieties are seldom satisfactory. |
| Feverfew, Matricaria Tanacetum parthenium | sun | white | 2' | July-Aug. | Long flowering season, may be winter killed. Suggested are: ‘Aureum’, ‘Silver Ball,’ ‘Golden Ball’, ‘Lemon Ball’. |
| Clara Curtis Mum Chrysanthemum 'Clara Curtis' | sun | lavender, pink | 3' | Aug.-Sept. | Undeniably hardy, long-lived and free flowering. |
| Lily-of-the-Valley Convallaria majalis | semi-shade | white, pink | 1' | May | Very well suited to shady locations under trees and on the north side of buildings as a ground cover. Replant every few years for maximum bloom. |
| Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Coreopsis lanceolata | sun | yellow | 2-1/2' | June-Sept. | One of the best flowering perennials. Flowers are well suited for cutting. Also, C. verticillata cultivars are fine-leaved and excellent. |
| Common Delphinium, Larkspur Delphinium elatum hybrids | sun | blue, pink, white | 6' | June-July | A garden favorite. Some winter protection necessary. Requires staking. Many hybrids of unusual merit are available, especially Pacific hybrids. |
| Sweet William Dianthus barbatus | sun | assorted | 2' | May-June | One of the most beautiful flowers of the garden border. Plant should be well protected during winter. Usually treated as a biennial. |
| Maiden Pink Dianthus deltoides | sun | pink, red, white | 1' | May-June | A very showy plant for the garden border or rockery. ‘Brilliant’ is a bright red selection. |
| Cheddar Pink Dianthus gratianopolitanus | sun | pink | 6" | June | Good in walls or steps, flowers poke above a thick foliage mat, ‘Rose Queen’ has bright rose flowers. |
| Cottage Pink Dianthus plumarius | sun | pink | 1' | May-June | Hardy border perennial with polished gray foliage. Suggested are: ‘Highland Queen’—vivid scarlet; ‘Cyclops’—red; ‘Dinah’— semi-double rose with maroon center; ‘Evangeline’—soft rose; ‘Pink Princess’—coral-rose. |
| Fringed Bleedingheart Dicentra exima | shade | pink | 18" | May-Aug. | East coast native has grayish blue, dissected leaves. Prefers lower pH soils. |
| Common Bleedingheart Dicentra spectabilis | shade | pink, red, white | 30" | May-June | An old standby which should be included in all perennial borders. Very hardy. |
| Gas Plant Dictamus albus | sun | white, pink | 3' | June | Fine specimen plant with glossy dark-green foliage. Variety ruba has pink to purplish red colorings, and variety caucasia has large flowers. |
| Foxglove Digitalis purpurea | sun, semi-shade | lavender, pink, white | 4'-6' | June-July | A showy garden plant, but not suited for cut flowers. Plant for background color. Maintain as biennial. |
| Shooting Star Dodecatheon meadia | shade | white, pink | 18" | May-June | Ideal for rock gardens, or naturalizing. Needs high organic soils. |
| Leopard’s Bane Doronicum orientale | sun, semi-shade | yellow | 1' | April-June | One of the first perennials to bloom in the spring. Flowers are daisy-like. |
| Purple Cone Flower Echinacea purpurea | semi-shade | purple | 4' | July-Sept. | Ideal for late summer color, foliage may be coarse and rather unkempt. Suggested are: ‘The King’, ‘Bright Star’, ‘White King’. |
| Globe Thistle Echinops exaltatus | sun | blue | 4' | July-Sept. | Globular heads with thistle-like leaves. ‘Taplow Blue’. |
| Epimedium sp. | shade | white, yellow, red | 18" | May-June | Ideal for shady, high organic locations. |
| Winter Aconite Eranthis hyemalis | sun | yellow | 6" | March-April | Earliest flower in rock gardens. |
| Cypress Spurge Euphorbia cyparissias | sun | yellow | 1' | May-June | Rock gardens and dry soil. |
| Cushion Spurge Euphorbia polychroma | sun | yellow | 2' | May-June | Forms hemispherical mound with globular tumbles of brilliant chartreuse-yellow bracts. Foliage turns dark red in autumn. |
Blanket Flower | sun | yellow, red | 3' | June-Sept. | There are many cultivars which are useful for cut flowers or in the landscape. |
| Bedstraw Galium odoratum | semi-shade | white | 1' | July-Aug. | Vigorous plant for well-drained soils in shade. Usually is evergreen in protected location. |
| Cranesbill Geranium sanguineum | shade | red, pink | 1' | May-Aug. | Attractive foliage, gives blood-red tint after hard frost. |
