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!

Hakonechloa macra

Rich-green, thick foliage. Great for containers. Dense, mounding habit. USDA 5-9

Nassella tenuissima

Height: 24 inches

Spread: 24 inches

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade

Hardiness Zone: 5b

Other Names: Stipa tenuissima, Needle Grass

Description:
An extremely delicate looking grass that provides gentle movement and sound in even the most delicate of breezes; a textural feast in the hands of a creative garden designer

Ornamental Features:
Mexican Feather Grass features airy plumes of gold flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer. Its attractive threadlike leaves are green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous harvest gold in the fall. The gold seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from late summer to late winter.

Landscape Attributes:
Mexican Feather Grass is a dense herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. 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 is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration:

- Self-Seeding

Mexican Feather Grass is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use

Planting & Growing:
Mexican Feather Grass will grow to be about 20 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 medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 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 prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau'

Cool season semi-evergreen ornamental grass. Deep, dark green foliage and airy, golden yellow flowers. USDA 4-9

Lobelia ? speciosa 'Starship Deep Rose'

Pink blooms on flushed bronze foliage. Tolerates wet soils. USDA 6-10

Tradescantia virginiana 'Zwanenburg Blue'

Large indigo blooms. Tolerates rabbits and moisture. Native. USDA 3-9

Ruellia humilis

Small, lavender flowers. Dense, mounded foliage. USDA 4-8

Heuchera americana 'Green Spice'

Vibrant, blue-green foliage has deep, purple veins. White flowers. USDA 4-8

Heuchera micrantha var. diversifolia 'Palace Purple'

Plant Height: 12 inches

Flower Height: 24 inches

Spacing: 10 inches

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 3b

Other Names: Coralbells, Alumroot

Description:
Low growing mounds of deep purple-bronze foliage offset tiny spikes of creamy white flowers in the early summer months; adds contrast and color to borders, beds, rock and woodland gardens; low maintenance and easy to grow

Ornamental Features:
Palace Purple Coral Bells features dainty spikes of creamy white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to mid summer. Its attractive crinkled lobed leaves remain deep purple in color with curious burgundy undersides and tinges of dark green throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes:
Palace Purple Coral Bells is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Palace Purple Coral Bells is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
Container Planting
- Planting & Growing

Palace Purple Coral Bells will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant performs well in both full sun and full shade. However, you may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species. 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.

Palace Purple Coral Bells is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Heuchera 'Berry Smoothie'

Plant Height: 14 inches

Flower Height: 24 inches

Spacing: 15 inches

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 4a

Other Names: Coralbells, Alumroot

Description:
Dainty spikes of ivory white bells rise from a compact mound of rose foliage that matures to a bronzy-red by summer; amazing contrast to other plants, great versatility; keep soil moist in the heat of summer

Ornamental Features:
Berry Smoothie Coral Bells features dainty spikes of white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to early summer. Its attractive crinkled lobed leaves emerge rose in spring, turning scarlet in color with distinctive dark red veins and tinges of coppery-bronze the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes:
Berry Smoothie Coral Bells is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Berry Smoothie Coral Bells is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Container Planting
- Planting & Growing

Berry Smoothie Coral Bells will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 15 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant performs well in both full sun and full shade. However, you may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. 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.

Berry Smoothie Coral Bells is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.