Perennials

Perennials

Our enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable perennials team is here to answer your questions and help you choose the best perennials for your situation. There’s always something in bloom for sun, shade, butterflies, birds or deer resistance  as well as a variety of bulbs for your space.

Stroll through our time-tested favorites and introduce yourself to the newest varieties. We garden with perennials too; we love them and it shows!

Athyrium niponicum

Height: 18 inches

Spread: 24 inches

Sunlight: partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 3a

Other Names: Crested Japanese Painted Fern

Description:
An excellent choice for adding fine textures to garden beds and borders; features a low growing habit with arching grey green fronds with silver variegations and deep red midribs; easy to grow, requiring little to no maintenance; shade loving variety

Ornamental Features:
Japanese Painted Fern is primarily valued in the garden for its cascading habit of growth. Its attractive ferny bipinnately compound leaves emerge deep purple in spring, turning grayish green in color with showy silver variegation throughout the season. The burgundy stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Landscape Attributes:
Japanese Painted Fern is a dense herbaceous fern with a shapely form and gracefully arching fronds. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Japanese Painted Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing:
Japanese Painted Fern will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Polystichum polyblepharum

Outward spreading fronds. Evergreen. Requires good Drainage. USDA 5-8

Polystichum acrostichoides

2?3 foot leathery fronds stay green all winter, giving it its name. Silvery fiddleheads emerge in early spring. USDA 3-9

Matteuccia struthiopteris

A vigorous, deciduous vase-shaped fern with shamrock green arching fronds. USDA 3-8

Adiantum pedatum

Finely textured frilly fronds. Wiry stems. Native. Clumping. USDA 3-8

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

Height: 12 inches

Spread: 18 inches

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade

Hardiness Zone: 4b

Other Names: Leadwort

Description:
Excellent groundcover with clusters of the truest blue flowers in late summer; foliage turns a nice bronzy-red color in fall; flowers resemble that of woodland phlox, and the red calyces add a wonderful color contrast

Ornamental Features:
Plumbago features showy clusters of blue star-shaped flowers with brick red calyces at the ends of the stems from late summer to early fall. Its glossy oval leaves are green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous red in the fall.

Landscape Attributes:
Plumbago is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Plumbago is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
- Planting & Growing

Plumbago will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 8 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

Lobelia siphilitica

Tall spikes of blue blooms. Tolerates moist to wet soils. Native. USDA 4-9

Lobelia cardinalis

Scarlet-red bloom on green foliage. Prefers rich, humusy, medium to wet soils. Great for rain gardens. USDA 3-9

Seneci aureus

Upright central flowering stalks covered with yellow daisy-like blooms that open from purple buds. Basal foliage forms neat mounds of green heart-shaped leaves with purple undersides. Height 1-2'.

Senecio attracts bees and butterflies to the garden. Prefers average, medium to wet soils. Do not allow to dry out. Tolerates wet soils. Will self seed in the garden. Spreads by rhizomes to make the perfect groundcover.

- USDA Hardiness Zone(s): 3-8
- Exposure: Part Shade, Full Shade
- Bloom Time(s): May

Chrysogonum virginianum 'Superstar'

Showy yellow blooms spring through summer. Clumping groundcover. Prefers moist soils. Native. USDA 5-9