| Dwarf Bloodred Geranium Geranium sanguineum var. prostratum | sun | red, pink | 6" | May-July | Compact, dwarf plant. Flowers much of summer. Neat mat of foliage is decorative. |
| Avens Geum sp. | sun | red, orange, yellow | 2-1/2' | May-July | Ideal for rock gardens or in low borders. Flowers may be single or double. Foliage is crisp, dark green. Suggested cultivars are: ‘Dolly North’—gold, ‘Princess Juliana’—orange; ‘Fire Opal’— red; ‘Golden West’—yellow. |
| Baby’s-breath Gyposophilia paniculata | sun | white | 3' | June-July | Established plants are well suited to the garden border. The flowers are fine for cuKing and may be dried for winter bouquets. |
| Common Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale | sun | yellow, red | 3' | Aug.-Sept. | Heleniums are especially valued for contributing autumn color to the garden. The flowers are well suited for cutting. |
| Thinleaf Sunflower Helianthus x multiflorus | sun | yellow | 3-1/2' | Aug.-Sept. | Large, good foliage. Single and double-flowered forms. |
| Oxeye Sunflower Heliopsis helianthoides subsp. scabra | sun | yellow | 3-1/2' | July-Sept. | Ideal for specimen or small group plantings. Suggested are: ‘Excelsa’—double, chrome-yellow; ‘Incomparabilis’—semi-double; ‘Patula’—caladium-orange; ‘Light of Loddon’—lemon-chrome. |
| Christmas Rose Helleborus niger | shade | white, pink | 1' | Nov.-April | Flowers through snow. Do not disturb. Plant in protected location or foliage will often winter burn. |
| Lenten Rose Helleborus orientalis | shade | white, pink | 1' | Mar.-May | Early spring flower. Do not disturb. Plant in protected location or foliage will often winter burn. |
| Daylily Hemerocallis hybrids | sun, semi-shade | assorted | 1-5' | June-Sept. | One of the most vigorous plants of the garden. They spread freely. Good for covering steep banks and in wild gardens. |
| Coralbells Heuchera sanguinea | sun | red, pink, white | 1-1/2' | May-Sept. | Dainty, graceful cut flowers are produced. Excellent for rock-eries or borders. Suggested are: variety alba—early white; ‘Rosea’—rosy pink; ‘Rosamundi’—clear pink; ‘Brizoides’— soft-pink. |
| Common Rosemallow Hibiscus moscheutos | sun | white, red, pink | 5' | Aug.-Sept. | The flowers are of mammoth size, resembling hollyhocks in shape. There are many varieties. Best used in shrub border. |
| Candytuft Iberis sempervirens | sun, semi-shade | white | 1-1-1/2' | May-June | Has evergreen foliage and is useful for edging or ground cover. Suggest: ‘Snowflake’; ‘Purity’; ‘Christmas Snow’; and ‘Little Gem’—compact form. |
| Crested Iris Iris cristata | sun | lavender | 6" | May | Ideal for edging. |
| German Iris, Bearded Iris Iris germanica hybrids | sun | assorted, all | 1'-3' | May-June | German Iris are well suited to garden border, covering steep banks, and in wild gardens. The number of varieties is unlimited. |
| Japanese Iris Iris ensata | sun | red, purple white | 3' | June-July | Japanese Iris bloom somewhat later than German Iris. They require considerable water. There are many varieties. |
| Dwarf lris Iris pumila | sun | assorted | 1' | April-May | Ideal for edging. |
| Siberian Iris Iris sibirica | sun | purple, white | 3' | June | Plants of compact habit with narrow, grassy foliage. Require considerable moisture. They are well featured with water gardens. |
| Torchlily, Tritoma Kniphofia uvaria | sun | red, yellow | 3' | July-Sept. | Stout plants with long, grassy, leaves and poke-shaped racemes. |
| Spotted Deadnettle Lamium maculatum | semi-shade | lavender, white | 1' | April-Aug. | Filler plant which has green foliage with white blotch along midrib. |
| Lavender Lavandula officinalis | sun | lavender | 1-1/2'-2' | July | An old-fashioned garden plant. Has evergreen foliage and is tender in Northern Indiana. Best cut to ground each year. |
| Blazing Star or Gay Feather Liatris spicata | sun | lavender, purple, white | 3'-5' | July -Aug. | The long spikes of lavender flowers are well suited for mixed garden arrangements. Cultivars: 'Kobold' is compact, 'Floristan White'. |
| Lilies Lilium sp. | sun | assorted | 1-7' | June-Sept. | Many new hybrids are available. |
| Sea Lavender Limonium latifolium | sun | lavender, white | 2-1/2' | July-Sept. | Light, airy late summer plant. Spectacular wide sprays. |
| Blue Flax Linum perenne | sun | blue, white | 2' | June-July | Has dainty sky-blue flowers on graceful stems. Very desirable for garden borders. |
| Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis | semi-shade | red | 4' | July-Sept. | Well-drained but moist soil. |
| Blue Perennial Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica | shade | blue | 2-1/2' | Aug.-Sept. | Well drained, but moist, soil. Tends to be coarse and weedy where established. |
| Honesty Lunaria annua | shade | purple, white | 3' | May-June | Treat as biennial. Often self sows if seed pads are left until they shatter. |
| Lupine Lupinus hybrids | sun | assorted | 4' | June-July | Prefer light, well drained soils, cool temperatures, may require yearly reseeding. |
| Maltese Cross Lychnis chalcedonica | sun | red | 3' | June-July | One of the most brilliant plants of the old-fashioned garden. A deserving subject for garden borders. There are several varie-ties, including ‘Salmonea’—unusual, pastel salmon. |
| Rose Campion Lychnis coronaria | sun | red, pink, white | 2' | June-Aug. | The grey, woolly foliage is excellent in flower arrangements. The purple-red flowers can be a challenge to blend with other flower colors. |
| Yellow Loosestrife Lysimachia punctata | sun | yellow | 2-1/2' | June-July | Rather rigid, sturdy plants, tend to naturalize. Rampantspreader - USE WITH CAUTION. |
| Plume-Poppy Macleaya cordata | sun | white | 6-8' | July-Aug. | Elegant leaves similar to figs. Erect, elongated flower panicles. Plant at rear of border. Use in large spaces only. Will need to be divided. |
| Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica | shade | blue | 2' | April-May | Prefers rich mellow soil. ‘Alba’—a white. Ephemeral so that it dies down by mid-June. |
| Bee Balm, Oswego Tea Monarda didyma | shade | red, pink, white | 3-1/2' | July-Aug. | Naturalizing favorite. Anracts bees and hummingbirds. Sug-gested are: ‘Cambridge Scarlet’—scarlet; ‘Croftway Pink’— pink-rose pink. |
| Forget-me-not Mysotis scorpioides | shade | pink, blue | 1‘ | June-Aug. | Plant blooms best in moist locations. Spreads rapidly. |
| Catmint Nepta x faassenii | sun | blue | 2' | May-Sept. | Low growing with gray foliage. Suggested are ‘Blue Beauty’ and ‘Six Hills Giant’. |
| Giant Sundrop Oenothera missourensis | sun | yellow | 1' | June-Sept. | Specimen plant for rock garden or border. |
| Common Sundrops, Oenothera fruiticosa | sun | yellow | 2' | June-Aug. | Shiny foliage can be 4" long and fairly decorative. ‘Yellow River’ has large blooms and well-spaced stems. |
Prickly Pear Cactus | sun | yellow | 1-3' | June-July | Prostrate, spreading succulent, with spines. |
| Common Garden Peony Paeonia lactiflora | sun | red, pink, white | 2-1/2' -3-/12' | May-June | The peony is one of the best known of garden flowers. They are exceedingly hardy and require lttle care once established. |
| Oriental Poppy Papaver orientale | sun | assorted | 1-3' | June | Should be used freely in perennial borders. They are especially attractive when grown with blue or lavender Iris. There are many cultivars. |
| Beard Tongue Penstemon barbatus | sun | red | 3' | June-July | Excellent for cutting. Hybrid forms better than species. |
| Tunic Flower, Coat Flower Petrorhagia saxifraga | sun | pink, white | 6-8" | June | An attractive dwarf plant which is very hardy and well suited for garden borders and rockeries. |
| Blue Phlox Phlox divaricata | sun | blue, white | 1-1/2' | May-June | Imparts blue to spring flowering season. Plants may self-sow and become ground-cover like. |
| Perennial Garden Phlox, Fall Phlox Phlox paniculata | sun | assorted | 2'-3' | July-Sept. | Phlox are among the most showy of hardy plants. They deserve a prominent position in every garden. There are many varieties. Suggested are: ‘Fanal’—red; ‘Red Glory’—red; ‘Sir John Falstaff’—pink; ‘Mia Ruys’—white; ‘White Admiral’—white, fragrant; ‘Aida’—wine and purple. |
| Moss Pink Phlox subulata | sun | assorted | 6" | May-June | A very desirable plant for rock gardens and garden borders. Suggested are: ‘Emerald Cushion’—pink; ‘Chuckles’—pink; ‘Brilliant’—magenta; ‘Blue Hills’—violet; ‘Scarlet Flame’—red. |
| False Dragonhead, Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana | sun | white, lavender, purple | 3-1/2' | July-Sept. | An attractive plant with long spikes which are suitable for cutting. New varieties better than species. |
| Balloonflower Platycodon grandiflorus | sun | blue, purple, white | 3-1/2' | June-Sept. | The flowers are blue and resemble the bell-shaped flowers of campanulas. They are very effective in borders. Suggested are: ‘Bristol Bell’—lavender; ‘Bristol Bride’—white; ‘Bristol Blush’— flesh pink; ‘Bristol Bluebird’—deep blue. |
| Jacob’s Ladder Polemonium caeruleum | shade | blue, white | 3' | May-July | Ideal for rock gardens. Suggest ‘Blue Pearl’, variety lacteum or ‘Album’. |
| Primroses Primula sp. | shade | assorted | 6"-18" | April-June (according to species) | Ideal rock garden plants for shady locations and early-spring flowers. |
| Lungwort, Bethlehem Sage Pulmonaria saccharata | shade | blue | 1' | April-May | Dark-green foliage spotted white. |
| Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens var. florepleno | shade | yellow | 1'-1-1/2' | May-June | Good for border plantings, covering steep banks and in wild gardens. |
| Black-eyed-Susan Rudbeckia hirta | sun, semi-shade | yellow | 2-3' | July | Hardy, free-flowering and easily grown. The flowers are desir-able for cutting. Usually considered an annual or biennial. |
| Meadow Sage, Meadow Clary Salvia pratensis | sun | purple, blue, white | 2' | May-July | A garden plant that should be more widely grown. An early bloomer and perfectly hardy. |
| Violet Sage Salvia x superba | sun | purple | 3' | June-Aug. | Favorable habit. Try also, S. sylvestris ''May Night'. |
| Bloodroot, Red Puccoon Sanguinaria canadensis | shade | white | 1' | April | Naturalized or large rock gardens. |
| Soapwort Saponaria ocymoides | sun | pink | 6" | May-June | Trailing branchlets. |
| Perennial Scabiosa Scabiosa caucasica | sun | blue | 2-1/2' | July | Showy garden plants with excellent cut flowers. Plant incllined to be tender in Indiana. |
| Stonecrops Sedum sp. | sun | assorted | 6"-18" | July-Aug. | Succulents ideal for rock gardens, edges. Many named species and hybrids now available. |
| Wooly Lambs Ear Stachys byzantina | sun | pink | 1' | June-July | Silky, wooly leaf like a lamb’s ear. |
| Betony Stachys grandiflora | sun | purple. lavender | 2' | June-July | Ideal for larger borders. |
| Stokes Aster Stokesia laevis | sun | blue | 2' | July-Aug. | An excellent garden plant for cut flowers. |
| Meadowrue Thalictrum aquilegifolium | shade | purple, lavender, white | 3' | June | Delicate foliage and bloom. |
| Lavender Mist Thalictrum rochebrunianum | shade | lavender | 5' | July-Aug. | Delicate foliage and bloom. Preferred over other Thalictrums. |
| Dusty Meadow Rue Thalictrum speciosissimum | shade | yellow | 4-6' | July-Aug. | Features blue-gray leaves excellent for cut flowers. Splendid with delphinium or Campanula persicifolia. |
| Spiderwort, Widow’s Tears Tradescantia virginiana | sun | blue, purple, white | 3' | May-June Aug.-Sept. | Will grow in spite of care it is given. May be weedy, but can be controlled. |
| Globeflower Trollius europaeus | shade | yellow | 2' | May | Heavy, moist soils. Ideal for cutting. |
Globeflower | shade | yellow, orange | 2-1/2' | June | Heavy, moist soils. Extends flowering season. |
| Garden Heliotrope Valeriana officinalis | sun | white, lavender | 4' | July | Old-fashioned fragrant flowers. Foliage is fern-like. Excellent background plant. |
| Speedwells Veronica sp. | sun, shade | assorted | 1'-3' | May-July | Several species and hybrids are available to give variety in season of bloom, color (pink, blue) and height. Commonly used for bouquets. Suggested are: blues—’Nana’, ‘BIue Peter’, ‘Royal Blue’, ‘Crater Lake’—pink—’Minuet’. |
| Viola, Horned Viola Viola cornuta | shade | violet | 8" | May-Sept. | A very desirable violet for garden borders or rockeries. It is extremely hardy. There are several good varieties. |
| Sweet Violet, Violet Viola cornuta English Violet Viola odorata | shade | violet | 8" | May-Sept. | A very desirable violet for garden borders or rockeries. It is extremely hardy. There are several good varieties. and wild gardens. |
| Adam’s Needle, Bear Grass Yucca filamentosa | sun | white | 5' | July-Aug. | Specimen plant or banks. Coarse foliage. |